Introduction: The Summer of Gaming – A Season of Excitement and Anticipation

Summer is traditionally seen as a prime time for gaming reveals and announcements, but it also has a quirky side—it’s a period when our main thrill often comes from watching game trailers rather than playing new titles. This phenomenon stems from the numerous big presentations that replaced the traditional E3 format, showcasing upcoming games and unveiling new projects for the first time. These events give us a sneak peek into what we’ll be exploring in the near future, fueling immense excitement across the gaming community.

Tracking the Hottest Trailers of the Summer

To understand what truly captured gamers’ attention during this lively season, we analyzed every video uploaded to IGN over the past few weeks. From this vast pool, we identified the ten most-viewed trailers from the Summer of Gaming. These videos highlight a mix of highly-anticipated sequels, surprising new entries, and captivating cinematic reveals. Let’s dive into the most popular trailers and what makes them stand out.

1. Resident Evil Requiem: The Next Chapter in Horror

View count: 2.1 million

Unsurprisingly, the reveal of Resident Evil 9, titled Requiem, was the standout hit of Summer Gaming 2025. Fans have eagerly awaited this installment since the release of Resident Evil Village in 2021. With Ethan Winters’ story concluded, the narrative shifts focus to a new protagonist—FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft. The trailer introduces her as she navigates a desolate, bombed-out Raccoon City, setting a dark, intense horror tone reminiscent of Resident Evil 7. The trailer’s final moments promise a return to the franchise’s roots—scare-inducing survival horror that developers Capcom are clearly aiming to deliver in full force.

2. Invincible VS: The Comic-Inspired Fighting Game

View count: 2.1 million

The animated series Invincible on Prime Video has garnered a massive following, sparking excitement for the upcoming video game adaptation. Invincible VS is a 3v3 tag fighting game that captures the visceral violence of the show, highlighted by a brutal scene where Invincible causes Bulletproof’s head to explode. Fans are particularly eager for the epic showdown between Invincible and Omni-Man, but the trailer also teases appearances by characters like Atom Eve and Rex Plode, promising a chaotic, blood-soaked brawl that’s hard to resist.

3. Game of Thrones: War for Westeros – An Alternate Reality

View count: 1.5 million

Despite mixed feelings about the final season, Game of Thrones remains immensely popular, as evidenced by the high viewership of the War for Westeros trailer. This cinematic piece explores a “what if?” scenario, featuring Jon Snow battling the Night King in a duel that never occurred in the series. Other scenes depict Daenerys and Drogon being shot from the sky and Jaime Lannister fighting in a large-scale battle involving multiple factions. The most shocking moment shows Jon Snow being killed and turned into a wight, offering fans a dark alternate ending to the saga.

4. ILL: A New Horror Experience

View count: 1.3 million

While Resident Evil dominated the horror genre, the grotesque ILL trailer also struck a chord with audiences. This survival horror game features disturbing enemies like multi-limbed monstrosities, zombie babies, and zombies with dental issues. Thanks to an advanced dismemberment system, players can tear through these horrors. The trailer balances horror with dark humor, culminating in a scene where a zombie toddler gets kicked into a pile of barrels—adding a twisted comedic touch to the terrifying experience.

5. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn – A New Sci-Fi RPG

View count: 1.2 million

Owlcat Games, known for their isometric RPGs, is venturing into a different direction with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. This game resembles a modern-day Mass Effect, featuring cinematic space battles and cover-based shooting mechanics. Fans of the franchise and space RPGs are excited to explore this universe, especially after a long gap in quality titles in this genre. The trailer combines thrilling space combat scenes with gameplay snippets showcasing mechanics like cover shooting and character customization.

6. 007 First Light: A Fresh Take on Bond

View count: 835,000

After years of anticipation, the new James Bond game, 007 First Light, finally appeared in a PlayStation State of Play presentation. The trailer introduces a younger, more inexperienced Bond, alongside familiar characters like M and Q. It promises an action-packed adventure set in exotic locations, featuring classic spy gear, a vintage Aston Martin, and high-stakes missions—showing that IO Interactive knows exactly how to deliver a compelling Bond experience.

7. ROG Xbox Ally X: The Future of Portable Gaming

View count: 822,000

Hardware reveals often generate buzz, and the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld PC is no exception. Developed by Asus, this portable device extends Microsoft’s vision of gaming portability, allowing players to enjoy Xbox games anywhere—from consoles to phones and laptops. With the ability to access Xbox Game Pass and cloud services directly, this powerful handheld is poised to become a game-changer for on-the-go gaming enthusiasts.

8. Atomic Heart 2: Expanding the Retro-Futuristic Universe

View count: 796,000

The sequel to Atomic Heart promises a much larger, more detailed world. Previous trailers hinted at a retro-futuristic Soviet setting, but the new footage reveals space stations, wall-running, hang-gliding, and mechs—signifying a significant evolution in gameplay scope. The game maintains its unique aesthetic, blending dystopian Soviet themes with sci-fi elements, and even introduces a multiplayer spinoff called The Cube.

9. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – A Crossover Extravaganza

View count: 720,000

Sonic’s recent popularity surge, boosted by successful movies, has led to this exciting racing crossover. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features guest characters like Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, Joker from Persona 5, and Steve from Minecraft. The trailer teases Minecraft-themed courses and hints at even more cross-dimensional racing adventures, making it a must-watch for fans of Sonic and crossover titles alike.

10. Chronicles: Medieval – A Medieval Epic in the Making

View count: 708,000

While the trailer offers only a glimpse of gameplay, it hints at an epic scale where players lead armies on horseback, reminiscent of the Mount & Blade series. The cinematic showcases a medieval world filled with village life, weapon forging, and cavalry battles. If the game can deliver this level of immersion, it could become a standout medieval strategy experience.

Honorable Mentions: Other Noteworthy Trailers

Beyond the top ten, several other trailers garnered significant attention. Classic franchises like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and High on Life 2 attracted over half a million views each, indicating strong fan interest. The Deadpool VR experience also made waves with its over-the-top, violent gameplay, promising an immersive, player-controlled experience unlike any other.

New RPGs like Blood of the Dawnwalker from ex-Cyberpunk 2077 developers and Clockwork Revolution from InXile Studios also drew attention, showcasing innovative worlds, role-playing mechanics, and time-travel elements that excite genre fans.

Additional Insights from Official Channels

While IGN provided a comprehensive look, other platforms like PlayStation and Xbox also revealed trailers with impressive view counts. The 007 First Light trailer on PlayStation amassed nearly three million views, with the Resident Evil Requiem trailer also performing strongly. VR titles like Deadpool VR and horror hits like Silent Hill f surpassed one million views each, illustrating the broad range of interests across gaming audiences. The Xbox side highlighted the ROG Xbox Ally X as a leading hardware reveal, alongside other anticipated titles like Persona 4 Revival and Super Meat Boy 3D.

What Was Your Favorite?

With so many exciting trailers, it’s hard to pick just one. We’d love to hear your favorite from this season—share your thoughts in the comments or cast your vote in the poll below.

Emma Blake

Emma is a tech-savvy news editor who thrives on staying ahead of the curve. With a background in digital journalism and media studies, she brings readers up-to-the-minute updates on gaming, tech, and entertainment trends. Emma’s writing is sharp, insightful, and always backed by credible sources. Her mission is to keep the community informed and curious about the fast-changing digital world.