The next few months may prove to be a good time for gamers, as early next year will see the releases of Cyberpunk 2077 and the first part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and big names like Borderlands 3 and Death Stranding drop this fall. In other words, it should prove to be an epic few months for the gaming industry, as there is a ton of games currently on the hype train.
The rest of 2019, specifically, is jam-packed with fan-favorite franchises, massive expansions, and new takes on old hat annual releases. It remains to be seen what games on this list stick the landing when they launch, but for now, here are the 15 most anticipated games of fall 2019.
15 Monster Hunter: World — Iceborne Expansion (Sept 6)
When Monster Hunter World first launched on consoles, it blew all expectations, rising to become Capcom's best-selling Monster Hunter game and fourth-best overall highest-selling game for the developer. Now, later this year, the Iceborne expansion will drop, bringing with it new a brand new Tundra area, hunting areas, monsters, quests, additional story content, and even a new rank. This new rank, called "G rank" in past games, is now known as the "Master Rank" and will take players on the next step beyond "High Rank."
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne launches on September 6, 2019, for PS4 and Xbox One, with a PC release to follow in 2020.
14 Gears 5 (Sept 10)
The fifth entry in the 13-year-old Gears of War Xbox franchise, Gears 5, will release soon and sees players take on the role of Kait Diaz. Because of the story shifts to saving Kait's mom, the team felt right to have the player focus shift from JD Fenix to Kait, and hopefully, this will answer a ton of questions left over from Gears of War 4. Gears is also known for some unique enemies such as the Corpser or the Brumak, so players best be prepared for the newest Gears 5 enemy, the Warden.
Gears 5 releases September 10 on PC and Xbox One.
13 Borderlands 3 (Sept 13)
Borderlands 3 is a name so big it can practically sell itself, especially when considering it has been 5 years since The Pre-Sequel launched and 7 years since Borderlands 2, so many are itching to get back to the original looter shooter. This time, players will get to choose between Amara the Siren, FL4K the Beastmaster, Moze the Gunner, and Zane the Operative. And for those looking to do it in style, the Borderlands 3 deluxe edition content has recently been revealed and comes with some unique skins for the aforementioned characters.
Borderlands 3 launches September 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
12 Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Expansion (Oct 1)
Year 3 of Destiny 2 will officially kick off with the launch of the Shadowkeep expansion, which sees Guardians return to the moon and meet Eris Morn once again. Other details are scarce, but we know the expansion will formally introduce the Armor 2.0 system, new exotics, QOL updates, finishing moves, and more. In preparation for the expansion, it's worth mentioning that the Solstice of Heroes armor will be the first to fit the 2.0 system, so it's worth pursuing now.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep releases on October 1, 2019, for Google Stadia, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
11 Shenmue 3 (Nov 19)
Shenmue 3 spent a decade in development hell before a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 finally got things off the ground. For fans of the franchise, this game has clearly been a long time coming, as players will get to continue the protagonist's quest to find his father's killer. That said, the game has found itself in the middle of the Epic Games Store controversy, but since that has died down some, it won't do much damage to Shenmue 3's launch hopefully.
Shenmue 3 releases November 19 for PC and PlayStation 4.
10 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Sept 20)
The 1993 original Link's Awakening released to universal acclaim and was the first Zelda game to launch on a handheld, so it's clear that this remake is likely a wise move. It will completely overhaul the graphics, which are now described as "retro-modern", bringing this 1993 classic into 2019 without sacrificing what makes it unique. For many, this will also help bridge the gap prior to the release of Breath of the Wild 2, even if that is a long ways off.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening releases September 20, 2019, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
9 Code Vein (September 27)
First announced in April 2017, Code Vein is yet another game finally coming to fruition in fall 2019 (like Borderlands 3 and Shenmue 3). Code Vein players will find themselves in a dystopian world and will be equipped with Vampiric-like abilities such as "gifts" from consuming blood. Many have hailed it as "anime Dark Souls" game, but whether it can match the popularity of the From Software titles remains to be seen.
Code Vein releases September 27, 2019, on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
8 Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Oct 4)
Ghost Recon Breakpoint sees the famous Ghosts face off with their greatest threat yet: other Ghosts. Led by Jon Bernthal's Cole D. Walker, the Wolves (ex-Ghosts) are on a mission to safeguard the future of warfare by commandeering drone production on Auroa, a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean, which puts him into direct conflict with Nomad (the PC) and his allies. For those on the fence about the title, it's worth mentioning that Breakpoint's beta takes place in September ahead of its early October launch.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint launches on October 4 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
7 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Oct 25)
Modern Warfare returns to confront the evils of war this October, with both the single-player and multi-player mode garnering a fair amount of controversy. The story mode, for example, has been criticized for including ultra-realistic scenarios like child soldiers, whereas the multiplayer mode has recently caught flak for the reward and "glorification" of White Phosphorous as a killstreak. It's unknown if this realistic stance will affect the game's launch, but many see it as a new breath in a long-running, stagnant series.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches on October 25 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
6 The Outer Worlds (Oct 25)
Many consider The Outer Worlds at one of the best games of E3 2019, and for good reason. It seems designed to scratch the itch that many Fallout fans have been feeling, perhaps due to the lackluster launch of Fallout 76, and comes equipped with several familiar features like dialogue options that are tied to specific skills. What's more, the original creators of Fallout, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, are also the masterminds behind the Outer Worlds, meaning that this game is inheriting the franchise's legacy in more ways than one.
The Outer Worlds releases October 25, 2019, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One
5 Luigi's Mansion 3 (Oct 31)
The direct sequel to Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Luigi's Mansion 3 will aptly release on Halloween of this year. It sees Luigi and his friends have their vacation ruined, and it's up to Luigi to save his friends by exploring a large hotel. Each floor is based on a different theme, giving players a variety of atmospheres and mechanics to take part in, with levels that are more open-ended than Dark Moon as well. These changes seem welcome enough, as many are excited to see the game drop in the coming months.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is set to release on October 31, 2019, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
4 Death Stranding (Nov 8)
Death Stranding is a forthcoming action game from Hideo Kojima, but Kojima has compared the genre of this game to when Metal Gear was considered an action game because stealth games weren't given their own genre at the time. Kojima even went so far as to invent his own genre for the game, calling it an "action game/strand game (social strand system)." This is due to the games focus on connections and how players will be uniting divided societies when they step into the shoes of protagonist Sam Bridges.
Death Stranding releases November 8, 2019, exclusively for PS4.
3 Pokemon Sword and Shield (Nov 15)
The 8th generation of Pokemon will be coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch in the form of Pokemon Sword and Shield. It will showcase the new Galar region, which is loosely based on the U.K., and feature several new Pokemon to catch. It's also worth adding that the game has come under fire for not including every single Pokemon out there, but considering all the new Galar Pokemon such as Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble that players can get their hands on, that's not likely bringing the hype train to a stop anytime soon.
Pokemon Sword and Shield release November 15, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
2 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Nov 15)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has the tall order of living up to some of the greatest Star Wars games out there. In this single-player action-adventure title, players will take on the role of Cal Kestis, a survivor of the devastating Order 66, as he is hunted by the Empire and the Inquisitor known as the Second Sister. It remains to be seen if Cal's name gets to rank up there with the greats like Revan, but Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will feature KOTOR elements, meaning there may be hope.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will launch on November 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
1 Doom Eternal (Nov 22)
First announced at E3 2018, Doom Eternal is the sequel to the well-received 2016 reboot that will feature new weapons, new abilities, new and returning enemies, new game modes, and a notable new feature known as "Destructible Demons." In other words, all demon bodies will deteriorate as they engage the Doom Slayer, hopefully adding a nice empowering effect to the first-person shooter gameplay.
Doom Eternal will launch on November 22 on PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.