2025 was a mixed bag for video game design, largely defined by what didn’t happen. The much-anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI was pushed to November 2026, leaving room for other trends to emerge. AA games, which have smaller budgets than big AAA titles, gained traction. Titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Games and Hollow Knight: Silksong from Team Cherry garnered praise for their unique art styles and creative storytelling. Other notable mentions included Atomfall and Hades II, signaling a shift in favor of indie and AA developers over the traditional giants. Virtual reality continued to struggle with mainstream acceptance, even after a decade of hype. While there were some standout VR games like Alien: Rogue Incursion, the overall sentiment remains that unless hardware improves significantly, VR will not achieve the widespread popularity initially predicted. Meanwhile, annual franchises are showing signs of fatigue. EA Sports’ FC 26 attempted to address fan criticisms but received mixed reviews, and Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 faced lukewarm responses amid competition from newer titles like ARC Raiders. AI's influence permeated game development, leading to concerns about its impact on jobs within the industry. While generative AI sped up processes, players are wary of what they term "AI slop," where games lack quality due to over-reliance on technology. Nostalgia also played a significant role in 2025, with numerous remakes like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Resident Evil titles drawing in fans. Indie developers thrived, producing innovative titles that resonated with gamers, while major publishers struggled to keep up. Nintendo, with the Switch 2, maintained its unique approach, focusing on high-quality first-party titles while still facing industry challenges such as ongoing layoffs impacting studios across the board.