Now that the latest generation of gaming hardware has had a full calendar year to marinate in the industry, 2022 is poised to put it to the test — coming out swinging with Elden Ring in February and keeping a steady pace with practically every month following, it's shaping up to be a big year in gaming. To summarize with an all-encompassing cliche: we've got a lot to look forward to.

Related: Genshin Impact: Complete Guide

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Updated October 7, 2022: Normally, this is the month when we look forward to delightful spooks and frights. And while the upcoming Scorn has us covered in the grotesque horror department, October is just bursting with game launches of all sorts, not just the scary types. Seriously, we have Overwatch 2, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Gotham Knights, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and Bayonetta 3 coming out this month. Does the games industry want us to get any sleep in October?

This Week's Highlights

• The most recent Nintendo Direct livestream showed the world our first glimpse of the Super Mario movie. The new trailer showcases Bowser in all of his glory, a Chris Pratt-voiced Mario, and the most adorable army of penguins.
• Overwatch 2 officially released this past week, and there were quite a few issues plaguing the now free-to-play title at launch. From lengthy queue times to difficulties merging accounts, Blizzard definitely has its work cut out for it in order to make Overwatch 2 a more polished experience.
• Nier: Automata has been ported to the Nintendo Switch, and according to our Andy Kelly, it plays like a dream.

January 2022 Games

With only a handful of games to start off the year, January 2022 nonetheless carried with it a few strong game launches. After a delay from 2021 to this year, the latest installment in the Rainbow Six series made a long-anticipated appearance with Extraction. Both Monster Hunter Rise and God of War got their PC ports as well. And of course, we can't slide out of January without a mention of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It might have seemed like a small bunch of games, but anything looks small in comparison to the gargantuan pile of releases happening in February.

February 2022 Games

As mentioned, February is poised to practically define 2022's gaming calendar with an absurd litany of heavy-hitting titles. Dying Light 2 Stay Human set the tone nicely, but Horizon Forbidden West? Total War: Warhammer 3? Elden Ring? All in the same month? This is either the best timeline or one that's been broken beyond belief. Best to set aside an entire paycheck for this one.

March 2022 Games​​​​​

A modest selection of games are set to release in March. But at least it's a delightful mixture of genres for gamers to enjoy. From the tactical role-playing of Triangle Strategy to the gun-toting, looting-shooting of Tiny Tina's Wonderland, there's a little bit of something for everyone. There's even a brand-new Chocobo racing game for anyone who is both a fan of Final Fantasy and racing.)

April 2022 Games

April's shaping up to have a wonderful roster, especially for Nintendo fans. The Switch is seeing an absolute deluge of titles, ranging from the cross-platform release of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga to Nintendo Switch Sports.

May 2022 Games

With springtime comes new video game releases! Vampire: The Masquerade — Swansong is certainly among the more prominent game launch this month, and it's nice to see this upcoming RPG based on the popular tabletop game get a chance to be in the spotlight. Warhammer 40,000 fans are getting a fresh new tactical experience with the Grey Knights in Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, and Sniper Elite 5 is coming in with a nearly-literal bang towards the end of the month.

June 2022 Games

June has built up a fantastic collection of summer titles for us to dive into with a splash. We get a taste of campy horror in The Quarry. Fans of Cuphead get a delicious bit of DLC. And the likes of Mario Strikers: Battle League and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes will be landing on Switch as well. And did we mention Monster Hunter Rise is getting that Sunbreak expansion at the end of the month?

July 2022 Games

July has hit its stride by being that mid-summer sweet spot. We're getting a few new titles dropping for the Nintendo Switch, as well as an enticing new leg of the Digimon franchise with Digimon Survive. As Dusk Falls lands on Xbox consoles and PC with a mystifying story. The delightfully intriguing Stray is also a shining gem to play during July if you're at all interested in playing as a cat trying to survive in cyberpunk-themed alleyways.

August 2022 Games

As summer and the year 2022 draw to a close, we are treated to the long-awaited Saints Row reboot — we've definitely been waiting more than a year for this one. And more than a few folks around our own offices are well enthused for Two Point Campus already. And in addition to all that other good news, Marvel's Spider-Man finally makes a PC appearance! If these titles alone are any indication, 2022's August is shaping up to be an exciting one.

September 2022 Games

There aren't many big-name games set to release in September, especially with the stream of delays that has come our way. Still, we have The Last of Us Part 1 set to come out for the PS5, and Splatoon 3 will be splattering onto the Switch. Wait, hold the presses! The full release of Grounded is landing into our backyards this month. Did we say no big-name games were launching in September? Grounded might be about tiny, shrunken adventurers dealing with the dangers of a back lawn, but from what we've seen of it so far, it's set to make a huge splash this fall.

October 2022 Games

October has become this year's month of plentiful release dates, including Bayonetta 3 and Gotham Knights. That said, they're heavy hitters that demand attention. We can likely look forward to more titles being slotted into the spookiest month of the year as we close in on it. At least Scorn has us well covered in the Halloween-appropriate-titles department already. That H.R. Giger art style has us freaking out already.

November 2022 Games

November is currently looking pretty bare in terms of game launches. Starfield was initially going to be the big release this month, but Bethesda delayed it to next year. In its place, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is now November's biggest game.

December 2022 Games

December 2022 feels like ages away at this point, so it's no surprise that there are few game launches attached to this month. Still, we have the confirmation of Homeworld 3's specific release date to look forward to, and High on Life certainly has more than a few eyes watching it. And can we just say that The Callisto Protocol is one of our most anticipated games of all time?

To Be Announced 2022 Games

Though none of these titles have release dates that are set in stone, they are all hotly anticipated games that are hopefully seen sooner rather than later.

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