December 2025 game releases: Metroid Prime 4, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Elden Ring Nightreign DLC, plus standout indies Skate Story, Routine, Unbeatable.
© A. Krivonosov
December 2025 promises gamers not only a festive mood but also a string of interesting releases. Year-end is usually quieter than the fall rush, yet a few headline AAA projects are landing right in December. Alongside them, eye-catching indie titles are poised to surprise with fresh ideas. Below are four major AAA launches and three notable indie newcomers worth keeping on the radar this month.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is one of Nintendo’s most anticipated releases in years. Eighteen years after the previous main entry, fans finally get to continue Samus Aran’s journey. The game arrives on December 4, 2025, exclusively on Nintendo’s current and next-gen consoles (Switch and Switch 2). With Retro Studios back at the helm, the atmospheric single-player experience true to classic Metroid Prime remains intact, while new twists come into play — Samus now wields psychic abilities and even rides the futuristic Vi-0-La bike. The familiar formula gets a welcome update, and the community is eager to dive back into the isolation and exploration of alien worlds. Hype is understandably sky-high: Nintendo showed the game at events, and early previews stress it keeps the original’s spirit while looking decidedly modern on Switch 2’s hardware.
Another big early-December launch is Assassin’s Creed: Shadows for Nintendo Switch 2. On December 2, 2025, Ubisoft brings the franchise to Nintendo’s new console — a rarity for an Assassin’s Creed at launch. Shadows heads to feudal Japan, the long-requested setting fans have been waiting for. On other platforms (PS5, Xbox, PC) the game arrived back in March, and the Switch 2 release supports cross-progression, so players can carry over their save and continue on Nintendo’s hybrid machine. The Switch 2 version is optimized for handheld play and includes all previously released updates and free content patches from the start. Shadows features two playable leads — the stealthy shinobi Naoe and the samurai warrior Yasuke — each with a distinct playstyle. Critics have already praised the game on other platforms, calling it one of the series’ best in recent years, so its arrival on Switch 2 looks like a win for anyone keen to explore Japanese history on the go.
Even if December isn’t packed with brand-new AAA titles, major expansions will keep players busy. On December 4, the substantial DLC The Forsaken Hollows lands for Elden Ring: Nightreign. Nightreign is the co-op spin-off of the famed Elden Ring that debuted earlier in 2025, and this add-on is set to significantly broaden its content. FromSoftware promises two new character classes, new bosses, and even a Shifting Earth phenomenon that alters the world’s landscape. The DLC arrives simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox Series X|S. Owners of Nightreign’s expanded editions get it at no extra cost, while others can purchase it separately. Given the original Elden Ring’s legendary status, it’s no surprise fans are eager — a chance to return to that bleak universe and face fresh nightmares in co-op often feels as momentous as a full game launch in the soulslike space.
December also brings a comic-book crowd-pleaser. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a cooperative, retro-styled brawler set in the Marvel universe, launching December 1, 2025, across virtually every current platform — from last and current-gen consoles to PC and Switch 2. Developed by Tribute Games (the team behind the pixel-hit TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge) and published by Dotemu, it may sport old-school pixel art and the beat ’em up genre, but it’s among the month’s most visible releases thanks to a 15-hero roster of Marvel icons. Up to four players can dive into local co-op — say, as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Storm, and Wolverine — and brawl through famous Marvel locales from New York to the Negative Zone. Each hero has signature moves, combos, and even unique duo super attacks when swapping between a pair of chosen characters. It channels the golden age of arcades while uniting generations — from old-school fans to newer Marvel devotees. It’s not chasing the “most advanced tech” crown, yet the enthusiasm is palpable: teaming up with friends to punch through waves of pixelated villains as fan-favorite heroes sounds like a delightful way to see out 2025.
Among December’s indies, Skate Story stands apart — a singular blend of skateboarding and demonic aesthetics. It arrives December 8, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. Created by independent developer Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital, it immediately grabs attention with a surreal premise: you play as a demon from hell, made of glass and pain, tasked by the Devil to skate through the underworld and swallow the Moon in exchange for freedom. The gameplay fuses grounded skate-sim elements with unabashedly metaphysical set pieces and objectives. Your glass-bodied skater can shatter on a bad landing — the risk of a deal with the devil. A striking visual style, a psychedelic soundtrack, and an unusual combat twist — combo tricks even factor into boss fights — have already made Skate Story one of the indie scene’s hot talking points. Early demo impressions highlight a hypnotic atmosphere and a fresh take on the genre. With the full release finally here, it may well skate into indie-hit territory, a reminder that even in hell, freedom and creativity can bend the cosmos.
Horror fans get a long-awaited arrival with Routine, a sci-fi chiller that has been in development for nearly 13 years. First announced in 2012 and repeatedly delayed, it became a legend of indie vaporware — until now. Lunar Software, with publisher Raw Fury, is set to release it on December 4, 2025, for PC and Xbox. Routine is a first-person survival horror set on an abandoned lunar base styled in ’80s retrofuturism. You’ll explore the station’s dark corridors, trying to understand why it fell silent while avoiding lethal robots that patrol the facility. The game leans into a sense of helplessness: you have no weapons, only scanning tools, which means you’ll often hide, run, and hold your breath as heavy metal killers thunder past. The developers rebuilt Routine multiple times to nail the tone and quality they wanted. The fact it’s finally launching has sparked a wave of curiosity across the horror community. Many still remember those early trailers — and soon we’ll see whether this once-stalled dream can haunt us like the genre’s classics.
Music and anime-style devotees should keep an eye on Unbeatable, a striking rhythm game inspired by Japanese animation. Its path to release had a hiccup: just a day before launch, developer D-Cell Games found a critical bug and moved the date to December 9, 2025. With that last hurdle cleared, Unbeatable lands simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It pairs dynamic two-button rhythm gameplay (think the spirit of Muse Dash or Geometry Dash) with exploration of a hand-drawn world and a story about a young rock band defying a ban on music. An energetic soundtrack, a vivid visual identity reminiscent of ’90s anime, and a cast with real charisma give it serious appeal. The demo and prologue have already garnered plenty of praise, and the team notes they picked the new December window to avoid getting lost amid November’s heavy hitters. That timing could turn Unbeatable into a spot-on pre-holiday gift for rhythm-game fans: stylish, heartfelt, and genuinely challenging.
December 2025 may not be bursting with blockbusters, but it offers something for every taste. From sweeping space adventures and historical action to nerve-jangling horror and feel-good indies, the lineup has range. Most importantly, these projects carry a festive charge — long-awaited continuations, promises finally fulfilled, and playful experiments with mechanics. All that’s left is to carve out some winter-break time: December has plenty worth playing. Let the last month of 2025 be a fitting final level before the next gaming year.
Age rating 18+.