While PS5 and Xbox Series X might dominate the spotlight, PC continues to be one of the best gaming platforms on the market. The past few months have seen a variety of high-profile releases, but the coming year looks to be even better.
If you’re looking for your next big PC game (or want to see what’s on the horizon before investing in a new rig), here are the best upcoming PC games set to arrive before the end of 2022.
Further reading
Monster Hunter Rise — January 12, 2022
Monster Hunter Rise was one of the best Switch games of 2021, and it’s looking to dominate PC in 2022. Arriving in January, Monster Hunter Rise will make some big changes from the Nintendo Switch version — the most notable of which is a massive graphics overhaul.
Aside from a boost in fidelity, Rise will still see you once again hunting dozens of towering beasts, collecting hundreds of unique resources, and teaming up with a few buddies to tackle the game’s most difficult content. If you missed out on Rise in 2021, now is the perfect time to dive into the action.
Rainbow Six Extraction — January 20, 2022
Ubisoft is radically changing up the Rainbow Six formula with Extraction. It’s still a team-based shooter, but this time you’ll be going up against hordes of supernatural monsters. Sound tactics and fast reflexes are still the keys to making it out alive, but there’s no PvP to be found anywhere in the game.
Largely based on Siege‘s limited-time Containment event, Extraction is a wholly PvE experience. You’ll be able to jump into the shoes of one of 18 specialized operators to take down the threat, and Rainbow Six fans are no doubt curious to see how this one shakes out in 2022.
Dying Light 2 — February 4, 2022
Return to the zombie-infested world of Dying Light in this highly anticipated sequel. You’ll once again be climbing across rooftops and engaging in deadly melee combat, although this time around things are (somehow) looking even bleaker than before.
Humanity has been beaten back to the fringes of society, and the world you’ll be exploring is all but overrun with deadly enemies — many of which are actually of the human variety. Dying Light 2 looks to take everything that made the original so popular and crank it up to 11. Expect to spend many sleepless nights running through The City when it arrives in early 2022.
Lost Ark — February 11, 2022
Amazon’s first foray into the MMO genre with New World was a mixed bag. On one hand, millions of players jumped at the chance to try out a sprawling new title… but most of them left just a few weeks after launch. Lost Ark is hoping to change that, as it’s already a well-established (and popular) MMO in many eastern regions.
The action in Lost Ark plays out from a top-down perspective, merging the best of the ARPG and MMO genres. Early access to Lost Ark has shown off a polished game with plenty to offer — and it’ll be interesting to see how long players stick around when it launches in February.
Elden Ring — February 25, 2022
It took a while, but we’ve finally got some concrete Elden Ring info. The game is slated to arrive in February and is arguably one of the biggest “Souls-like” games ever made. An open world with six unique areas is the main draw of Elden Ring, as it brings a variety of gameplay tweaks that should make it feel a bit more unique than other FromSoftware releases.
Namely, the ability to ride a horse and fight while mounted seemed to be prevalent during early presentations. You can also mark locations on a map for easy exploration, and both friendly and dangerous NPCs seem to be scattered about the world at random — giving you something new to find around every corner.
Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons — February 2022
It’s technically more of an expansion than a new game, but End of Dragons is still among the most anticipated releases of 2022. Bringing a new region, new quests, and new specialized classes to the world of Guild Wars 2, End of Dragons is shaping up to be the biggest expansion the game has seen in quite some time.
While all the above is no doubt exciting, the most hilarious addition is the new Siege Turtle mount. This “walking war machine” can be ridden by two players — one steering the lumbering beast onward and the other operating its shell-mounted weapons. If that’s not a reason to check out the expansion, we don’t know what is.
Stalker 2 — April 28, 2022
Set in a post-apocalyptic, open-world environment, Stalker 2 invites you to discover a mystery hidden deep in the Heart of Chernobyl. A unique amalgam of FPS, immersive sim, and horror, the non-linear story is hoping to give you unprecedented freedom in how the action unfolds.
It’s all driven by Unreal Engine 5, and ultra-realistic graphics will push your GPU to its limits. And if the tense single-player action isn’t enough, you’ll be glad to know that multiplayer will be available sometime after launch as part of a free update.
Forspoken — May 24, 2022
After being transported from New York to the magical land of Athia, main character Frey Holland sets out to discover a way back home. The world of Athia is a dark and corrupted place, although it once was home to a thriving civilization — and Frey will need to remove the corruption from the land before she can head back to the real world.
Forspoken is still a bit of a mystery, but the action RPG is already shaping up to be another hit from Square Enix. With a complex story and fast-paced action gameplay, expect to hear a lot more about this new IP in the coming months.
Saints Row — August 23, 2022
It was delayed from February to August, but the long-awaited Saints Row reboot should still be arriving in 2022. Set in the fictional southwestern town of Santo Ileso, you’ll once again put together a crew before heading to the streets and blowing up everything in sight. Early footage of Saints Row has shown off a game that is remarkably similar to past entries while doing much to bring it to a new generation of players.
You’ll also be able to play through the entire campaign in two-player co-op, although there’s a noticeable lack of PvP multiplayer. Still, it sounds as if Volition has gone to great lengths to ensure cooperative play works seamlessly within the world of Santo Ileso. If you’re looking for a chaotic world to run through in 2022, keep a close eye on Saints Row.
Redfall — Summer 2022
We don’t know much about Redfall, but seeing as it’s coming from Arkane (the studio responsible for Deathloop, Prey, and Dishonored), there’s good reason to be excited about the upcoming game. Currently billed for a summer 2022 arrival, Redfall is a cooperative shooter that pits you against vampiric foes in an ever-changing open world.
Aside from that, much remains a mystery. We know that both solo and co-op play will be supported, multiple characters will be up for grabs, and there will be a deep arsenal of weapons at your disposal… but beyond that, we’ll have to wait until Arkane is ready to reveal more.
Starfield — November 11, 2022
As the first new series from Bethesda in over two decades, fans couldn’t be more excited for Starfield. The game will take place in the 2300s and sees you exploring an interstellar world with “unparalleled freedom” as you attempt to solve one of humanity’s greatest mysteries.
Exploration will clearly drive Starfield forward, but we’re uncertain how the rest of the game will play out. Todd Howard claims the title will be “like Skyrim in space,” so expect lots of player-driven actions and plenty of side quests to get lost in.
Baldur’s Gate 3 – 2022
Already available in Early Access on Steam, Baldur’s Gate 3 is slated for a full release sometime in 2022. It carries on many of the tropes of its predecessors, and its clear Larian Studios has set out to make this the largest in the series.
New characters, new multiplayer offerings, and an innovative turn-based combat system add up to one of the best RPGs in years — and fans are excited to see how things evolve once Baldur’s Gate 3 officially leaves early access.
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