Fascination with Feudal Japan Will Hit a Fever Point With 2025’s Slate of Major Game Releases

It’s been a decent year for gaming. Next year, however, looks to go even bigger. Just looking at what we know is coming out, we’ve got Monster Hunter Wilds, Death Stranding 2, Dragon Quest I & II Remake all in one, Metal Gear Solid Delta, The Outer World 2, more Yakuza action, another Elden Ring expansion, the return of Croc, and, of course, GTA VI.

As well as all of these huge releases, we have several triple-A and more independent games coming out that will continue to feed our current obsession with ancient and Feudal Japan. In fact, according to a poll for the most anticipated games of 2025, GTA 6 and Ghost of Yōtei stand head and shoulders above the rest at 14 percent each.

Cravings Forged from Great Media

We’ve enjoyed a great many ancient and Feudal Japan games in recent years, as well as many that simply remain timeless sources of entertainment. Total War: Shōgun, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Ghost of Tsushima, and even Samurai Warriors 5 have been able to dazzle and offer tremendous stories and replayability over the years.

Still, in 2024, the desire to enjoy this setting was amped up in other corners of entertainment. Chiefly, this was achieved by the one-shot series Shōgun. Amassing nine million views with its premiere alone to outpace even that of The Bear Season 2, the show starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, and Cosmo Jarvis was a huge hit in 2024.

Where the setting has long been a point of focus for creatives and consumers alike, classic games in the Feudal Japan setting rose to the fore throughout the year. You can see this most clearly with what is ranked as the seventh-best real money slot game, Sakura Fortune. The beautifully-crafted setting is sophisticated, immerses you with the mountainous backdrop and cherry blossom tree, and all while the high volatility reels spin. The game describes itself as following a beautiful Japanese princess as she battles against the evil emperors to try to find her fortune.

A Huge Year of Gaming in Ancient Japan

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Top of the list for many, as the poll reflects, is Ghost of Yōtei. The fact that so many see it as being as anticipated as GTA VI – the entertainment product that’s generated the most revenue ever – speaks to the quality of Ghost of Tsushima and how strong the previews of the new creation have been. Plus, the people trust in Sucker Punch.

Next up, a game with a tremendous amount to prove: Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It arrives on the back of the somewhat tepid response to Ubisoft’s last installment to the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, in 2023, and the disastrous release of Star Wars Outlaws from the gaming company. Shadows simply have to go big in 2025.

Elsewhere, we’ll see the very well-received PC life sim Sengoku Dynasty come to consoles in 2025, having left Early Access towards the end of 2024. Plus, there’ll be Samurai Life Simulator 2025 to challenge it when it arrives. So, there’s a lot to get excited for in this setting of gaming, and enough to keep up there for the whole year!