Once bitten, twice shy has always been my approach when it comes to pre-ordering games. After I spent a year convincing my entire friend group to pre-order Cyberpunk 2077 from GOG and then being subjected to ridicule for the next three years, I’ve definitely become far more careful about pre-ordering games.

That doesn’t mean I’ve completely sworn off pre-orders. Sometimes, some games are just too close to your heart, or just too impressive, that you end up hitting the pre-order button.

10 Dying Light: The Beast

Good night, good luck… to Crane’s enemies

As someone who’s played Dying Light seven times over and the sequel only once, watching Kyle Crane finally come back after having only a single reference to him in Dying Light 2 is what made me immediately hit the pre-order button on Steam. Essentially, Roger Craig Smith’s Crane is the biggest reason I’m going to be playing The Beast on day one itself.

Am I worried about the excessive guns I’ve seen Crane use in the trailers so far instead of the makeshift melee weapons that came to define the Dying Light experience? Yes. But I’m also going to not care, as long as I get my fix of Kyle Crane in a new title in all its next-gen glory.

9 Mafia: The Old Country

The origins of the Italian mafia, in next-gen beauty

The fantastic remake of the first Mafia game made me a believer in the franchise, and while the remaster for Mafia II was one of the most disappointing remasters ever put out, I’m still extremely excited for Mafia: The Old Country.

What was shaping to be another historic year for open-world games with a new Grand Theft Auto and Mafia game coming out in the same year might not hit the same with the GTA VI delay, but boy am I excited for Mafia: The Old Country to be a powerhouse of a game, especially in terms of its next-gen visual presentation. Set in early 20th-century Sicily, Mafia: The Old Country is definitely shaping up to be a fantastic game, and developers Hangar 13 have certainly proven they know how to do right by the Mafia franchise.

8 Doom: The Dark Ages

Local man too angry to die

The Doom franchise is one of the most important franchises in gaming of all time, and it is back in the shape of Doom: The Dark Ages. After two fantastic entries in the revived demon-killing franchise, The Dark Ages is shaping up to be a fantastic reinvention of the formula, getting ready to deliver a new playstyle for the Doom Slayer — one where he stands and fights, tanks hits and parries them right back on the battlefield, all while establishing dominance over a new medieval setting.

With the addition of the huge Atlan mechs that the Slayer will pilot, and dragon mounts to fly and take down airborne ships, Doom: The Dark Ages is already shaping up to be one of the coolest gaming experiences of this generation, and my PC is more than ready for it.

7 SPINE - This is Gun Fu

John Wick, but make it even more stylish

It isn’t just major AAA games that have made their way to my pre-order list, but also some fantastic AA games that are showing plenty of promise. With only a 2025 tentative release date, I haven’t been able to pre-order it just yet, but it’s near the very top of my 2025 wishlist. We might've gotten Keanu Reeves as the unforgettable Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077, but I've always wished for a proper John Wick game that gives players the true gun-fu experience. Now, SPINE looks to be delivering exactly that, all while drenched in style and neon-drenched arenas.

Sometimes, we just need our games to be downright cool, and SPINE oozes style in every frame. The animations could definitely use some more work, but I expect the final result to be a rather polished affair.

6 FBC: Firebreak

Remedy’s first multiplayer game is one I blindly trust

I’m a staunch advocate of anything that comes out of Remedy’s doors. From the Max Payne games forming one of the greatest gaming trilogies ever, to the Alan Wake and Control connected universe being absurdly weird and amazing at the same time, Remedy has yet to miss, in my humble opinion. Now, FBC: Firebreak, the Finnish studio’s first-ever multiplayer game, looks to be quite the experience.

Set in the FBC’s Oldest House, FBC: Firebreak will definitely set the stage for Control 2, giving us more insight into this confusing yet brilliant universe from the mind of Sam Lake. On the outside, Firebreak definitely treads previously-charted territory, but there’s enough whimsy in the game and more than enough trust in Remedy’s games to warrant a wishlist and pre-order combo.

5 Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

Kojima and Sam Porter’s next outing on a new continent

2019’s Death Stranding was one of the most hotly anticipated games I’d ever looked forward to. This was Kojima’s first outing after leaving Konami, and while I hadn’t pre-ordered the game, I’d definitely gotten my name firmly planted on the top of the list at the local PlayStation games dealership. Sure, I’ve got my gripes with the game, but Death Stranding’s theme of interconnectedness and community had a powerful impact on me.

With some of the most prolific actors in the industry, and Troy Baker’s Higgs returning in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, the game is one of the most anticipated games of the year. My pre-order for Death Stranding 2 is already in, and come June 26, I’m going to be exploring South America with Sam Porter Bridges.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

• $70 at Playstation Store (pre-order)

4 Elden Ring Nightreign

I can’t wait to see Limgrave once again with a new set of eyes

From Software’s Elden Ring made me a true believer in the Soulsborne genre. There’s no denying that Elden Ring is one of the best open-world games the medium has ever seen, and after over 200 hours in The Lands Between, all I want is more. I never truly got the hang of the multiplayer component in Elden Ring, partly because there are just too many hoops to jump through to play with your friends, but with Nightreign, that’s set to change.

An exclusively multiplayer game set in the world of Elden Ring, Nightreign is a three-player co-op experience that takes elements from extraction shooters. Your party has a three-day in-game cycle to collect loot, defeat field enemies and bosses, and take down the Nightlord. The game is already in my pre-orders, and this one was made in tandem with my blessed friend who finally talked me into playing Elden Ring this year.

3 Subnautica 2

Diving into Unknown Worlds’ new unknown world

My PC first saw the Epic Games storefront installed on it in 2018, when Subnautica was one of the earliest Epic Games freebies for customers. The surreal experience of exploring an alien ocean world, afraid of anything lurking past your visibility range, all while you worry about oxygen, hunger, and hostiles, is downright unforgettable.

Now, over a decade later, we’re all set to welcome Subnautica 2 in all its Unreal Engine 5 glory, with multiplayer co-op being the biggest pull factor. A masterclass in creating tension and forcing fear of the unknown, Subnautica’s sequel is one that isn’t just going straight to my pre-order list, but one I will ensure my entire gaming friend group gets on day one itself.

2 Stellar Blade PC

The PC release can not come soon enough

A sleeper hit that emerged in 2024, Korean studio Shift UP’s Stellar Blade has quickly garnered a lot of praise, and none of it is undeserved. Admittedly, I haven’t been able to play the game yet, as I’ve been waiting for the game’s PC version, which is set to release sometime later in 2025.

A genre-hopping Soulslike game that proved to be more than just a NieR from Temu, Stellar Blade boasts fantastic visuals, tight gameplay and combat, engaging exploration, and a head-bopping soundtrack, all coming together to deliver a memorable experience I can’t wait to enjoy on my PC.

1 Deltarune

A pre-order decision filled with determination

This one is perhaps the only one I almost don’t feel the need to explain. 2015’s Undertale is one of the most unforgettable games I’ve ever played, and now, a decade later, this fantastic indie series is finally giving us the parallel-sequel we’ve always wanted.

While chapters 1 and 2 of the game came out all the way back in 2018, the game is due for a full paid release with more chapters coming out soon, and is firmly planted in my wishlist. It’s time to once again meet Sans the Skeleton, and enter combat sequences with the sole aim of sparing all enemies for a Pacifist run, or whatever equivalent Toby Fox throws our way this time around.

Tough year for my wallet

Pre-ordering might feel like a gamble in today’s industry, but sometimes, the heart wants what it wants. After all, Kyle Crane, Sam Porter, and Doomguy are returning, and we're going back to an alternate-world Limgrave. There's plenty of indie magic awaiting us as well, and these games have rightfully earned a rare spot on my watchlist — and wallet. I might regret one or two, but for now, these are the experiences I’m genuinely excited to support from day one. And that’s saying something.