Best August video game releases. The new Mafia, Madden, and a parade of ports and remasters

30 July 2025

Gamers don’t have to worry about bad weather this summer because the list of August video game releases looks very promising. We will get installments of some esteemed series and improved versions of older titles, but also an intriguing original IP.

Table of Contents

Mafia: The Old Country

  • Release date: August 8, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X

The new Mafia from Hangar 13 is arguably the most anticipated game of August. It takes us into the gritty underworld of 1900s Sicily, showing the origins of organized crime. Players will follow Enzo Favara, a young man who rises from a brutal childhood in sulfur mines to join the Torrisi crime family. Like its predecessors, The Old Country travest classic mafia tropes such as betrayal and loyalty.

The gameplay combines linear storytelling with open-world elements, immersing players in a richly detailed Mediterranean setting. From stealthy takedowns to intense shootouts, combat is visceral and period-authentic, featuring weapons like stiletto blades and lupara shotguns. Also, means of transportation are historically accurate, so we will travel on vintage automobiles and horseback.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

  • Release date: August 12, 2025
  • Platforms: PlayStation 5

The latest action-adventure from Ninja Theory originally came out in 2024, and now it’s heading to PS5. Like its predecessor, it emphasizes psychological aspects, offering a deeply emotional experience set in the world of Norse mythology. Hellblade 2 plunges players into Senua’s harrowing quest, exploring her inner struggles and resilience.

The game combines environmental puzzles and combat, but Senua’s inner struggles are what make Hellblade 2 unique. Through binaural audio and cinematic visuals, the protagonist’s hallucinations and fragmented reality are presented with heartbreaking authenticity, offering players a visceral sense of her anguish. Hence, it’s a great choice if you’re looking for an intense and moving, but rather short adventure because you can complete Hellblade 2 within 10 hours.

Madden NFL 26

  • Release date: August 14, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch 2

The new entry in the EA Sports flagship series continues its legacy as a premier sports simulation game. This installment raises the bar with refined gameplay mechanics, such as improved player animations, enhanced AI behaviors, and more dynamic on-field interactions. The physics-based engine delivers ultra-realistic tackles.

The funny thing is that exactly the same can be said about all of the recent Madden NFL releases. Hence, I’m curious how this year’s edition can stand out from its predecessors. Nonetheless, the series fans don’t need revolutionary changes and game-changing features to buy it, so see you on the field!

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition

  • Release date: August 14, 2025
  • Platforms: PC

The fan-favorite Warhammer 40K RTS returns with enhanced visuals, improved mechanics, and some brand-new features such as a new tech tree and additional animations. Besides the base game, covering the exhilarating campaign of the Blood Ravens chapter, the Definitive Edition includes all three expansions:

  • Dark Crusade
  • Soulstorm
  • Winter Assault

If someone has missed out on this classic RTS, the new editions seem like the perfect excuse to travel to the grim darkness of the W40K universe. However, even though I’m a Dawn of War fan, I probably won’t buy it due to the lack of original campaigns or other significant content.

Delta Force

  • Release date: August 19, 2025
  • Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X

The new incarnation of Delta Force got the seal of approval from PC players. In August, the tactical shooter will try to duplicate this success on consoles. The game offers three main modes.

  • Warfare (PvP): massive 32 vs. 32 battles.
  • Operations (PvP/PvE): You will have to cooperate with your squadmates to complete missions’ objectives and outsmart rival teams or AI-controlled opponents in the Raid mode.
  • Black Hawk Down (Campaign): A new version of the classic campaign.

Delta Force offers a wide array of vehicles and tactical gear that make battles even more exciting. The game uses the free-to-play model. As a result, you can give it a shot without spending a dime.

Black Myth: Wukong

  • Release date: August 20, 2025
  • Platforms: Xbox Series S|X

One of the best games of 2024 will finally come out on Microsoft consoles, giving new players a chance to plunge into the world of Chonease mythology. The gameplay focuses on dynamic action mechanics, offering players a variety of combat styles rooted in martial arts. Players wield an iconic staff weapon, capable of transforming and adapting to different battle scenarios.

Even though Wukong is not a Soulslike game, combat can be demanding, requiring precise timing, strategic use of abilities, and mastery of combos. Alongside combat, Wukong emphasizes exploration, with detailed environments ranging from lush bamboo forests to otherworldly realms, encouraging players to uncover secrets and lore.

Gears of War: Reloaded

  • Release date: August 26, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X

Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the first installment in the series. Hence, all series-defining mechanics, such as the strategic cover-based combat, return. The campaign takes the player to the planet Sera, where you will follow Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, and other COG soldiers during the war against the Locust Horde, threatening humankind.

The game offers a co-op mode that allows two players to experience the campaign together online or share the same screen. Gears of War: Reloaded supports cross-play; hence, you can join forces with another player regardless of the platform you use. Moreover, the remaster offers improved graphics and includes all the DLC.

Helldivers II

  • Release date: August 26, 2025
  • Platforms: Xbox Series S|X

Wukong is not the only 2024 hit that will reach the Xbox land this August. New players will get a chance to become Helldivers, elite troops tasked with defending humanity across hostile alien worlds. The gameplay emphasizes coordination, requiring players to work closely to achieve mission objectives. Each mission is procedurally dynamic, offering varied challenges such as securing resources, disabling enemy structures, or surviving waves of hostile aliens.

The narrative revolves around the ongoing fight for survival as part of the Helldivers military force, featuring a satirical take on interstellar propaganda and authoritarianism. Missions span different alien territories, each with unique enemies and environmental hazards.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

  • Release date: August 28, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the remake of one of the most iconic installments in the series: MGS 3: Snake Eater. Consequently, we will get a blend of stealth and action gameplay clothed in modern visuals.

You will follow a young CIA agent, known as Naked Snake, who is being betrayed during a mission in the Soviet Union. Gameplay is centered around stealth-driven exploration in dense jungle environments. To survive, you must adapt to the surroundings, using camouflage and managing resources like food and ammunition. Like all MGS games, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater should mix thrilling action with a compelling story. I believe it won’t be much of a spoiler if I reveal that the game shows how the inexperienced agent turns into the legendary Big Boss, one of the most renowned video game characters.

Lost Soul Aside

  • Release date: August 29, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5

Unlike most games on this list, Lost Soul Aside is not a remake, a remaster, or a sequel. Its history began as a one-man project, but it appeared so promising that Sony decided to support it. Thus, the Ultizero Games studio was founded. The game is a mix of an action-adventure game and an RPG. As a result, it offers dynamic combat with a focus on timing and devastating combos, but also a vast skill tree that allows for creating unique character builds.

As for the story, you will play as Kaser, who tries to find his sister amid the invasion of the Voidrax, a menace from another dimension. This mission will take him to many different worlds, so we expect to explore numerous unique and distinctive locations. Overall, Lost Soul Aside seems like an interesting choice, and a must-play for Final Fantasy fans.