We have updated our most anticipated PC games of 2023 list with the upcoming turn-based tactical strategy action game The Lamplighters League from developer Harebrained Schemes and publisher Paradox
We remember that back in the mid 2000s, when consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 came out with things like hard drives and internet connections, people were saying that PC games were dead. Now, in 2023, PC games are not only very much alive, but thriving. Indeed, Activision Blizzard recently reported that the publisher made more money from PC games than console games in the second half of 2022, and in the first quarter of 2023.
The rise of digital stores like Steam, GoG.com, and more recently the Epic Games Store has contributed to allowing PC games of all types to be sold nearly everywhere. A few weeks ago, we posted our list of the most anticipated Xbox Series X/S games of 2023, so we decided to do the same for PC games as well.
We will mention that all of our games on the Xbox 2023 list will also be released on the PC as well. We didn’t want to duplicate our Xbox list for our most anticipated PC game, so we picked some more upcoming titles, many of which will be released either exclusively for PC or first on that platform (although some games may show up on other platforms as well).
Update: August 6: We have added The Lamplighters League to the list and removed some games that have been released.
Counter-Strike 2 – Summer 2023
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
What’s it about: You team up with your online friends and shoot other online friends in matches of terrorists and counter-terrorists.
Why we want to play it: It’s the long-awaited Source Engine 2 remake of Counter-Strike. Who wouldn’t want to play it? And best of all, it’s going to be free to play.
Payday 3 – September 21, 2023
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: Prime Matter
What’s it about: It’s time to come out of retirement and start robbing banks again, and take care of anyone who gets in our way.
Why we want to play it: Starbreeze has had its problems, but it appears that the studio is finally going to bring the popular Payday co-op shooter series out of mothballs and into an all-new version, and we can’t wait to see it.
Pre-order Payday 3 on Steam
Pre-order Payday 3 console versions on Amazon
Witchfire – September 20
Developer: The Astronauts
Publisher: The Astronauts
What’s it about: Fight a demon invasion of your land with a combination of firearms and witch spells in fast combat.
Why we want to play it: It’s rare when we see a first-person shooter that looks like it will actually offer a different experience.