The first half of 2022 was pretty dry for gamers, a few exceptions aside. The second half looks a lot more promising. The second half of 2022 has many offerings for gamers of all stripes, whether uber-long RPGs, online shooters or horror adventures are your thing. Here are all the gaming release dates of 2022 you need to know–
Saints Row
Saints Row is getting a reboot; the fifth game in the series will simply be known as Saints Row. It’ll have the same open-world sandbox that the series is known for – set in an approximation of the US’ southwest – but will strike a more serious tone than the wild and wacky Saints Row IV.
Release date: 23 August 2022
Lord of the Rings: Gollum
A big season for Lord of the Rings fans. Amazon Studios’ The Rings of Power series will launch, and then there’s Gollum. The unsightly rascal is the star of his own game, where he’ll use stealth to outmaneuver orcs, and occasionally overpower them – in his quest to retrieve The One Ring. We haven’t seen a deluge of footage yet, but the game is slated for a Sept. 1 launch on PlayStation and Xbox, followed by a Switch version on Nov. 30.
Release date: 1 September
Last of Us Part 1 Remake
Last of Us Part 2 took Naughty Dog’s horror franchise into the stratosphere. It sold over 10 million copies, and received overwhelming critical acclaim. That’s renewed interest in the first Last of Us, which originally hit the PlayStation 3 in 2013. The Last of Us Part 1 is getting the remake treatment, with updated graphics and controls, plus integration of PS5 goodies like DualSense functionality and 3D Audio. The Last of Us’ remake has gotten some blowback from gamers, who’ve called it an unnecessary money-grab – it’ll retail for $70, and comes after the game was already remastered for PS4.
Release date: 2 September
Splatoon 3
Splatoon’s high concept is genius — and extremely Nintendo. It takes the traditionally violent first-person shooter and flips it on its head. You’re shooting paint, not bullets. You don’t score points for shooting enemies, you score points by shooting the environment itself. Splatoon 2 is one of the Nintendo Switch’s essential family fun games, though it soon may be usurped by Splatoon 3.
Release date: 9 September
Overwatch 2
Overwatch rules, we all know this. Overwatch 2 tweaks the format, making the squad-based shooter a 5v5 affair instead of the original’s 6v6. It also adds co-op gameplay, in case you want to shoot with your buds instead of against them. The biggest change is that you won’t have to pay to play Overwatch 2. Blizzard is shifting to a free-to-play model with battle passes and new content every season. Players will get a new hero or map every nine weeks, with the developers committing to updates in perpetuity. The hope is that the new model will combat the content drought that plagued the original. Overwatch 2 launches on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, the Nintendo Switch and PC.
Release date: 4 October
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was a brilliant game, melding the two beloved franchises with surprisingly deep strategy gameplay. Sparks of Hope takes the cast of characters out of the Mushroom Kingdom and into outer space, though the scenery isn’t the only change. The game will add a heavier dose of combat into its strategy gameplay, as seen in a recent trailer
Release date: 20 October
High on Life
In a year filled with Gods of War and Calls of Duty, it’s nice to mix some new IP in. High on Life is a first-person shooter devised by Justin Roiland, the co-creator of Rick and Morty. The trailer makes the game look exactly like you might think: a quirky, colorful sci-fi adventure. High on Life is exclusive to Xbox, though it’ll be available on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S.
Release date: 25 October
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
It feels silly, at this point, to write a little blurb about what to expect from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It’s the 19th game in the illustrious franchise, and takes the series out of Vanguard’s World War 2 setting and sets it in- modern warfare.
Release date: 25 October
God of War: Ragnarok
Ragnarok is a followup to God of War, one of the PlayStation 4’s best games. There’s a lot going on in Ragnarok: The world is potentially ending, Kratos is seeking the Norse God of War, and a very angry Thor is hot on his track. It’s the second and final God of War set in Norse mythology and was originally meant to hit the PS4 and PS5 last year.
Release date: 9 November
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was clearly a pivot by Nintendo. It’s no surprise that the next Pokemon games, Scarlet and Violet, adopt the real-time action template of Legends: Arceus – but it is a big surprise that we’re getting the new Pokemon games so soon.
Release date: 18 November
