The Most Anticipated Action Games at Gamescom 2025: A Complete Roundup Of The Heavy Hitters Everyone’s Talking About

Borderlands 4: Because We Apparently Can’t Get Enough Vault Hunting

Gearbox is back with another installment in their signature looter-shooter franchise, and they’re promising “badass Vault Hunters in a seamless, dynamic world.” The September 12, 2025 release date feels aggressively optimistic, but hey, at least they’re not calling it a “games as a service” title this time around.

What caught my attention was their developer’s comment about wanting to “paint outside the lines.” That’s either marketing speak for “we’re doing the same thing but with shinier graphics” or they might actually be shaking up the formula. The playable demo at the Xbox booth should give us a clearer picture of whether this is genuinely innovative or just Borderlands 3.5.

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater – The Remake We’ve Been Begging For

Konami finally listened to fans (shocking, I know) and is delivering what looks like a proper remake of one of the series’ best entries. The August 28, 2025 release date has me cautiously optimistic, especially since they’re promising “all new graphics and 3D audio that enhance the jungle atmosphere.”

The fact that they’re keeping the core experience intact while modernizing everything else feels like the right approach. After years of Konami treating the Metal Gear franchise like a forgotten stepchild, this could be their redemption arc – or another spectacular disappointment.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword – Capcom’s Samurai Return

Capcom is bringing back their samurai action series after what feels like an eternity, and the early footage looks absolutely gorgeous. Set in Edo-era Kyoto with a “malevolent clouds of Malice” twist, this 2026 release is giving me serious nostalgic vibes while promising modern combat mechanics.

The developer’s focus on “artistry, coolness, and showmanship of Japanese historical dramas” suggests they’re taking the aesthetic seriously. Plus, it’s Capcom, so there’s a decent chance they won’t completely botch the combat system like some other publishers might.

The Dark Horse Candidates

Cronos: The New Dawn – Bloober Team’s Survival Horror Twist

September 5, 2025 can’t come soon enough for this one. Bloober Team is calling it a “brutal third-person survival horror,” which immediately sets it apart from the typical action game crowd. The soul-extraction mechanics and time manipulation elements sound intriguing, even if the whole “burn monsters before they merge” concept feels a bit derivative.

What’s interesting is how they’re drawing inspiration from real-world locations in Kraków. It’s either going to create an incredibly immersive atmosphere or feel like a pretentious art project. With Bloober Team’s track record, it could go either way.

Invincible VS – The Superhero Fighter We Didn’t Know We Needed

Skybound’s 3v3 tag fighting game based on the Invincible universe drops in 2026, and honestly, this could be surprisingly good. The brutal superhero combat they’re promising feels like it could capture the visceral nature of the comic series better than most superhero games manage.

My biggest concern? Fighting games based on existing properties have a tendency to prioritize fan service over solid mechanics. But if they nail the “gets you out of your seat” energy they’re going for, this could be a sleeper hit.

The Xbox Booth Surprises

Super Meat Boy 3D – Because Apparently We Love Pain

Team Meat is torturing us again, this time in three dimensions. The early 2026 release window gives them plenty of time to perfect the “tough as nails” platforming that made the original so beloved (and rage-inducing). The transition to 3D could either be revolutionary or a complete disaster – there’s really no middle ground with this kind of gameplay.

Mistfall Hunter – The PvPvE Dark Fantasy Wild Card

This third-person adventure RPG with “strategic PvPvE extraction looter gameplay” is either going to be the next big thing or a confusing mess that tries to do too many things at once. The 2025 release date suggests they’re confident in their vision, but extraction looters have been hit-or-miss lately.

What Makes These Games Special

The thing that strikes me about this year’s lineup is how many developers are taking genuine risks. We’re seeing established franchises like Metal Gear getting the respect they deserve, while newer properties are experimenting with genre-blending mechanics that could either revolutionize gaming or crash spectacularly.

The most anticipated action games at Gamescom 2025 aren’t just rehashing old formulas (well, mostly). From Cronos’s time manipulation to Invincible VS’s superhero brutality, there’s a willingness to push boundaries that we haven’t seen in years.

The Reality Check

Let’s be honest though – convention demos are basically interactive marketing materials. Everything looks amazing when you’re playing a carefully curated 15-minute slice designed to highlight the best parts. The real test comes when these games launch and we have to deal with day-one patches, microtransactions, and all the other lovely surprises modern gaming throws at us.

That said, the sheer variety of action experiences on display gives me hope that 2025 and 2026 could be genuinely exciting years for the genre. Whether you’re into hardcore platforming, samurai sword-fighting, or superhero brawling, there’s something here that should scratch that particular itch.

The most anticipated action games at Gamescom 2025 represent a fascinating cross-section of where the industry is heading. Some will undoubtedly exceed expectations, while others will join the growing pile of “what could have been” titles. But that’s part of what makes gaming conventions so exciting – the promise that this time, just maybe, everything will work out exactly as advertised.

Visit Total Apex Gaming for more game-related news.