Industry news: September edition
The cozy season is here and it’s the perfect time to talk about more games!
Last month was significant for the indie developers, with the long-awaited release from Team Cherry. Considering all the hype, it’s not surprising that Hollow Knight: Silksong smashed all expectations from the Metroidvania genre by reaching 6 million copies sold. But September gave us another indie hit, when the roguelike Megabonk became an unexpected success. With over 1 million copies sold, it was the eighth indie to achieve more than 100,000 concurrent players this year.
On the larger stage, showcases from Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox brought us reveals, gameplay trailers, release dates, announcements and more. So settle in, get comfortable, and let’s go over our game industry recap.
Nintendo Direct
On September 12, Nintendo hosted their Nintendo Direct showcase and it was packed. The broadcast featured multiple announcements from the Super Mario franchise, along with some cozy games, classic titles ready for Nintendo Switch 2 and upcoming adventures.
Super Mario
🔴September 2025 was special for Nintendo, as it marked the 40th anniversary of the first Super Mario Bros. release in Japan. The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto displays sketches, illustrations, pixel art and iterations of the beloved characters. A special anniversary light display will be available starting December.
🔴A Super Mario Galaxy movie is officially announced for 2026, and it will feature Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and other cast members from the first Mario movie.
🔴Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 were announced for Switch 2 and already released at the beginning of October.
🔴Mario Tennis Fever will be out on February 12, 2026. The multiplayer sports game features various modes, including an Adventure mode in which characters get turned into babies. The players will choose from different tennis rackets, each with its own unique ability.
🔴Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 Edition+ Meetup in Bellabel Park will be ready in the spring of 2026, also bringing new content.
🔴Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a new title that brings adventure and discovery with a creative art style, also slotted for the spring of 2026.
Cozy content
🟡A new Pokémon was announced for 2026. In Pokémon Pokopia, players will help Ditto to shape habitats and build homes for the Pokémon.
🟡Overcooked 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch during this year’s winter holidays. The Nintendo version will feature camera play and GameShare, so that everyone can join in as a chef.
🟡The Switch 2 edition of Stardew Valley brings for 4-person split-screen multiplayer and will be ready for launch sometime in the fall of 2025. Suika Game will launch this winter with a 360 degrees level design. The Switch 2 version will also come with GameShare functionality and multiplayer mode for up to 4 players.
Classics
🔵Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection in expected to launch in October 2025 and it will include several early Mortal Kombat games.
🔵Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a reinterpretation of the original game set in modern days, with the release date in January 22, 2026.
🔵Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined will be Switch 2-ready on February 5, 2026.
RPGs&Adventure
🟣Set in the world of The Legend of Zelda, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will launch on November 6, 2025. The hack and slash game features Princess Zelda, King Rauru, Mineru and other known characters of the franchise.
🟣Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was announced for December 4, 2025. The sequel will continue the story of Samus Aran, in a gameplay with an open-world environment.
🟣A Donkey Kong Bananza DLC is out since the day of the Nintendo Direct showcase. The players are now able to explore DK Island and the DLC ads roguelike elements with the Emerald Rush mission.
🟣The third installment of the Monster Hunter spin-off is in development. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection now has a release date in March 13, 2026.
🟣The broadcast also revealed a brand-new Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Eve is confirmed for 2026.
🟣Officially, both Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil Requiem will be coming to Switch 2 in February 2026.
PlayStation State of Play
Going live on September 24, last month’s State of Play mentioned some big titles. By now, we are already familiar with these games, but the showcase brought exciting new trailers and more details on what’s to come:
▶️We got a first gameplay trailer of SAROS from Housemarque, the developer of Returnal. The gameplay loop seems to be a more streamlined version of its spiritual predecessor. As the protagonist makes his way through the shape-shifting planet of Carcosa, the player will have the option to mitigate damage through the Soltari shield and even use a free revive mechanic once per run. The game launches on March 20, 2026.
▶️ZA/UM revealed a first gameplay look at the complex narrative-driven Zero Parades – For Dead Spies. The game will add more urgency to the text-based mechanics by introducing a system of Dramatic Encounters which triggers in high-stake situations. The title will be released sometime in 2026.
▶️Bandai Namco released a new trailer for Code Vein 2, announcing the launch date as January 30, 2026. The story will take place during two timelines, one in a present where humans and revenants live together, the other one 100 years in the past. Players will encounter key characters and make choices to influence the present.
▶️With the spooky season approaching, the announcement of the classic Halloween movie being turned into Halloween The Game was appropriate. Enven though almost a year away, the release date is already confirmed for September 8, 2026. In this horror game, players will have the choice to play as a survivor or as Michael Myers himself.
▶️Nioh 3 will be released on February 6, 2026. This third installment of the Soulslike franchise will feature two new play modes, as the player will be able to switch flawlessly from a Samurai to a Ninja in the Sengoku era.
▶️Chronoscript: The Endless End (2026) debuted with a first trailer. The 2D action-adventure game stands out for its hand drawn pen art style and the narrative is centered around an editor who gets stuck within an endless story.
▶️Just as suspected, the new Marvel’s Wolverine gameplay trailer confirmed a visceral combat style, with a mature Logan. The fast-paced action mirrors the rage and adrenaline of Wolverine’s character and the visuals support the mechanics, depicting attacks in detail. We don’t have release date yet, but the game is scheduled for the fall of 2026.
▶️Apart from game announcements, last month’s State of Play announced two new peripherals. Pulse Elevate wireless speakers are meant to enhance the gameplay experience through like-life audio support. To honor the 20th anniversary of Santa Monica’s successful franchise, the God of War Controller – 20th Limited Anniversary Edition features the iconic Spartan mark. The controller is available since October 3, 2025.
Xbox Tokyo Game Show Broadcast
Between 25-28 September, Makuhari Messe hosted Japan’s most prominent game festival and Xbox was a major presence this year. Here are some of the most interesting announcement we got at the Xbox Broadcast:
➡️With Toshin, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 introduces a culturally-rich Japanese setting, in which player can experience not only genuine cultural references, but also new ways of utilizing spaces during gameplay.
➡️Microsoft Flight Simulator also adds a Japanese setting, the free World Update 20 brings 20,000 square meters of Japan, including historical locations like the Osaka Castle.
➡️A new familiar face joins 007 First Light, as actress Gemma Chan, known for her roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Eternals, takes the role of Selina Tan – Head of Tactical Simulation at MI6.
➡️Developers Team Ninja and PlatinumGames presented a look into the difficulty options of the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4. Along with high difficulty settings, the game has a standalone Training Mode and a Hero Mode, which includes auto guard and auto dodge for players who prefer to focus on the story.
➡️Hitman: World of Assassination introduced Bruce Lee as a new undercover character. Agent Lee will assist Agent 47 in a duel against The Dragon.
➡️Winter Burrow, the cozy game announced back at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024 got an official release date for November 12, 2025. The game features survival elements as it tells the story of a young mouse learning to survive the winter.
➡️The major news of Forza Horizon 6 was fittingly premiered during the Tokyo Game Show. According to the teaser trailer, the new installment of the racing series will have us exploring picturesque landscapes of Japan. The game is set to release in 2026.
Notable September game releases:
Last, but not least, let’s close this recap with some of last month’s most significant game releases:
- September 4: Hollow Knight: Silksong; Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants; Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2; Hell is us
- September 5: Cronos: The New Dawn; NBA 2K26
- September 10: Garfield Kart 2: All You Can Drift
- September 12: Borderlands 4
- September 15: Lego Voyagers
- September 18: Megabonk
- September 19: Dying Light: The Beast
- September 23: Baby Steps
- September 25: Silent Hill F; Sonic Racing: Crossworlds; Hades 2 on Switch&Switch 2
- September 26: CloverPit
- September 30: Nicktoons and the Dice of Destiny
