Zach Eubanks
Overwatch 2
Overwatch took the gaming world by storm 6 years ago. Promising to be the e-sport that brings casual players and hardcore players together. This unfortunately had mixed results and the game had many ups and downs. However, Overwatch was full of charm and potential and Blizzard saw that. This year we will hopefully see that potential realized as the sequel promises to have better balancing and hopefully a refreshed booming e-sports scene. The sequel will also feature new maps, new heroes, and you’ll even carry your progress over from Overwatch so you don’t have to worry about losing any of those fancy exclusive skins you’ve hoarded. Even better is that on release the game will be free-to-play meaning there isn’t any excuse not to give it a shot this time around. Even if you aren’t a fan of Overwatch or a competitive FPS player, Overwatch 2 will still surely offer you something unique, fun, and engaging when it drops Oct. 4, 2022.
Slime Rancher 2
Slime Rancher was a game we followed since Monomi Park posted the early free builds on their forums. It was a unique, cute, and really interesting take on the farming sim genre that had us lose hours of our time. The only downside we could find is that there simply was not enough of it. Slime Rancher 2 looks to fix this as well as surpass its predecessor, taking place in an all-new location called Rainbow Island that is brimming with tons of new things to see and explore. Of course, there are also lots of wiggly jiggly new friends to make. Outside of new slimes and areas Monomi also promises tons of new items and gadgets to play with we can’t wait until Slime Rancher 2 hits early access this fall.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Get ready to purge chaos in this rip and tear Left 4 Dead-style co-op shooter. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is created by Fatshark who, after releasing the huge hit Vermintide 2, decided to dip their toes into the world of 40k. Darktide aims to bring you into the hive city where you get to fulfill missions and eliminate the heretics with an arsenal of customizable guns and melee weapons. If you’re a Warhammer or Left 4 Dead fan or even just someone who has the itch to purge heresy, this game will be ready for you on PC on Nov. 30.
Scorn
Scorn promises to be an entirely new unique type of FPS game. Focusing on horror and a unique bio-punk aesthetic that is inspired by the works of visual artists H. R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. The game is aiming to be a survival horror adventure that takes place in multiple maze-like levels. Interestingly enough Scorn also features no cutscenes. Instead, the developers want the game world itself to feel like a character and don’t want the player to be drawn away. Instead each level will have its own individual characters, puzzles, and stories told to bring the world together and reveal an overarching and alien plot. Players can expect this game to creep into their libraries on Oct. 21 and will be featured on GamePass for PC.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
No its not 2009 again, this is 2022. After the incredible success of the 2019 Modern Warfare remake it only makes sense that Infinity Ward and Activision would follow it up with a sequel. In case you’re wondering, this isn’t a remake of the original game but rather a direct follow up to 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Activision has done a great job keeping their lips sealed about potential new features and most of what we have to go on at the moment are leaks. That being said, if Modern Warfare 2019 is anything to go by we can expect the campaign and multiplayer to rapid fire plenty of the fast-paced FPS action we all love straight into our veins. MW2 releases Oct. 28th. If you want an early sneak peek there will also be two waves of beta tests.
Sep. 16-17: Pre-order exclusive PS4 and PS5 access.Sep. 18-20: Open to all PlayStation players.Sep. 22-23: Pre-order exclusive for Xbox and PC; also open to all PlayStation users.Sep. 24-26: Open to all players on available platforms.
Coral Island
Rest here weary reader, for not every game this year is dark and action packed. Actually, this game is just the opposite. Wearing its Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley inspirations on its sleeve, Coral Island looks to be the cozy after work relaxation hit of the year. Build your farm, meet new friends, pet your cute dog and drift away into a wonderful and peaceful new life. The island also features a coral reef that players will be able to help restore. You’ll also see plenty of adventure and some combat in the abandoned caves where you mine for ores and rare gems. However, this game is about you and your fellow islanders’ stories first and foremost. Coral Island dives into early access on Oct. 11.
Skull and Bones
Yarrr now back to ye’ regularly scheduled list. Pirates are awesome, lets be honest, and this game almost gets a spot just for that. However, mix that with Ubisoft and their love for the big and cinematic, as well as sprinkle in some grog, and we have ourselves a top 10 contender. In this PvE or PvPvE (pirate. vs pirate vs. eye-patches) experience, you and your friends can set out and complete contracts, craft a beautiful custom vessel and wage war on any landlubbers who dare cross you in the seas. Featuring large naval battles, raids and fort attacks you will have no shortage of cannon fire and gunpowder. To assist in this you’ll be able to customize your ship with different weaponry and armors to outmaneuver and outgun anyone standing in the way of your fortune. Start your pirate legacy on Nov. 8.
Saints Row
Oh yeah this is gonna be a fun one. Saints Row gets its reboot later this year and looks set to bring the zany, eccentric gameplay that fans have come to know and love from the series albeit in a new kind of setting. The developers have decided to step back from the luxurious neon absurdity that we know and bring the game to a more grounded setting. However there still looks to be a huge amount of charm, fun, and chaos crammed into this game. You can even check out the free character builder and see what its like to build your crime boss. Santo Ileso is our new sandbox and it looks like it will be a perfect backdrop for our crime movie fever dreams on Aug. 23.
Gotham Knights
I think we were all a bit disappointed when we found out Batgirl would never hit theatres, but fortunately WB Games has this cooking for us. Gotham Knights follows Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and Batgirl as they try to uncover the mystery surrounding the death of Batman. You’ll be able to pick whichever hero you like while resting in the hideout during the day. During the night however, you’ll be out prowling, investigating, and beating down bad guys. Gotham Knights looks like a great blend of the dark action-RPG we are expecting layered over a superhero murder mystery. With the previews and gameplay footage released so far, we feel like we can confidently place this game on our top 10 and start getting excited. Suit up on Oct. 25.
Atomic Heart
Originally revealed in July of 2017, this unique game has only gotten more exciting and bizarre as the trailers have trickled out of the studio. Atomic Heart looks to put players into an alternate history soviet union during the 1960s where a robot uprising has all but destroyed everything. Equipped with a combat glove and a wide array of ranged and melee weaponry, each player will be able to choose how they want to tackle every encounter. The combat also promises to make use of the unique environment mainly via your combat glove that gives you pseudo telekinetic powers. There is no hard release date set yet but this game will be released sometime in Q4 and will be available on GamePass for PC. Thanks for reading and I hope this guide has gotten you exited for what games are set to release in the last half of 2022. There are of course tons of other games set to drop this year but we could only pick 10. If you are more of a console player check out our best PlayStation games releasing before the end of 2022 or best Xbox games releasing before the end of 2022 lists as well.
