We’re drawing closer to the 2024 finish line as we enter October, a month that’s typically reserved for big AAA game releases and a few spooky surprises. This year is no different, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 headlines the month and is flanked by several horror games. Strangely, most of the games in this department are remakes or remasters, as old favorites like Silent Hill 2, Until Dawn, and Shadows of the Damned are getting a new lease on life in October.
Between those main-event titles, there are also several other high-profile releases to look forward to. Atlus is launching a brand-new game in the form of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Starship Troopers: Extermination is doing its part with a full release, and Batman fans can return to the Arkhamverse in a new VR game. Another highly anticipated release is Dragon Age: The Veilguard from BioWare, while Redacted looks like an interesting new entry in The Callisto Protocol universe.
As usual, there are several smaller and indie games sandwiched between the main releases in case the AAA releases don’t appeal to you, so there’s a good chance you’ll find something to enjoy. For more in October, you can see the rest of the highlights below, and for a broader look at the rest of the year, you can check out 2024’s upcoming game release dates.
Kill Knight
Release date: October 3Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
A dash of arcade-inspired action, a pinch of ultra-aggression, bake until perfect inside the reanimated armor of a knight on a holy quest to kill all angels, and you have a recipe for what should be a white-knuckle ride. With five eldritch layers to explore, brutal gameplay to master, and seemingly unending hordes of enemies to blast your way through, Kill Knight looks like it’ll be a thrill ride when it launches this month.
Until Dawn
Release date: October 4Platforms: PC, PS5
Developer Supermassive has focused on rebuilding the Until Dawn horror experience entirely while also making several artistic changes to its visual design. At its core, this is still a choose-your-own-demise game, but with thoughtful tweaks to its design, it looks like this will be the director’s cut of a cult-classic horror experience.
Silent Hill 2
Release date: October 6Platforms: PC, PS5
It’s a frightfully good month for new video game releases, as one of the most beloved games of the genre arrives to terrify a new audience in October. Developed by Layers of Fear and The Medium studio Bloober Team, the puzzle-driven horror game is shaping up to be better than the trailers would have you believe, as it honors the original game and aims to improve on it as well. Other neat touches include a reworked soundtrack and even a cool ’90s filter that adds film grain, color correction, and other on-screen elements.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Release date: October 8Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Some of the best Diablo adventures have come from its expansions, and with that high bar to clear, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is going to need plenty of spring in its step. Fortunately, Diablo 4’s first expansion looks like it’ll be making all the right moves, as some of its changes include an overhauled difficulty system, Diablo 2-style Runewords, and a “first-of-its-kind” dungeon for players to explore. Even better, it looks like players might finally be able to take on the bovine brutes of a secret cow level, as dataminers have made some interesting discoveries lately.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Release date: October 8Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
We’re living in a golden (Frieza) age for Dragon Ball games currently, but for the next entry in this franchise, it’s time to jump back to the past. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero packs a nostalgic punch, and visually, the game goes well over 9,000 with its dazzling special effects, character models, and destructible environments. Designed to be a “genuine” Budokai Tenkaichi sequel, the game aims to merge style with substance in a satisfying way, and with a ridiculously massive roster, it looks like fans of the series will get to relive classic clashes and dream matches for months.
Backyard Baseball ’97
Release date: October 10Platform: PC
Nostalgic fans of baseball can look forward to a trip back in time, as a remaster of Backyard Baseball ’97 is coming to Steam this month. Playground Productions had to go to extraordinary lengths to bring the game back to life, as the company claims the original source code was “lost in the years since the 1997 release”. Like the original game, you can expect to get into the swing of things with a cute game that makes a few changes to the rules that work in favor of backyard stadiums.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Release date: October 11Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S
Atlus has been firing on all cylinders with its recent Persona games, but for its next release, the studio is mixing an original high-fantasy IP with a politically charged adventure story. More than just a stylish Persona spin-off, Metaphor: ReFantazio features several new gameplay systems–including combat, archetypes, and bonds–inside of a grand RPG story about self-discovery and forming social links along the way.
Starship Troopers: Extermination
Release date: October 11Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
While we’ve had a spiritual Starship Troopers game in the form of Helldivers 2, it’s time for the real deal to make landfall and start squashing some bugs as it heads out of early access. Starship Troopers: Extermination might share a few similarities with Helldivers 2–like an ongoing galactic war metagame and really big aliens–but this game has an ace up its sleeve in the form of the newly introduced carnage update. Expect to fight in some massive battles when the game launches in full on PC and console this month.
Undisputed
Release date: October 11Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
The last time a major–and licensed–boxing game was released was back in 2011 with EA’s Fight Night Champion. More than a decade later, Undisputed from Steel City Interactive is stepping into the ring for a few rounds. First released in early access on Steam in January 2023, the full release is headed to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as well, and the game features over 70 licensed fighters in its roster.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Release date: October 15Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
The first game’s protagonist, Max Caulfield, returns in Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and this time she has a few new tricks to help her explore a murder across multiple timelines. Described as a supernatural murder-mystery, this new entry in the series is looking to Remedy Entertainment for inspiration, so expect things to get very weird as Max dives into the multiverse.
Just Dance: 2025 Edition
Release date: October 15Platforms: Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
With winter around the corner, there’s no better way to burn some calories than with a few sessions of Just Dance. Ubisoft’s annual series is back for another installment this year, and with a banger of a soundtrack featuring the likes of Green Day, Sia, and Lady Gaga, it looks to be another wonderfully weird experience to move your body to.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
Release date: October 17Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Budget-friendly horror–but please don’t make too big a noise about it–this single-player horror adventure game tells a new story within the world of the A Quiet Place films. Like those movies, sound plays a vital role in survival, and with some clever audio engineering in its design, this could be one of the most suspenseful horror games of the month.
Release date: October 17Platforms: Switch
Several games featuring Nintendo’s favorite plumber are perfect for causing strife between friends–especially if you’ve betrayed them with a blue koopa shell attack in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe–and Super Mario Party Jamboree looks like a great way to lose a few friends. Sure, it’s a Mario Party experience with more activities, characters, and modes to try out in this new outing, but it’s all fun and games until someone takes things a little too seriously.
Best Buy — Tote Bag preorder bonusTarget — Party Tin | In-store only preorder bonusGameStop — Dice Block Keychain preorder bonus
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Release date: October 22Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
With a Sonic the Hedgehog movie threequel hitting theaters in December, Sega is striking while the promotional iron is hot to reintroduce fans to the ultimate lifeform: Shadow. Sonic X Shadow Generations includes both a remaster of Sonic Generations and a brand-new story-driven campaign in which you play as Shadow the Hedgehog. Both Hedgehogs can blast through old-school 2D and 3D levels, and in the case of Shadow, he’ll have a brand-new campaign mode and never-before-seen abilities that players can master.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Release date: October 25Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Compared to previous years, 2024 looks set to usher in some major changes to the long-running franchise with the new Omnimovement system. We’ve already seen just how fluid players can be with this new gameplay system, which essentially allows you to live out your own action-hero fantasy in the heat of battle. Throw in a reworked Zombies mode that harkens back to its grisly roots, a chunky multiplayer mode with 16 maps on launch, and what looks like a blockbuster-movie-influenced campaign to play through, and it looks like Black Ops 6 will be satisfying on multiple levels.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
Release date: October 30Platforms: iOS, Android
The Pokemon Trading Card game continues to be more popular than Taylor Swift, and Pokemon: Trading Card Game Pocket is aiming to replicate the highs of that physical game in a digital format. Like the original tabletop game, you’ll be able to collect cards, battle other trainers, and marvel at some beautiful illustrations. It remains to be seen if it’ll be aggressively monetized–it is a free-to-play game after all–but the mobile game will offer free daily booster packs and other goodies to draw players in.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Release date: October 2024Platforms: Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S
It has been a disappointing year for fans of the Arkhamverse–and a bit of a headache for the Dark Knight–but at least there’s a new Caped Crusader game on the horizon in the form of Batman: Arkham Shadow. Set between the events of Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum, this is a VR-exclusive game where you’ll become Batman, facing off against the Rat King and his cult. Featuring familiar faces and future foes, the game has all the hallmarks of an Arkham adventure, including brutal combat, predator stealth sections, and crime scenes for the world’s greatest detective to investigate.
Anyone looking to preorder the new Meta Quest 3S headset will also get the game bundled in as a freebie.
REDACTED
Release date: October 31Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
The Callisto Protocol universe is being revived this month, and if you’re in the mood for a roguelike dungeon-crawler with a punk-rock attitude, you’re in luck. Redacted puts you in the unfortunate boots of a security guard looking to reach the last escape pod in Black Iron Prison, but you’ll have to battle prisoners who have broken loose and other abominations along the way. What makes things especially interesting is that when you die, your corpse will be reanimated to battle you in a future run, so the stronger you are before your demise, the more challenging that showdown will be when you reach that point of no return.
Dragon Age: the Veilguard
Release date: October 31Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
In the aftermath of Anthem, veteran EA studio BioWare has been in dire need of a solid W. So far, Dragon Age: The Veilguard looks like a return to the glory days for BioWare, as it’s shaping up to be a massive fantasy adventure with fun combat, fascinating companions, and a whole lot of nudity.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
Release date: October 31Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
It only took 13 years, but one of the most irreverent horror-action games of the 2010s is making its big return this month. Shadows of the Damned is still a wonderfully silly cult-classic produced by Resident Evil Legend Shinji Mikami, illustrator Q Hayashida, and written by Suda 51, and for its “Hella Remastered” release, you can expect updated graphics, new costumes for demon-hunter Garcia Hotspur, a New Game+ mode, and several jokes about using your “Johnson” sidearm.