Last Week in Gaming: December 22-29, 2025

As we close out 2025, the gaming world is taking stock of what's been a surprisingly quiet but profitable year for the industry. While we didn't see the blockbuster announcements that defined previous years, there's been plenty happening beneath the surface—from PlayStation printing money to the continued dominance of remakes and remasters.

This week brought some fascinating retrospectives on the year that was, along with news that'll make longtime BioWare fans shed a tear. Plus, if you're still hunting for holiday deals, there are some genuine steals worth your attention.

The Big Story: PlayStation's Quiet Victory Lap

According to Polygon, PlayStation had what might be the most enviable problem in gaming: making tons of money during a "quiet" year. While Microsoft and Nintendo made headlines with major acquisitions and hardware launches, Sony just... kept selling PS5s.

The numbers tell the story. Despite launching fewer first-party exclusives than previous years, PlayStation maintained its market dominance through smart third-party partnerships and a steady stream of quality releases. The PS5 continues to be the console of choice for most gamers, even as supply constraints finally eased up.

What's particularly interesting is how Sony's patience strategy is paying off. While competitors rushed to make big moves, PlayStation focused on what they do best: curating great gaming experiences and maintaining that premium brand appeal. It's a reminder that sometimes the best move is not making a move at all.

The real test comes next year with GTA 6 on the horizon. Sony's betting that their established user base and superior hardware will make the PS5 the definitive way to play Rockstar's next masterpiece. Given their track record, it's probably a safe bet.

Notable News

Console Wars Need a VHS Moment

IGN reports that a former PlayStation executive thinks the console industry needs to learn from the VHS vs. Betamax format war if it wants to break through the 250 million unit ceiling that seems to cap each generation.

It's a fascinating perspective that gets at something we've all noticed: console sales have plateaued despite gaming becoming more mainstream than ever. The exec argues that convenience and accessibility—not technical superiority—ultimately won the videotape war, and the same principle should apply to gaming.

This feels especially relevant as we watch the industry grapple with cloud gaming, subscription services, and the eternal question of whether consoles even matter anymore. Maybe the next breakthrough won't come from better graphics or faster loading times, but from making gaming genuinely accessible to everyone.

2025's Remake Renaissance Continues

Per Polygon's year-end roundup, 2025 was another banner year for remakes and remasters—and surprisingly, most of them were actually good.

The standouts include several that genuinely improved on their originals rather than just adding a fresh coat of paint. It's a trend that shows no signs of slowing down, and honestly, we're not complaining when the results are this solid.

What's encouraging is seeing developers use remakes as opportunities to fix long-standing issues or add quality-of-life improvements that weren't possible in the original releases. When done right, these aren't just cash grabs—they're genuine improvements on beloved classics.

Anthem's Final Flight

According to Polygon, Anthem is finally getting its servers shut down this month, marking the end of one of gaming's most ambitious failures.

BioWare's always-online ARPG launched in 2019 to massive expectations and equally massive disappointment. Despite promises of a major overhaul that never materialized, the game managed to maintain a small but dedicated player base who genuinely found something to love in its flying mechanics and world design.

It's a bittersweet ending to what could have been something special. The core concept wasn't bad—Iron Man suits in a Destiny-style world—but the execution never lived up to the vision. At least those final players get to say they were there until the very end.

Epic Games Store's Holiday Generosity

The Epic Games Store continues its tradition of daily free games during the holidays, with Polygon noting that Viewfinder was available for a limited 24-hour window.

Epic's free game strategy remains one of the smartest moves in digital distribution. Sure, it's expensive for them, but it's built genuine goodwill and gotten millions of users to at least check out their platform. Plus, free games are free games—we're not complaining.

If you've been sleeping on Epic's freebies, now's a good time to start checking daily. The quality has been consistently impressive, and you never know when they'll drop something you've had on your wishlist.

Honorable Mentions

• Backbone Pro Controller is back down to its lowest price at $65, per IGN
• Doom: The Dark Ages is 50% off for PS5 and Xbox, making it $30 for one of 2025's best shooters
• Year-end gaming deals are everywhere, with everything from Ninja Gaiden 4 to Assassin's Creed Shadows seeing significant discounts
• Mobile gaming accessories are seeing major holiday discounts across the board
• Steam's Winter Sale continues through early January with thousands of games marked down

Looking Ahead

Next week brings us into 2026 proper, which means CES is just around the corner. Expect hardware announcements, VR headset reveals, and probably some wild gaming peripherals that we'll all forget about by March.

More importantly, we're getting closer to some major 2026 releases finally showing gameplay. The quiet period is almost over, and if industry whispers are accurate, this spring is going to be absolutely packed with announcements.

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What was your biggest gaming moment of 2025? Hit us up on Twitter/X and let us know what you're most excited for in 2026.