New Games 2025: October Week 4.5 Spotlight

Welcome back to our weekly gaming roundup! October wraps up with an impressive mix of releases that span from beloved JRPG classics reimagined in gorgeous HD-2D to tense extraction gameplay in machine-dominated wastelands. Before we dive into this week's new games 2025 releases, don't forget to check out our esports predictions and analysis for the latest tournament coverage. Meanwhile, the industry continues its transformation with major publishers embracing AI strategies and Microsoft pushing further into multiplatform territory. Let's explore what dropped this week and catch up on the developments shaking up gaming's landscape.

Game Releases

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Release Date: October 30, 2025

Square Enix brings the foundational entries of one of gaming's most influential franchises into the modern era with this stunning dual remake. The original Dragon Quest games defined the JRPG genre when they launched decades ago, and this HD-2D treatment gives both adventures the visual overhaul they deserve while preserving the core experiences that captivated millions.

The first game follows a descendant of the legendary Erdrick as they venture across Alefgard to defeat the Dragonlord and rescue the realm from darkness. The narrative simplicity belies its historical significance. This was the template that countless RPGs would follow, establishing conventions we now take for granted.

Dragon Quest II expands the scope considerably. Set many years after the first game, three kingdoms founded by Erdrick's descendants face a new invasion of malicious monsters. Players command multiple party members for the first time in the series, and this remake adds a fourth character entirely new to this version. The Princess of Cannock joins the Prince of Midenhall, the Prince of Cannock, and the Princess of Moonbrooke in their quest to honor their ancestor's legacy.

Both games maintain the traditional turn-based combat that defines the series. Players traverse beautifully rendered paper craft style environments, discovering towns, castles, and dungeons while engaging enemies through strategic command selection. The HD-2D aesthetic brings remarkable depth to these classic adventures, making them accessible to modern audiences without compromising what made them special. Players can switch between either title from the start screen, allowing them to experience both journeys in whichever order they prefer.

ARC Raiders

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Release Date: October 30, 2025

This extraction shooter from developer Embark Studios presents a world devastated twice over, where lethal machines known as ARC dominate the surface while humanity clings to survival in the underground society of Speranza. Players take on the role of Raiders, scavengers who venture topside to gather valuable resources while navigating both mechanical threats and the unpredictable intentions of rival survivors.

The gameplay loop alternates between the relative safety of Speranza and the constant danger lurking above. Players maintain their own workshop where they craft, repair, and upgrade equipment before heading out on runs. Four distinct maps await at launch, each carrying the scars of past conflicts and slowly being reclaimed by nature. Evolving conditions ensure every expedition feels different, with varying weather patterns, enemy configurations, and mechanical challenges adding unpredictability.

Combat demands tactical thinking rather than pure firepower. ARC machines range from relentless drone swarms to towering mechanical giants, each with distinct attack patterns and exploitable weaknesses. Players need to identify vulnerable points and adapt their strategies constantly, all while remaining aware that the sounds of battle might attract other Raiders looking to claim your loot.

The game supports solo play or teams of up to three, with PvPvE elements creating tension around every encounter. Scavenged materials can be sold for currency or transformed into increasingly powerful gear, allowing Raiders to tackle more dangerous threats. A branching skill tree lets players specialize in Survival, Mobility, or Conditioning paths, shaping their playstyle through choices that affect everything from looting speed to stamina reserves.

Traders in Speranza offer quests that reveal more about the underground community's dynamics and competing agendas. Completing these missions provides gear, crafting materials, and experience toward unlocking new abilities. For those seeking competitive validation, Trials let players measure their skills against the broader Raider community through leaderboard challenges.

Majogami

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2

Release Date: October 30, 2025

This paper craft action platformer from developer Game Source Entertainment tells the story of a girl who literally cuts gods like paper. The aesthetic immediately sets Majogami apart, presenting a dark world rendered entirely in layered paper materials that players slice through with precision attacks. The campaign spans more than 35 action stages filled with platforming challenges and combat encounters. Players transform between seven different fighting forms, each offering unique abilities and advantages against specific enemy types. This transformation system adds strategic depth to both exploration and battle, rewarding players who master when to shift between forms.

The game features full Japanese voice acting across a colorful cast, with over eight hours of dialogue bringing the narrative to life. Between stages, players can tackle time attack challenges and bonus objectives that test their mastery of the mechanics. The paper craft aesthetic extends beyond visual style into gameplay itself, with environmental puzzles requiring players to understand how the layered world fits together.

Combat emphasizes precision over button mashing. Players need to time their cuts carefully, targeting weak points while avoiding counterattacks. The platforming demands similar attention to timing and spacing, creating a challenging but fair difficulty curve that rewards skill development.

Europa Universalis V

Platforms: PC

Release Date: October 30, 2025

Paradox Interactive returns with the latest entry in their flagship grand strategy series, offering players the chance to guide any nation through centuries of history from 1337 to 1821. This iteration presents the most detailed and expansive worldscape the studio has ever created, with systems modeling everything from diplomatic intrigue to economic development across a truly global scale.

The timeframe spans some of history's most transformative periods. Players witness the Renaissance, navigate the Age of Exploration, manage the Reformation's upheaval, and guide their nation through the Enlightenment. Each era presents unique challenges and opportunities shaped by evolving technologies, shifting power dynamics, and changing social structures.

The strategic depth extends beyond military conquest into nuanced diplomacy, intricate trade networks, and careful internal management. Players must balance competing interests, manage diverse populations, and make decisions that ripple through decades of gameplay. The game models historical accuracy while allowing for alternate histories to emerge through player choices.

New systems expand on the series' already complex simulation. Enhanced mechanics for managing subjects, negotiating alliances, and conducting espionage give players more tools for achieving their ambitions. The economy simulation has been rebuilt to create more dynamic and reactive trade networks, while updated military systems require more thoughtful approaches to warfare than previous entries.

This represents Paradox's most ambitious attempt yet at capturing the full scope of early modern history. Players can attempt to outdo the most famous rulers of the past or chart entirely new courses for their chosen nations, all while managing the intricate web of systems that make Europa Universalis the benchmark for grand strategy gaming.

Happenings in the Gaming World

Krafton Announces Pivot to "AI-First" Company Strategy

The publisher behind PUBG: Mobile, Subnautica 2, and inZOI has declared its transformation into an AI-first organization, positioning artificial intelligence as its central approach to problem-solving and value creation. According to recent announcements, this strategy will drive company-wide productivity increases and accelerate long-term corporate growth.

Krafton plans to implement what they call Agentic AI, systems capable of creating plans and performing automated tasks using external tools. CEO Kim Chang-han describes the new approach as enabling employees to focus on creative activities and complex problem-solving while AI handles routine processes.

The financial commitment backing this pivot is substantial. Krafton will invest approximately $69.5 million to build a GPU cluster serving as the foundation for their AI acceleration efforts. This infrastructure will support both AI workflow automation and in-game AI applications. Starting in 2026, the company commits another $20.8 million annually toward helping employees utilize and apply various AI tools directly in their work.

The transformation extends beyond technology into organizational structure. Krafton is restructuring its HR systems to align with AI-first policies, aiming to complete implementation by year's end. This includes establishing what they call an "AI First culture" and creating new work methodologies designed to provide employees with fresh challenges and growth opportunities.

This announcement arrives as multiple major gaming companies embrace AI integration. Electronic Arts reportedly requires daily AI use and offers AI training courses, though employee reports suggest this approach sometimes produces flawed code and questionable outputs. Microsoft has similarly moved toward positioning AI as central to its business model, reframing itself as an intelligence engine following workforce reductions exceeding 9,000 employees.

Halo Makes Historic Jump to PlayStation with Campaign Remake

Microsoft has announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, a full remake of the original game's single-player campaign launching in 2026 for Xbox Series consoles, PC, and notably, PlayStation 5. This marks the first time the Halo franchise appears on Sony's platforms, representing another significant shift in Xbox's publishing strategy.

The announcement follows similar moves bringing other Xbox exclusive properties to competing platforms. Gears of War arrived on additional consoles in August 2025, while Forza Horizon made the jump in April. Xbox President Sarah Bond told Mashable that locking content to single stores or devices represents outdated thinking, given that the biggest games now reach audiences everywhere.

Executive Producer Damon Conn suggests the multiplatform approach creates a new entry point for the series. Starting with the original story allows newcomers to understand Halo's narrative from the beginning, potentially charting a course for future installments. Community director Brian Jarrard confirmed that Halo will continue as a multiplatform series going forward.

The remake brings more than just visual upgrades through Unreal Engine 5. Three brand new prequel missions featuring Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson expand the original campaign. Cooperative play supports two-player local splitscreen or up to four players online. Additional weapons, gameplay modifiers, and the ability to sprint modernize the experience, though the remake omits competitive multiplayer entirely.

This represents a dramatic evolution for a franchise that once served as Xbox's defining exclusive. The original Halo: Combat Evolved launched with the first Xbox console in 2001, becoming synonymous with Microsoft's entry into the console market. Its arrival on PlayStation platforms underscores how drastically the industry's platform dynamics have shifted.

Amazon Game Studios Faces Major Cuts Amid Company-Wide Restructuring

Amazon has cut a significant but unspecified number of developers from its game studios as part of massive layoffs affecting 14,000 employees across the entire company. The gaming division's restructuring specifically targets AAA development work, particularly around MMO projects.

In a staff email reviewed by Bloomberg, Amazon vice president Steve Boom acknowledged pride in the company's first-party AAA achievements but confirmed the difficult decision to halt significant portions of their development efforts. The layoffs particularly impact Amazon's Irvine and San Diego studios, along with the central publishing team.

Vice-president Beth Galetti's company-wide announcement framed the reductions around organizational efficiency despite Amazon performing well financially. The justification centers on AI as transformative technology enabling faster innovation, requiring Amazon to operate more leanly with fewer management layers and greater individual ownership.

The restructuring's impact extends to released products. New World, the MMO developed by Amazon Games Orange County, will see its Season 10 update on October 13, 2025 serve as the game's final content addition. After four years of steady updates and a console release, the developer stated that continuing support with new content has become unsustainable. Servers will remain operational through 2026, though the game was removed from Steam on October 29, 2025. Players who recently purchased can contact their platform's customer support for refunds.

The future of Amazon Games Orange County's announced Lord of the Rings MMO remains unclear following these cuts. That project was revealed in May 2023 with the Irvine studio taking the lead, but the recent restructuring casts doubt on its continued development.

That wraps up our October finale! What caught your attention from this week's releases? And if nothing did, perhaps you're more interested in competitive gaming? We cover tournaments for Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2! Check out our analysis and predictions over here, or try it yourself. Our Pick'ems system lets you predict match outcomes and compete for expensive items and skins from the Steam marketplace. Interested? Try it out here.