Top 10 Long-Awaited Video Games

Gamers are a patient bunch. They're used to waiting years, sometimes even decades, for the latest installment in their favorite franchises. But occasionally, the wait becomes especially long, testing even the most dedicated fans' patience.

These are the games that took their sweet time getting onto store shelves, whether due to development issues, publisher delays, or plain old procrastination. Some of them lived up to the hype, while others did not. Either way, these long-awaited video games are worth discussing.

From highly anticipated sequels to ambitious new IPs, all these titles shared one thing in common: they left us waiting and wondering for what felt like an eternity. So, sit back, relax, and let's take a trip down memory lane as we revisit some of the most notorious cases of delayed game releases.

The Top Ten

Shrek Swamp Kart Speedway 2
Kingdom Hearts III

After all these years, finally, the trilogy known as Kingdom Hearts will be complete. Fans have been waiting for a crucially long time for the next installment in this classic and legendary RPG, with Square mixed with Disney, the greatest recipe there is. And to make it even better, Pixar is part of the equation in this one. Excluding titles that don't exactly fit into the series entirely, fans had to wait almost 15 years for a new one to come out. Hopefully, this long-awaited game is worth the wait.

I hope it will be good, and maybe even better than the previous Kingdom Hearts games.
Duke Nukem Forever

Duke has two major accolades: one for being the biggest disappointment in gaming history, and the other for being the longest enduring development game of all time (14 years, 44 days). This is largely due to a game they had back in '01, which looked much better than what would happen a decade later. It's amazing how much care there would have been for a title like this had it arrived sooner, rather than having to wait for so long. But in the end, it was shockingly disappointing overall.
Shenmue 3

After nearly 17 years, we finally heard that Shenmue would make a remarkable comeback, with an ending in III that we've all been waiting for for a long time. The first two games are classics, and now there will be a third game to be released sooner rather than later, which may finally complete the awesome trilogy from this Sega classic.
Diablo 3

It took 12 long, grueling years for another Diablo game to come back from the chaos and to satisfy those who loved what they got out of the previous games. What's interesting about this game is that developers supported it for years with expansion content rather than immediately releasing a sequel. The franchise eventually continued with the release of Diablo IV in 2023.
Doom (2016)

Sure, there are mods still played to this day, but we had not seen a main Doom game since 2004, which was the third title and arguably the scariest looking one of all of them. They announced a fourth game would happen, but due to console generations slowly fading as always, it took quite a number of years to finish Doom 4, which would now be known as Doom (2016), not to be confused with the classic from 1993.
The die-hard fans were excited about this game when they saw it at E3 2015. Bethesda's first major conference was unforgettable due to the emergence of this one, especially. The trailblazer of first-person shooters is back and stronger than ever.
The Last Guardian

This was Team Ico's next big project for many years, but it took them a staggering 9 years to finally get it out to the 8th generation of consoles. So, we have gone through three different console generations to eventually find a way to get this masterpiece completed. I salute the developers for all their patience and commitment to making it look the way it does.
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

It took a whole decade to finally get Starcraft to make its return to gaming, reintroduced in top-notch form for an RTS, and that's why it was loved then and now.
Cyberpunk 2077

In development for about five years and set to be released in the next year or two, it's likely we will see it come out, knowing it's near the end of production and that many gamers are eagerly invested in this concept.
Resident Evil 4

Fans had to wait six years for the fourth title to come out, and it delivered on every level expected from the previous three games. It's a true masterpiece to this day.

The Newcomers

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Grand Theft Auto VI
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Contenders

Metroid Prime 4

It's been a long time since we've seen a first-person Metroid game from the Wii days. But days have gone by, and now the Switch has emerged. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is currently in development and is scheduled for release in 2025.
Half-Life 3
Borderlands 3
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Silent Hills
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Fairy Tail
Devil May Cry 5
Mother 3
Persona 5
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Metroid: Zero Mission