5 big-budget games to play before December ends
GTA VI leads a stacked holiday window, with two Rayman returns, a HoYoverse life sim, and a new Professor Layton close behind.
Rockstar gets the jump on the holiday season with Grand Theft Auto VI in mid-November, and the first half of December keeps the pressure on. Ubisoft doubles up on Rayman, HoYoverse tries its hand at a cozy life sim, and LEVEL-5 brings Layton back. Here's what's coming, in release order.
- December 3: 2 releases
- December 4: 1 release
- December 10: 1 release
- Nov 19, 2026PS5XBOXMost tracked
Grand Theft Auto VI
Rockstar North's next Grand Theft Auto lands November 19 on PS5 and Xbox, two weeks before the December rush begins. The setting is Leonida, a state that includes the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and plenty beyond them, and Rockstar pitches it as the biggest, most immersive evolution of the series yet. Genre tags span adventure, racing, and shooting, which fits the open-world formula. The community signal is enormous: an IGDB hype count of 1,129, more than every other game here combined. No PC version is listed, so console players get first crack.
- Dec 03, 2026PCPS5SWITCHXBOX
Rayman Legends Retold
Ubisoft Montpellier is calling this a bold reimagining of Legends rather than a straight port: new visuals, a retold story, and a mysterious new realm to explore. The musical stages are back too, with new ones to jam through. Up to four players can share a couch in co-op, or you can tackle it solo. It launches December 3 on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox, and a hype count of 61 makes it the most anticipated of the December releases on this list. Households with spare controllers should pay attention.
- Dec 03, 2026PCPS5SWITCHXBOX
Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition
Same day, same studio, same four platforms as Legends Retold, but a lighter touch. Origins keeps its original story: the Glade of Dreams is overrun by "nefurrious" Darktoons, and Rayman teams up with Globox and two Teensie wizards to restore balance. The upgrades are technical, with 4K resolution, 60 FPS, and new quality-of-life features. Completionists get 60 hidden Relics to hunt, tracked in the Snoring Tree. Its hype count of 9 suggests it is flying under the radar next to its flashier sibling, which could make it the quiet value pick of the week.
- Dec 04, 2026PCSWITCH
Petit Planet
HoYoverse, the miHoYo label behind some of the biggest free-to-play hits around, is pivoting to something softer. Petit Planet is a cosmic life sim where you build a home and live alongside fuzzy neighbors, with RPG and simulator tags hinting at more than just decorating. It is free-to-play and cross-platform, arriving December 4 on PC and Switch. A hype count of 24 is modest for a studio this size, but the barrier to entry is zero, so expect plenty of players to drop in out of curiosity.
- Dec 10, 2026PCPS5SWITCH
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
LEVEL-5 picks up the thread one year after the events of Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. A mysterious incident in Steam Bison pulls Layton and Luke into a new adventure, and the puzzle and adventure tags confirm the series formula is intact. It arrives December 10 on PC, PS5, and Switch, with a hype count of 38 placing it second among this month's releases. For longtime fans, a fresh mainline case for the professor is reason enough to clear some evenings mid-month.
