2018 was a great year to be a gamer. From God of War to Red Dead Redemption 2, those twelve months produced no shortage of amazing games that will go down as some of the greatest ever made. However, we can only sink so many hundreds of hours into these installments before we start looking for the next great title to put our time into. With the new year upon us, it’s time to look ahead at some of the most anticipated game sequels of 2019.
For this list, we’ll specifically be looking at already established franchises and the sequels, prequels, or spin-offs that are currently in development. W hile original games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice certainly have us excited, there’s nothing quite like returning to a familiar franchise that continues to deliver the goods. We'll be breaking down the most anticipated sequels into two categories: those that have 2019 release dates, and those whose release dates are still TBA. Of course, even when a developer gives a game a tentative release window, there's still no ensuring when the installment will actually hit shelves.
Much like movies, video games often spend years in development before they ever make their way into the hands of the consumers. Even when a game has a giant built-in fan base, it can often take an exceptional amount of time for the title to be fully developed and released. Just look no further than the eight-year time lapse between the last two Red Dead games for proof.
Here are 15 Video Game Sequels Coming In 2019 (And 5 Possibilities).
20. Confirmed: Resident Evil 2
One of the first big-name video games to hit shelves in 2019 will be Resident Evil 2 — which isn’t a sequel per se, but rather a remake of the 1998 original. The game will once again follow police officer Leon S. Kennedy and college student Claire Littlefield as they fight for their lives in the zombie-infested Raccoon City. The survival horror game will provide a much-needed update in graphics as well as controls, opting for the over-the-shoulder perspective which was perfected in Resident Evil 4.
The game ended up winning the Best of Show award after this year’s E3, and Resident Evil 2 will finally be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and Windows on January 25, 2019.
19. Confirmed: Kingdom Hearts III
With the first trailer for Kingdom Hearts III being release back in 2013, players have waited long enough for the latest installment of this Disney cross-over series. On January 29, 2019, that wait will finally be over. Kingdom Hearts III will mark the final chapter in the Dark Seeker saga, which will find players embodying Sora as he attempts to discover the seven Guardians of Light and prevent another Keyblade War.
A number of familiar faces will appear in the game, including Goofy, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse. They will get a chance to adventure around some iconic Disney settings that will be new to the series, including Arendelle from Frozen, Monstopolis from Monsters, Inc., and the Kingdom of Corona from Tangled.
18. Confirmed: Far Cry New Dawn
Serving as both a sequel and a spin-off to the last installment of the series, Far Cry New Dawn will pick up 17 years after its predecessor. The game will once again be set in the post-apocalyptic remnants of Hope County, Montana, where the survivors fight for power over one another.
While the previous series protagonist and antagonist are expected to return in supporting roles, New Dawn will allow the player to once again customize their own character. Meanwhile, twin sister Mickey and Lou are set to play the villains, who lead a band of outlaws known as the Highwaymen. Once again, the first-person shooter promises a massive open world setting with no shortage of customizable features. Far Cry New Dawn will be released on February 15, 2019.
17. Possible: The Last of Us Part II
After Red Dead Redemption 2 finally hit shelves earlier this year, The Last of Us Part II may have snagged the spot of the most anticipated game for many players. Unfortunately, the second installment of the Naughty Dog action-horror series doesn’t have an official release date, but after a strong showing at this year’s E3, we can keep our fingers crossed for a 2019 release.
The story is set to pick up five years after the events of the original, this time following Ellie as she crosses paths with a mysterious cult. The Last of Us Part II certainly has big shoes to fill, especially since the 2013 game gave players one of the most emotionally-engaging and well-rounded stories ever put to the medium.
16. Confirmed: Dead or Alive 6
With a release date of February 15, 2019, Dead or Alive 6 will be the nineteenth overall installment of the popular fighting game franchise, serving as a direct sequel to 2012’s Dead or Alive 5. The game will include a roster of 25 playable characters at launch, made up of mostly familiar faces — though two new characters named Diego and NiCO are expected to make their debuts.
Dead or Alive 6 will include a number of new features, such as costume customization and an increased ability to interact with the fighting stages. The characters are also expected to visibly take damage throughout the fight, which could really help up the stakes during a competitive round with friends.
15. Confirmed: Crackdown 3
Officially announced back in 2015, Crackdown 3 has been subject to multiple delays — which have collectively pushed the game’s release back some three years. With no change to the latest February 15, 2019 release date, it looks like players will finally get to revisit the action-adventure series in a matter of months.
Crackdown 3 is set to take place ten years after its predecessor, following The Agency as the travel to New Providence to track down an evil organization which has wiped out the world’s power supply. Once again, causing as much damage and destruction to the enemy forces will be the crux of the gameplay, and Crackdown 3 promises no shortages of weapons, vehicles, and special abilities to get the job done.
14. Confirmed: Metro Exodus
Beginning in a wintery wasteland, Metro Exodus picks up with series protagonist Artyom as he embarks on a cross-continent journey to begin a new life for him and his wife. The story is set to take place over the course of one year, featuring a wide variety of settings and environments along with a day-night cycle and an ever-changing weather pattern.
Metro Exodus marks the third installment of this first-person shooter series, which combines elements of survival horror and stealth gameplay. The games draw inspiration from the popular Dmitry Glukovsky novel series, and gamers will finally get a chance to experience this new chapter of the Metro series when it hits shelves on February 15, 2019.
13. Possible: Payday 3
A sequel to Payday 2 was announced back in 2016 when publisher Starbreeze confirmed that the game was finally going into full production. However, we still don’t have an official release date for the game, and by all indications, it looks like the developers will take their time making Payday 3.
As CEO Bo Andersson Klint said of the sequel, “This is our single most important brand today and the cornerstone of our business and we will treat it accordingly. Updates in the near future might be scarce and far between. You simply don't rush Payday 3.” While that may make a 2020 release date seem more likely, fans of the FPS series can always hope for a 2019 surprise.
12. Confirmed: Devil May Cry 5
After the series was given somewhat of a reboot with 2013’s DmC: Devil May Cry, many players are excited to return to the original storyline with the latest installment, which is scheduled for release on March 8, 2019.
Devil May Cry 5 will feature three playable characters — series veterans Dante and Nero, along with a mysterious newcomer who goes simply by “V.” From early looks at the game, each character has their own unique fighting style and arsenal of weapons at their disposal, which they will use to take down the hordes of beasts featured in the game. While Devil May Cry 5 will return to its storyline roots, many remain on the fence about the purchasable content within the game that will allow players to upgrade their characters.
11. Confirmed: Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
The first installment of Tom Clancy’s The Division was released back in 2016 to critical and commercial success. With positive reviews surrounding early footage of the second installment, hopes are high going into The Division 2, which is set to hit shelves on March 15, 2019. The third-person perspective shooter will take place seven months after the first installment, picking up in the midst of a war between the survivors living around the remnants of Washington D.C.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will be available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with three episodes of downloadable content being made available for players following the game’s release, all at no additional cost.
10. Confirmed: Mortal Kombat 11
Since the release of the 1992 original arcade game, the Mortal Kombat series has turned out 23 installments to date. That’s almost one per year since the franchise began. That may seem like more than enough time for these fighting games to wear out their welcome, but 2015’s Mortal Kombat X managed to be one of the best-reviewed installments of the series. Therefore, hopes are high going into Mortal Kombat 11.
The game was only just recently announced at this year’s Game Awards, though we already have a release date of April 23, 2019. So far, we don’t know much about the game outside of the trailer, which featured the familiar faces of Scorpion and Raiden facing off, along with the tease of a totally new female fighter named Oracle.
9. Possible: Bayonetta 3
Back during the 2017 Game Awards, Nintendo announced that they would be porting over the first two Bayonetta games for the Switch, as well as a third installment of the series that is currently in the works. But unfortunately, we still don’t have a release window for Bayonetta 3.
The second installment of the series was released for the Wii U back in 2014 to critical acclaim and has sold nearly 700,000 units worldwide as of earlier this year. Bayonetta isn't exactly one of Nintendo's standout series, though it has maintained a strong following since the 2009 original. A teaser for Bayonetta 3 was released back in 2017, which already has fans speculating that the events of the upcoming game will take place in an alternate reality.
8. Confirmed: Rage 2
After the original Rage won Best Console and Best Action Game back at the Game Critics Awards back in 2010, fans of the franchise have been waiting over eight years for a sequel. At long last, Rage 2 will finally be available to Windows, PlayStation, and Xbox players on May 14, 2019.
In an attempt to distinguish itself from the slew of post-apocalyptic games available today, Rage 2 will feature a vibrant color palette and a mostly new cast of character, as the story is set to take place 30 years after the original. Players can now customize everything from the gender to the special skills of the story's protagonist, named Walker. Rage 2 also promises a massive open world that can be explored via any vehicle in the game.
6. Confirmed: Gears 5
After Gears of War 4 represented a slight dip in quality for the franchise, Gears 5 will be looking to reignite players’ interest in this beloved sci-fi action series. This time, players will pick up the story as Kait Diaz, an Outsider who’s on a mission to uncover her family history and their ties to the Locust Horde. Previous series' protagonists JD and Marcus Fenix will be back as well, this time in a supporting capacity.
On top of its single-player campaign mode, Gears 5 will also include online and split-screen options for Xbox and Windows players. While an official date has yet to be announced, the debut trailer for Gears 5 has promised a 2019 release.
4. Confirmed: Wasteland 3
Fans of the Wasteland series had to wait over a quarter of a century to get the first sequel in the series, which was released in 2013. Luckily, they won’t have to wait nearly as long for the third installment, which has a projected release date sometime during Q4 2019.
Once again, developer inXile Entertainment relied on crowdfunding to get the project off the ground, which promises to throw the player into an icy open-world environment set in a post-apocalyptic Colorado. The game will find the player taking on the role of the last surviving member of Ranger Squad, and Wasteland 3 promises to have no shortage of competitive battles.
7. Confirmed: Shenmue III
With the first two installments of this series being released on the Dreamcast back in 1999 and 2001, Shenmue III likely won’t be a video game sequel for the masses. That being said, the series has received its fair share of praise over the years, earning it a cult following and paving the way for Shenmue III to finally be released on August 27, 2019.
The story will once again follow Ryo Hazuki, a martial artist who is continuing his journey to avenge his father when he crosses paths with a mysterious woman from his dreams. The action-adventure game spent years in development hell before a Kickstarter campaign amassed over $6 million to help complete work on Shenmue III. Even still, the makers have hopes of continuing the story beyond this long-awaited sequel.
5. Possible: Evil Genius 2
Serving as both a parody and homage to the James Bond film series and other similar spy thrillers, Evil Genius was released back in 2004 for Microsoft Windows. The game received largely positive reviews thanks to its campy humor and period setting, but it wasn’t until 2017 that Rebellion Developments officially announced plans for a sequel.
Evil Genius has seen a number of spin-off games in the intervening years, including Evil Genius: WMD and Evil Genius Online, but none have been a direct sequel to the 2004 original. With Evil Genius going into development back in Q2 2017, we can keep our fingers crossed for a 2019 release date. At the very least, we should get some more information about the game.
3. Confirmed: Psychonauts 2
Like a number of other sequels that will be released in 2019, the makers of Psychonauts 2 relied on crowdfunding to help get this platforming game in development. The game will pick up after the events of Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin — which bridges the gap between the two main installments of the series. The game finds the player embodying Raz, a Psychonaut with telekinetic powers who returns to the Psychonaut Headquarters to find that the organization has come under new and unscrupulous leadership.
Double Fine Productions has yet to announce a specific release date for the game, but delivery by 2019 is still expected. If the other games in this platforming series are any indication, Psychonauts 2 will hopefully become a cult classic in its own right.
2. Confirmed: Luigi’s Mansion 3
Outside of the original announcement that Nintendo is working on a third installment of the Luigi’s Mansion series, not much else is known about the game as of yet — including its official name, as Luigi's Mansion 3 is only a working title.
That being said, the game still has a projected release date for sometime in 2019, which came courtesy of a 30-second teaser that was released for Luigi's Mansion 3 back in September of this year. Once again, it looks like Luigi is ignoring his better judgment and sneaking through a haunted house without the help of his better-known brother. This will be the first installment in the series since Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon came out for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.
1. Possible: Beyond Good and Evil 2
For years, rumors swirled about a possible follow-up to the 2003 game Beyond Good and Evil, but it wasn’t until 2017’s E3 that Ubisoft official confirmed the game’s development. Despite its name, Beyond Good and Evil 2 is actually going to be a prequel to the original. While details about the game remain scarce — include an official release window — it's expected to have a much heavier emphasis on role-playing than its predecessor.
Players will be allowed to customize their own protagonist before setting out into an open world to amass their powers and abilities. Choices made throughout the game will also have an impact on the overall story, all of which indicate a promising move in the right direction for this action-adventure series.
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Which video game sequels are you hoping to play in 2019? Let us know!