It’s July, and that means that the seemingly endless flow of upcoming sports games is just around the corner. If you’re a lover of sports games like we are, you don’t care what the naysayers are saying about the majority of sports games being annual. Why? Because it means you have shiny new football game, soccer games, hockey games and basketball games to play with your friends.
Generally speaking, each sports game franchise gets better and better with each new yearly release, and last year brought us the best Madden and FIFA games yet, thus fueling our excitement to see just how EA can top those games this year. The power of the PS4 and Xbox One is really being utilized by EA, 2K and the other developers. The list below contains all of the upcoming sports games that are currently known to be in the works, and we’ll let you know which titles are probably going to be worth the pick up this year. These games, along with the cool toys on our top 50 list, are surely going to be hot sellers this holiday season.
Note: We didn’t include any upcoming racing games in this post because whether racing is or is not a sport is a hot topic for debate among the sports world.
So without further ado, here are all of the upcoming sports games of 2015 & beyond:
1. Blood Bowl 2
Developers: Cyanide
Publishers: Focus Home Interactive
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Not all sports games are sports in the traditional sense, and Blood Bowl 2 is the perfect example of that. It plays like an RPG football game, where the developers thought, “Hey, let’s combine American football with Warhammer!” The results are pretty epic, and Blood Bowl 2 is said to be even more ambitious than its predecessor. It has a brand new graphics engine for high-quality visuals, and the game is said to be more accessible than the first game.
Buy Blood Bowl 2 here.
2. NBA 2K16
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 29, 2015
The current reigning king of basketball games, the NBA 2K series, is set to come out in September with Spike Lee having his hands all up on it, as he has directed, written and co-produced the MyCAREER experience. Stephen Curry, James Harden and Anthony Davis will all get their own covers, and there’s also a special edition with Michael Jordan on the cover. Pre-ordering the game will get you access 4 days early. Now, we’re still waiting for 2K to release some NBA 2K16 gameplay.
Pre-Order NBA 2K16 here.
3. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
Developer: Robomodo, Disruptive Games
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Honestly, I wouldn’t be too excited for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, but our job is just to let you know ALL of the upcoming sports games. Gamers haven’t seen a new skateboard game in over 5 years, so that might be one reason to check out THPS 5. The footage and screens we’ve seen from the game are less than impressive for sure, and we’ve only seen old maps that have been HD-ified so far. Hopefully, we’ll see something that catches our eye before Activision releases it in September. Otherwise, this has bargain bin written all over it.
Pre-Order Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 here.
4. NHL 16
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: September 15, 2015
The first thing you need to know about NHL 16 is that the EA Sports Hockey League, which was noticeably absent from NHL 15, will see its return in this year’s game. Secondly, the cover will feature Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane of the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks. We loved how NHL 15 played, but there weren’t enough modes to keep us interested for long. It sounds like NHL 16 will be more formidable, and we’re looking forward to some bone-crushing hits in September.
Buy NHL 16 here.
5. FIFA 16
Developers: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: September 22, 2015
FIFA 16 looks absolutely ridiculous — in a good way, of course. The graphics are so incredibly lifelike that we can’t tell the difference between a live HD broadcast and FIFA 16 gameplay. If you’re a futbol lover, FIFA 16 is going to be an amazing game.
Buy FIFA 16 here.
6. NBA Live 16
Developer: EA
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Sure, the NBA Live franchise has fallen severely behind the NBA 2K franchise, but it looks like EA is going to close the gap a little with NBA Live 16. The NBA Live 16 gameplay we’ve seen so far looks absolutely stunning, and we can’t wait to compare it with the reigning king of basketball games.
Buy NBA Live 16 here.
7. Madden NFL 16
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Of course we’re excited for Madden NFL 16. Each year, we wait for August to roll around so that EA can bless us with a new Madden game. I realize that this attitude is severely poisonous to the gaming industry, but we just can’t help it. Sorry not sorry, regardless of the fact that Madden is literally the only football game simulator available, the game has been fantastic, especially over the last two years. Madden NFL 16 will see the most “authentic exchanges to date” between receivers and defenders to date.
Pre-order Madden NFL 16 here.
8. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Wii U
Release Date: Q4 2015
Although it’s obviously not a traditional tennis game, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will be available for the Wii U, likely in November or early December. Mario Tennis is simply fun, and the franchise will make its debut on the Wii U soon.
Buy Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash here.
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
Developer: PES Productions
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: September 17, 2015
What’s great about soccer games is that there is always some competition for FIFA every year in the form of PES. Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 takes soccer sim to an entirely new level, which is why you should be excited for it in September.
Pre-Order Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 here.
10. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Developer: SEGA
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Wii U, 3DS
Release Date: August 2016
Unfortunately, the Mario x Sonic games have mostly been a heaping pile of mediocrity, and we’re not expecting Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be any different. Still, it’s coming, and hopefully SEGA can revitalize the franchise that has long been uninteresting.
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All Upcoming Sports Games of 2015 & Beyond