January typically is not an especially busy time of the year for new video games, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing worth playing. Quite the contrary: while January 2024 doesn’t have the meatiest release schedule—especially following the annual holiday barrage—it has a few big releases worth watching.
Meaty adventures rule the month, including a new Prince of Persia game and the remastered PlayStation 5 edition of The Last of Us Part II, but there’s also Tekken 8 to deliver some quick thrills for fighting fans. Here’s a look at January’s biggest game releases.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Jan. 18)
It’s been well over a decade since the last totally new, core Prince of Persia game, and Ubisoft is finally reviving the classic adventure brand with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Releasing across PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, The Lost Crown merges the franchise’s classic side-scrolling action with the kind of time manipulation elements seen in the more modern 3D entries. But it also takes cues from the likes of Metroid and Castlevania, providing a sprawling map and a litany of abilities that you’ll gradually unlock over time, making the campaign richer and richer as you go.
The Most Anticipated Games of 2025
Look, 2024 was a pretty great year for games, delivering gems like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Astro Bot, Balatro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Off the Grid, and more. But we’re an optimistic bunch, and we think 2025 could be even better. That’s the vibe we’re getting from the early batch of games expected to launch this year, spanning sequels and original titles alike, ranging from Grand Theft Auto 6 to (potentially) Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and plenty more in between. Wait, let's linger on t...
The Last of Us Part II Remastered (Jan. 19)
It’s been less than four years since The Last of Us Part II released at the tail end of the PS4 cycle, and it was already given performance enhancements on PS5. But with the popularity of the HBO show and 2023’s remastered version of the original PS3 action game, Naughty Dog is launching a remastered and expanded version of the sequel on PS5.
Along with a visual upgrade, it includes some levels that were cut during the original development, additional character costumes, and a new roguelike survival mode called “No Return.” Luckily, it’s also selling for less than a typical new PS5 game at $50.
Tekken 8 (Jan. 26)
The King of Iron Fist tournament is back with Tekken 8, which brings Bandai Namco’s fighting franchise to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. While the vibe largely looks familiar, with many returning faces in the mix, Tekken 8 introduces combat elements to reward more aggressive players, and brings a more cinematic touch to the action.
It can be difficult to make a 30-year-old franchise feel fresh again, especially after so many entries and spinoffs, but Tekken 8 looks to have a renewed spark to it. Let’s see if it can hang with Street Fighter 6.
Nintendo Switch 2 Preview: Release Date, Price and Launch Games
The Switch is Nintendo’s best-selling home console of all time, and widely beloved for its rich library of games—a dramatic turn from the middling Wii U before it. But it’s been eight years since the Switch launched, and fans are getting antsy for Nintendo’s next big thing. Luckily, it's coming. Following years of leaks and rumors, and even a couple official acknowledgments that the next-gen model was coming, Nintendo formally revealed the Switch 2 console in January 2025—and now we know when we...
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Jan. 26)
No, you’re not mistaken: Sega did indeed just release another Like a Dragon game, The Man Who Erased His Name, in November. But the rebranded Yakuza series is expanding yet again in January, bringing together both series leads (Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu) for an open-world action affair in both Yokohama and Honolulu City, Hawaii—the first time away from Japan.
It’s billed as one of the big, mainline series entries, and a direct sequel to 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, unlike the recent spinoff release. It’s probably not the best place to start with this series, but existing fans should get a kick out of it across PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/S and One, and PC.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.
