Remember zombie games? Back in the early to mid 2010's, zombie games were all the rage. The genre was bustling, with plenty of incredible titles, some of which are still being played to this day.

Zombies in general (not just in gaming), have a huge influence on modern culture, more so than any other monster.

However, with how saturated the market became with all manner of zombie games, the bubble burst, and they went out of style. You'll still find a few popular titles, like Project Zomboid and Dying Light, roaming around, but the hype has significantly died down. Now, much like an undead horde, the genre seems to be rising up from the grave, as 2025 is said to be the year zombie games make a comeback.

Killing Floor 3

Third installment of the horde classic

Killing Floor 3 is the return of the beloved horde mode franchise. Both Killing Floor (2009) and Killing Floor 2 (2016) are widely regarded as some of the most fun horde-mode action in gaming.

This new title in the franchise promised more of that sweet zombie-killing, arsenal-building, blood-spilling goodness when it was announced in 2023. The game was slated for release on March 25, 2025 until people got a chance to try out the closed beta.

Developer Tripwire Interactive has announced that Killing Floor 3 will be delayed to a later date in 2025. This comes as a result of many complaints and concerns voiced by participants in the closed beta, who claimed that the core of Killing Floor 3's gameplay strayed too far from its predecessors'.

Hopefully, the developers will iron out these problems as they moved the release an unspecified date in 2025.

What makes Killing Floor so much fun

• Addicting horde mode.
• A vast arsenal of weapons and equipment.
• More zombies and other nasties to mow down.

Days Gone Remastered

A troubled title with a dedicated fanbase

Even if you haven't played Days Gone, you have more than likely seen gameplay footage. The sequence where the protagonist runs through a lumber mill, while hundreds of zombies chase him, was circulating around the internet for years. Then the game released in 2019 to lukewarm reviews, with many criticizing the game's repetitive gameplay loop, technical issues, underdeveloped characters, and some really cringy dialogue (do NOT look up the wedding scene (here's the link)).

Despite the good sales numbers, Days Gone was not seen in a positive light at Sony. The developer, Bend Studio, pitched a sequel, but Sony tragically rejected it. But despite this, a digital-only remaster was announced and will be released and is coming to Playstation 5 in 2025. Who knows? This could mean that a sequel is closer than we think.

Why fans loved Days Gone

• Tense horde sequences.
• Unique environmental kills.
• An open world for a lot of motorcycle riding.

Dying Light: The Beast

Parkour, melee, now with friends

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Dying Light is a zombie franchise with a unique gameplay loop. Instead of going the traditional guns-blazing at a zombie horde route, developer, Techland, decided to take a more physically-active approach. The signature feature of Dying Light is its parkour and melee-focused combat.

The latest installment, Dying Light: The Beast, is set for release in mid-2025 and promises to bring back the fan-favorite melee combat and parkour.

The only difference this time around, is that, instead of taking place in an urban city, The Beast will take players to a rural part of the world. Additionally, the game will feature a "Beast Mode", which triggers powerful attacks that you can use to mow down the undead. So, get ready for parkouring through the woods with 3 other players and going "Beast Mode" on the army of the undead.

What Dying Light is known for

• Parkour and fast movement.
• Crazy melee weapons.
• Exhilarating action sequences.

The Midnight Walkers

Hardcore take on zombie shooters

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Extraction shooters have been all the rage recently. That addicting risk-vs-reward formula has called many gamers looking for a more hardcore experience than what more popular multiplayer shooters, like Apex: Legends or Fortnite.

The Midnight Walkers is the latest entry into this genre and promises a gameplay loop based on looting and scavenging, complex zombie AI, and deep survival mechanics, all wrapped inside a blanket of tactical gameplay that is expected of the genre.

Hunt: Showdown comes to mind when mentioning zombies and PvPvE, but it seems like the Midnight Walkers is taking things in a more contemporary direction.

The Midnight Walkers is set for release in Q2 of 2025.

What The Midnight Walkers promises

• A unique PvPvE game mode.
• Unique arsenal and equipment.
• Hardcore and complex gameplay.

State of Decay 3

In a state of delay

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This entry is a bit more painful to get through, considering that it's one of those games stuck in development limbo. Announced all the way back in the merry year of 2020, there is still very little known about State of Decay 3. The franchise is a third-person zombie survival game with a focus on building and managing settlements, gathering resources, and exploring an open world mired by a zombie apocalypse.

Fans were excited by the announcement, but over time, little to no news of the game's development surfaced. In fact, up until 2024, the developers, Undead Labs, launched the final update for State of Decay 2, along with a really heart-felt message.

However, no news of the third installment in the franchise has been announced, so many speculate that the game will (hopefully) release in 2026. But we still have our fingers crossed for a surprise announcement about State of Decay 3 releasing in 2025.

What Made State of Decay so popular

• Survival and resource-gathering mechanics.
• Vast open world with all kinds of vehicles.
• Settlement creation and management.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando

From the legendary director himself

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Capping off this list of our most anticipated zombie games coming in 2025, we have a name that you might recognize. John Carpenter is a legendary director responsible for such classics as Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982), and the genre-defining Halloween (1978). This time, however, his name is featured front and center in an upcoming zombie shooter: John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, based on the Dark Horse comics of the same name.

Toxic Commando promises tons of zombie-killing action featuring fast-paced gunplay, vehicles, 4-player co-op, and a distinct B-movie aesthetic thanks to the invaluable creative input from John Carpenter himself.

Though initially set for release in 2024, the game has been delayed and will hopefully launch in 2025.

What we look forward to in John Carpenter's Toxic Commando

• 80's action-horror aesthetic inspired by visionary, John Carpenter.
• Co-op horde shooting fun.
• Tons of action and unique vehicle gameplay.