Bandai Namco has long been a titan in the gaming world, holding the reins to marquee franchises like Dark Souls, Pac-Man, Tales, and Tekken. Yet, 2024 was somewhat of a rollercoaster year for them. While they delivered impressive titles such as Gundam Breaker 4, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero!, and the universally lauded Tekken 8, not all of their releases shone as brightly. Some games, like Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash and Unknown 9: Awakening, took a drubbing from critics, and even among fans, games such as Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream and Death Note: Killer Within sparked divided opinions.
Nonetheless, the lineup of games Bandai Namco has on the horizon looks pretty exciting. They’ve already unveiled plans for seven upcoming releases. Among them are intriguing titles like Little Nightmares 3 by Supermassive Games, a horror platformer sure to raise some hairs, and Dawnwalker, a dark action RPG from Rebel Wolves. While these two have yet to get specific release dates, some other projects have already been penciled in for early next year. In fact, four of Bandai Namco’s anticipated games are poised for a launch in the first half of 2025. So, barring any unforeseen hiccups, Bandai Namco seems set to kick off the year on a high note.
The first wave of 2025 starts with remasters rather than brand-new creations. They’re revamping Freedom Wars and Tales of Graces f, breathing fresh life into these fan favorites. Freedom Wars, an action RPG reminiscent of Monster Hunter, originally made waves on the PlayStation Vita back in 2014. The remastered version will be hitting PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC come January 10th, 2025. Hot on its heels, on January 17th, is the release of Tales of Graces f Remastered, set to charm players on PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC alike.
Tales of Graces itself is making quite the journey, having initially launched as a Wii exclusive in Japan before moving to the PS3 for Western audiences. Now, with the remaster, it will finally be available across all modern platforms, much to fans’ delight.
But the remasters aren’t the only highlights for the new year. Bandai Namco is set to release their fresh venture, Synduality: Echo of Ada, in January as well. This game plunges players into a sci-fi PvPvE arena, mixing RPG elements with the thrill of piloting giant mechs. It’s part of Bandai Namco’s broad Synduality multimedia project, which also spans anime, manga, and novels. Developed by Game Studio Inc., this title will drop on January 27th for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Then, we have Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, another fanfare for 2025’s first half. This 3D arena fighter promises a fresh take on the genre with a unique, one-hit kill mechanism. It’s the first Bleach game tailored for home consoles in over a decade, making it a significant release. While it doesn’t have a pinpoint release date just yet, Bandai Namco aims to get it out the door early in the new year.
As for Little Nightmares 3 and Fate/EXTRA Record, their exact release dates remain under wraps, but there’s hope they might also make it within the first half of 2025. Little Nightmares 3 had initially been slated for 2024 but was delayed to ensure quality, while Fate/EXTRA Record has been in the works for nearly five years. Although official confirmations are pending, fans keep their fingers crossed for an earlier-than-expected appearance of these anticipated titles.
In essence, Bandai Namco is setting the stage for an impressive year in 2025. With a slate full of remasters and new creations, they’re poised to impress both dedicated fans and newcomers alike.
