PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted 2025 - The Top 25 Countdown and Everything Else That Caught My Eye
Just finished watching the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted and my head's absolutely spinning. They crammed over 80 games into a two-and-a-half hour showcase, including 15+ world premieres and their annual Top 25 Most Wanted countdown voted by industry folks and journos. There's a lot to unpack here, so let me walk you through the highlights.
No surprises here - Slay the Spire 2 nabbed the #1 spot on the Most Wanted list. The original basically invented the modern deckbuilding roguelike genre, so naturally everyone's keen to see what Megacrit does next. They showed off some behind-the-scenes footage and honestly, it's looking like everything's bigger this time around. March 2026 can't come soon enough.
Rounding out the top 5 we had 007 First Light at #2 (IO Interactive doing a James Bond game? Yes please), Haunted Chocolatier at #3, Stranger Than Heaven at #4, and GTA 6 at #5. Pretty solid list if you ask me.
Stranger Than Heaven Has Me Intrigued
Speaking of that top 5 - Stranger Than Heaven from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon crew at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is one I'm properly excited about. It's an action experience set across three different time periods in Osaka - 1915, 1929, and 1943.
If you've played any of the Yakuza games, you know how much love RGG puts into recreating Japanese cities and watching them evolve. The idea of hopping between eras and seeing Osaka change over nearly 30 years sounds absolutely brilliant. These devs just get atmosphere and storytelling.
ConcernedApe's Haunted Chocolatier Still Looking Cozy
Alright, Haunted Chocolatier at #3 - we still don't have a release date but honestly? I don't care. Stardew Valley is still going strong almost a decade later, and the thought of ConcernedApe applying that same magic to a chocolate-making game set in a haunted castle is exactly the kind of cozy weirdness I need in my life.
No new trailer this time, but just having it on the Most Wanted list is a nice reminder that it's still coming. Eventually. Hopefully. Please, Eric.
Light No Fire Could Be Massive
Coming in at #11, Light No Fire from Hello Games continues to look ambitious as hell. After the redemption arc No Man's Sky pulled off, I'm willing to give Sean Murray and the team the benefit of the doubt here.
The concept is wild - instead of a whole galaxy, you get a single procedurally generated planet the size of Earth. Fantasy setting this time, so expect dragons and magic instead of spaceships. It's the kind of scope that could either be incredible or collapse under its own weight, but Hello Games has earned some trust at this point.
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core - Rock and Stone, Baby
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core landed at #19 and I am absolutely here for it. Taking the beloved co-op shooter formula and turning it into a roguelite? Sign me up yesterday.
You start each mission with basic gear and collect random upgrades as you descend deeper into the mines. The key is coordinating with your mates to build powerful synergies. Ghost Ship Games showed off the new Retcon class and it's looking proper fun. Q1 2026 release window - my squad is already planning sessions.
Rock and Stone!
Carmageddon: Rogue Shift - Now THAT'S a World Premiere
Okay, this one properly got me. Carmageddon: Rogue Shift was one of the world premieres and it looks like absolute chaos in the best way possible. If you grew up playing the original Carmageddon games in the late 90s, you know exactly what kind of vehicular mayhem we're talking about.
They've gone full roguelike this time - weapons, wild rides, and yes, zombies to mow down. It's giving Death Race vibes and I'm not mad about it. The arcade racing genre needs more games that just let you cause carnage without taking themselves too seriously.
DarkSwitch - Building an Elvish Utopia on a Giant Tree
One that flew a bit under the radar but caught my attention was DarkSwitch. You've got this gorgeous home tree that you're trying to protect from monstrosities lurking in an ever-encroaching fog. It's tower defence meets city builder, but with this beautiful fantasy aesthetic.
The question the game poses is pretty straightforward - can you build an Elvish utopia, or will you succumb to the darkness? Something about defending a magical tree home while building it up really appeals to me. Could be a nice change of pace from the usual base builders.
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning
The showcase was absolutely packed, so here's a quick rundown of other bits that caught my eye:
SOL Shogunate - A samurai space opera with J-rock soundtrack? World premiere and it looked stunning.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War - Casper Van Dien himself showed up to announce this retro FPS. Would you like to know more?
Neath - From the Rogue Legacy devs, you're dictating actions for both your squad AND enemies in an inverted tower. Weird concept, could be brilliant.
Cairn - Survival climbing game from the Haven devs. Cel-shaded and gorgeous.
Crimson Desert - Action RPG with mechs AND dragons. March 19, 2026.
Guild Wars: Reforged - The classic MMO got a visual overhaul and it's out NOW.
Games You Can Play Right Now
One thing I loved about this showcase - heaps of stuff dropped immediately:
Blood: Refreshed Supply - The 1997 FPS classic, completely reworked
Night Swarm - Vampire Survivors-style bullet heaven
Ferocious - Far Cry meets Ark with dinosaurs you can befriend
Be My Horde - Become a necromancer and raise your own zombie army
Killing Floor 3 Season 2 - Went live during the show
No "coming soon maybe eventually" - just here, go play it. More showcases should do this.
Final Thoughts
Look, two and a half hours is a LOT of games to sit through, and not everything landed for me. But the variety was genuinely impressive - you had cozy farming sims next to brutal horror games, indie puzzlers alongside massive AAA announcements.
The Most Wanted voting system is a nice touch too. Having industry professionals and journos pick their top 25 gives it a bit more weight than just "here's what the publisher paid to show."
My wishlist is absolutely cooked after this. Between Haunted Chocolatier, Light No Fire, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, and Carmageddon... 2026 is shaping up to be an expensive year.
What about you lot? Anything from the showcase jumping onto your radar? Or did I miss something good buried in that marathon runtime?
Also you can see all the videos and details straight from the PC Gamers website
