Clear Your Schedule: Europa Universalis V, Football Manager 26, and More Lead This Week’s Major Releases (Nov 3–9, 2025)
October was stacked with hits; November 2025 is already loading the next wave. Simulation diehards get Europa Universalis V and Football Manager 26, and Nintendo storms in with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
October went hard on game releases. November clearly took that as a dare. The first full week of the month is stacked with big strategy/sim titles, a new Zelda-adjacent hack-and-slash, an artsy rhythm brawler, and a couple of smaller curios that could eat up a weekend. Here’s what’s actually worth circling on your calendar between November 3 and 9, 2025.
The heavy hitters
Europa Universalis V
Platforms: Steam (PC)
Release: November 4, 2025
Price: $59.99
Paradox is back with the grand strategy time-sink to end all time-sinks. You pick a nation, steer it through an alternate version of history, and try not to light the entire map on fire unless that’s your plan. It’s about building an economy that doesn’t collapse, picking fights that you can actually win, and making long-term decisions that either cement your legacy or haunt your save file.
If you like the idea of nudging real historical empires down very different paths, this is your playground. The whole point is outmaneuvering every rival on the board—politically, militarily, and financially.
Where to buy/pre-order: Steam
Football Manager 26
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Epic Games Store (PC), Steam (PC)
Release: November 4, 2025
Price: $53.99
If your happy place is spreadsheets and touchline tantrums, FM26 shows up with the bells and whistles. The Premier League is fully licensed this year—badges, kits, and player photos—so yes, it finally looks the way it does on TV. Beyond the licenses, the game’s UI has been overhauled and the transfer tools got a serious tune-up, so negotiations feel extra cutthroat.
Big deal alert: women’s football makes its debut, with 14 playable leagues across 11 countries, including the Women’s Super League and the NWSL. You also get to craft your manager from the ground up—appearance, backstory, the whole deal—and your choices shape your career arc. It’s very much a ‘you get out what you put in’ kind of sim.
Where to buy/pre-order: Steam | Xbox | PlayStation | Epic Games
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release: November 6, 2025
Price: $69.99
Nintendo’s latest hack-and-slash set in Hyrule arrives this week, landing in that timeline sweet spot: it’s a direct follow-up to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom. If that sounds like a lot of connective tissue, it is—but in a good way.
Combat-wise, every playable character comes with their own tricks, letting you break enemy defenses and create openings in different ways. Expect familiar faces alongside new additions like Rauru and Qia. There’s couch-friendly split-screen and local wireless co-op too, which is exactly how this kind of game begs to be played.
Where to buy/pre-order: Nintendo eShop
Long Drive North
Platforms: Steam (PC)
Release: November 6, 2025
Price: TBD
This is a survival road trip you can tackle solo or with friends. Your home base is a beat-up RV that you keep running while scavenging through forests and backroads for anything useful. The game is quietly pretty, but it’s not a leisurely Sunday drive—you’re juggling sleep, hunger, and thirst, while the weather tries to end you. Hunting, looting, fixing the rig, pushing deeper into the woods… it’s a loop that rewards the stubborn.
Where to buy/pre-order: Steam
Unbeatable
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (announced), Steam (PC)
Release: November 6, 2025
Price: TBD
Part rhythm game, part side-scrolling adventure, all style. You play as Beat, a prickly troublemaker who can throw down as well as throw on a soundtrack, and the authorities are not exactly fans. Between dodging threats and rocking out, you’ll bump into NPCs who actually need your help—or you can just put some monster cops through a wall. Your call.
If you care about level design and want something that pops off the screen, this should already be on your wishlist. There’s a demo, though weirdly not on Xbox yet even though that version is announced. Make of that what you will.
Where to buy/pre-order: Steam | PlayStation
Also landing this week
- Tavern Keeper (Steam PC) — November 3, 2025 — Price TBD
Build and run a cozy fantasy taphouse, make choices that affect the entire fate of your establishment, and dive into a bigger narrative than you might expect. You’re meeting patrons, stocking the larder, and customizing the space with a ton of decor. There’s even a free-play mode if you just want to build your dream bar and vibe.
Where to buy/pre-order: Steam - Sonic Rumble (Android, iOS, Steam PC) — November 5, 2025 — Free
A competitive party game set in the Sonic universe with a pile of chaotic stages and a roster that includes Amy, Knuckles, Tails, and more. The goal is simple: survive the nonsense and finish first. Expect fast, loud, and a little petty in the best way.
Where to buy/pre-order: Steam | Google Play Store | Apple App Store
That’s the week. What’s actually getting your time (and money) here?