What's new in July 2024: 7 upcoming games to check out this month

Capcom

This month is deceptively packed with games. It might lack a true AAA standout game, but there are plenty of more experimental games and indie titles coming out over the course of July. On the multiplayer front, games like Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, The First Descendant, and Zenless Zone Zero will offer new ways to play games with friends. On the single-player front, games like Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, and Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure will be playing around with more experimental gameplay flows and ideas.

If you know where to look, you definitely won’t be spoiled for choice when it comes to finding new games to play throughout this month. To help you sift through all of these game launches, I’m highlighting seven of the most prominent releases of July 2024 that you should keep on your radar. At the end of this article, you can also find a list of even more games that you can keep track of as they come out.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (July 2)

a female Hrothgar wielding the Pictomancer armor and weapon — Square Enix

Recommended if you like: Final Fantasy XIV, obviously

Every few years, Square Enix’s immensely popular MMO Final Fantasy XIV gets a new expansion, and on July 2, the game will get its first one since 2021. Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail adds a new continent called Tural, new Viper and Pictomancer jobs, the Female Hrothgar race, a variety of new questlines and story content to explore, and more. On top of that, it raises the level cap to 100 and improves the graphics of this decade-old MMO.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail launches on July 2 across all platforms the MMO is available on, which include PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, and now Xbox Series X/S.

The First Descendant (July 2)

A human fires a gun at an enemy in The First Descendant. — Nexon

Recommended if you like: Warframe

If multiplayer shooters are more your speed, then you’ll want to check out The First Descendant. It’s a free-to-play looter shooter where players fight enemies and complete missions cooperatively as hero characters called Descendants. If you enjoy third-person shooters, The First Descendant features satisfying gunplay and a grappling hook that makes it fun to move around. Its pre-launch demos have been overwhelming, but it’s possible that The First Descendant can find its passionate community once more people go hands-on with it after launch.

The First Descendant launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on July 2.

Zenless Zone Zero (July 4)

The cast of Zenless Zone Zero poses. — Mihoyo

Recommended if you like: Genshin Impact

If you’re an avid player of Genshin Impact, then you’ll probably be excited to hear that developer miHoYo is putting out another game this month. It’s called Zenless Zone Zero, and it’s an action game that trades Genshin Impact’s more traditional fantasy world for a sci-fi one where players fight their way through realms called Hollows with parties of up to three characters. It’s a bit different from miHoYo’s other titles in that it’s not an open-world game, but should retain the same fun action gameplay and gacha-like systems that made Genshin Impact a hit.

Zenless Zone Zero launches for PC, PS5, iOS, and Android on July 4.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (July 18)

Gameplay from Flintlock The Siege of Dawn. — Kepler Interactive

Recommended if you like: Dark Souls

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is the big new Dark Souls-inspired game of the month. Developer A44 is positioning this game as a “Soulslite” rather than a Soulslike because it takes more creative risks than many Souls-inspired titles. Its combat is faster-paced, there are some light platforming elements, and players can use a gun or have the magical fox-like creature Enki attack to gain an edge during battle. If you bounced off Shadow of the Erdtree because it was too tough, maybe check this game out instead.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launches into Xbox Game Pass across PC and Xbox Series X/S on July 18. It will also come out on PS5 that day.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (July 18)

A Super Mario Bros. Speedrunning challenge from Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. — Nintendo

Recommended if you like: NES Remix

Nintendo’s next game pays tribute to the speedrunners who continue to play many of its classic games to this day. Based on the former Nintendo competition of the same name, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition offers up bite-sized speedrunning challenges for 13 different NES games: Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Excitebike, Ice Climber, Kid Icarus, Kirby’s Adventure, Metroid, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Fans of retro games who want to test their mettle against other players need to pick this game up.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on July 18.

EA Sports College Football 25 (July 19)

A tiger mascot on the field in front of a marching band in College Football 25 — Electronic Arts

Recommended if you like: Madden NFL 24

After over a decade, EA is finally reviving its college football simulation game series. EA Sports College Football 25 uses the gameplay of Madden as a foundation but adds its own unique flair with reworked passing mechanics, a wear-and-tear system that makes the risk of injury a more relevant factor, and more impactful home-field advantages for teams. With officially licensed teams, players, stadiums, tournaments, and more, this has the potential to be one of the most exciting EA Sports games in years.

EA Sports College Football 25 launches for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on July 19.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (July 19)

Strategy gameplay in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. — Capcom

Recommended if you like: Onimusha: Warlords

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess was my favorite thing I played at Summer Game Fest 2024 because of how unique it is. It blends action game and tower defense mechanics across several levels, which see players defending a maiden from hordes of demonic enemies called “Seethe” as she travels between Torii gates and players rid levels of “Defilement.” It’s a tough game to describe in just a couple of sentences, but watch some gameplay or go hands-on with it, and you’ll find that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has a chance to be one of the most charming games of the year.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will be available to purchase on PS4 and PS5 and added on Xbox Game Pass across PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 19.