Dakar Desert Rally 

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 4 October

The franchise that lets players race, rock and roll across the dunes of Dakar, Saudi Arabia, is back with a vengeance this month. With a staggering 150 cars to try out and a roadbook feature for assessing routes and terrain on the fly, all you need to bring are your sand goggles. You packed them, right?  

Overwatch 2

Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 4 October

One of gaming’s premier multiplayer FPS smashes just got bigger. Renowned for drawing on aspects of the greatest games of its genre, most notably Team Fortress 2, Overwatch is among the premier refined team-based experiences. Plus, you ge tto play as a frikkin’ HAMSTER! If that’s not enough to chew on, this sequel brings new weapons, characters and co-operative play modes.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 7 October

From the cerebral minds at Firaxis Games, they of Civilization and XCOM fame, comes the MCU’s first turn-based, tactical strategy game. If you ever wondered what might happen if Captain America afforded himself a modicum of self-reflection prior to smacking someone with his shield, this is the game for you. Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Blade, Ghost Rider, Magik, Nico Minoru and the aforementioned Cap await your next move.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties DLC

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 13 October

The first official story DLC for the critically acclaimed zombie-em-up Dying Light 2 is here! As Aiden, you enter a tournament whereby you leave your old life behind in pursuit of glory and status. But all that glitters is not gold, as double-crosses, power struggles and treachery add a more… bloody hue to proceedings.

The Eternal Cylinder

Available on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 from 13 October

Apocalypses don’t come weirder than this. Lead your family of elephant-nosed aliens to safety as an encroaching cylinder of fire threatens to snuff out all life on your planet. Solve puzzles to delay the inevitable and evolve to gain the upper hand. Who knows? Maybe you’ll see another sunrise yet. 

Dragon Ball: The Breakers 

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5 from 14 October

Everybody, all together now: Kameeeeee-hameeeeeee-HAAA. Yes indeed, everyone’s favouriite OTT anime has another game to add to its already impressive pile. Aysmmetric brawler (or should that be “baller”?) The Breakers pits you (and friends in co-op mode) against a classic villain from the series. Will you rush to escape? Fight back? Or use your wits to outsmart the onslaught? The choice is yours.

PGA Tour 2K23 Standard Edition

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PS5 from 14 October

In this life, nothing is certain except golf and taxes. And so, here comes another PGA title right on time. And there’s more on offer this time around than than even the top caddy could carry, including enhanced controls, all-new playable male and female pros and a selection of game modes, including Topgolf! Go fore it.

Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival

Available on Nintendo Switch from 14 October

The cutest sentient drum to ever grace video gaming is back, and in a big way! What started out in the arcades (complete with massive taiko drums to bash) has spawned a beloved franchise at home in Japan and abroad. With new modes and 76 songs to learn, plus more to download online, grab your sticks, we’re starting a band.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch from 18 October

A direct sequel to 2019’s stunning plague-em-up A Plague Tale: Innocence, Requiem rejoins siblings Amicia and Hugo de Rune as they travel across southern France while pursued by the Inquisition, and, of course, the series’ trademark rat hordes.

Them’s Fightin’ Herds

Available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch from 18 October 

Whatever happened to “Baa, Ram, Ewe” eh? Neigh, there’s no such decorum on offer in this bloodthirsty, brawler. A roster of horses, sheep, goats and more duke it out to find a hero worthy of defeating the evil spreading across the land. Your standard Old Macdonald, then. 

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope 

Available on Nintendo Switch from 20 October 

A sequel to the super-fun Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle comes the next Mario Rabbid crossover. Unlike the first game, pathways here are less linear, and the turn-based combat allows players to think outside the more rigid grid-based system of old.

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef

Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 20 October

Cute, hand-drawn 2D never looked so brutal. Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is an action-adventure game in the vein of classics like Metal Slug. Humans, Orks and Genestealer cultists are yours for the gibbing as you lay further waste to the wastelands with an awesome arsenal of weaponry.

Gotham Knights

Available on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 from 21 October

There have been a slew of DCU open-world action games in recent times, most notably the Batman series. With such a brooding, atmospheric world, it’s the perfect fit for the genre. Here, you’ll slip into the suit of four playable characters: Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood. Playing solo or with another player in co-op mode, there’s bad guys to smite, treachery to fight, and best of all, a Batcycle to ride across the city at night.

New Tales From The Borderlands

Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 21 October 

The cell-shaded spectacular that is the Borderlands franchise returns with this latest instalment. Like its predecessor Tales From The Borderlands, it’s more story-driven than the loot-and-shoot-heavy gameplay of Borderlands 1-3, but there’s enough looting and shooting on offer here to satisfy series purists. 

Scorn

Available on PC and Xbox Series X/S from 21 October 

Alien fans, Cronenberg fans, fans of general “ick”, we salute you! Long in development, Scorn finally arrives this month to deliver the existential, body horror FPS fans have been writhing for. Featuring HR Giger-inspired art, weapons that live, and a plot as oblique as it is nihilistic, Scorn won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s set to be one of gaming’s biggest talking points on release.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5 from 28 October

A continuation of the 2019 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot 2022’s MW2 looks set to reignite the COD fires among gamers the world over. Featuring a multitude of returning favourites, including Captain John Price (Barry Sloane), Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick (Elliot Knight), Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley (Samuel Roukin), Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish (Neil Ellice), it’s set to be an emotional reunion for the FPS behemoth.