18 BEST Sports Games of 2022

After some sports game this year? We typically see several franchises receive a new installment each year. However, you can take advantage of a wide range of sports titles this year. In this list, we will highlight a few of those slated to launch in 2022. With that said, don’t consider this list ranked in a particular way. Everyone has a favorite sport, and this is just a collection of new games that we think you might want to check out later this year.

Disclaimer: Blood Bowl 3, Super Buckyball Tournament was removed as the game is now slated for 2023.

#18 Session Skate Sim

Developer: crea-ture Studios
Publisher: Nacon / Bigben Interactive
Platform: PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One XSX|S
Release date: September 22, 2022

You don’t have to be a skating fan to know about the ever-popular Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. However, there are some other notable skate games out there to check into. One of those games that are hopeful fans will give a chance is Session: Skate Sim. This is a skate game that offers a new take on the controls. The game focuses on the two analog sticks for controlling the character and board in this particular title. Each controller stick will represent a foot, meaning players will learn how to carefully maneuver the analog sticks to perform tricks and shift weight on the board for some stable skating. You’ll find that developers didn’t bring out a scoreboard for this game. Instead, the focus is purely on skating around different environments and pulling off new tricks.

#17 NHL 23

Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.
Platform: PS4 PS5 Xbox One XSX|S
Release date: October 14, 2022

NHL receives an annual installment; the latest happens to be NHL 23. This is an ice hockey simulation series where players can go through various games with teams featured in the league. Each installment also tries to bring something a little different, if not improve the overall visuals. If you’ve been following the series for a long time, NHL 23 brings out a couple of new features into the mix. For one, there’s now the ability to perform the Michigan goal maneuver along with what the studio calls the Last Chance Puck Movement. This will allow players to hit the puck even if it’s already been touched. Likewise, as mentioned, the developers brought out some new animations and improvements for players that are looking to make the jump from NHL 22.

#16 Football Manager 2023

Developer: Sports Interactive
Publisher: SEGA
Platform: PC
Release date: November 08, 2022

You might already be familiar with the Football Manager series. This is a game franchise that got started back in 2005. Since then, we’ve typically received annual installments. If you’re not familiar with this series, this is a football management simulation game. Players are taking control of a club and ensuring their victory. You’ll have to pick out tactics, craft up the team, make strategic decisions, and ultimately outplay your rivals through the league. If you ever wanted to have a full say from recruitment to managing a team, this is your best case. At the time of writing this, Football Manager 2023 happens to be the latest installment for this series, which came out in November of 2022.

#15 Cursed to Golf

• Release date: September 2022
• Developer: Chuhai Labs
• Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch
• Publishers: Thunderful Group, Thunderful Publishing

Some would say that playing golf is a curse in and of itself…but we’re not going to bring that up here, ok? In the VIDEO GAME Cursed to Golf, you are a pro golfer who was literally about to win a major tournament when you accidentally died and got sent to golf purgatory.

Yep, this is clearly a video game.

Anyway, the good news for you is that if you’re able to make it through the courses of this underworld, you might just be able to get back to the land of the living!

But be warned, the underworld plays by slightly different rules, so you’ll want to make par or better every time…or start all over again!

#14 Turbo Golf Racing

• Developer: Hugecalf Studios
• Release date: August 4, 2022
• Publisher: Secret Mode
• Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S

You know how Rocket League is basically just soccer with really fast and over the top cars? Well, Turbo Golf Racing is Rocket League…but with golf instead of soccer. So yeah, you’ve been warned.

In the game, you and up to 7 other players will get to drive supped up cars in order to race through the course and get giant-sized golf balls through various hoops in order to get points.

And as you might expect, the cars get pretty tricked out after you get some power cores. Does this actually make the game of golf fun to watch? You’ll just have to dive in and check it out for yourself.

#13 Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2

• Release date: August 22, 2022
• Developer: MasterCode
• Publisher: Ultimate Games
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch

What does it truly mean to be the Ultimate Fishing Simulator? Well, you have to be pretty good at replicating the art of fishing. And yes, fishing is an art.

But for Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2, it has to be even better than what they did before, and to their credit, they took their time in making this title. We say this because the original game came out in 2017, so they spent about 5 years listening to feedback and trying to make this game the best it can be.

They promise realistic environments, realistic fish models that act as they should when hooked and so on. They WANT you to feel like you’re really fishing without having to go and fish.

#12 Call of the Wild: The Angler

• Release date: August 31, 2022
• Developer: Expansive Worlds
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
• Publishers: Expansive Worlds, Avalanche Studios Group

As you likely know, there are a LOT of fishing video games out there, and many focus on just the fishing aspect of the sport. But in Call of the Wild: The Angler, you’ll actually get to enjoy the atmosphere and FEELING of being a fisherman.

By that, we mean you’ll be able to walk along and drive boats through pristine water spots and try to find some of truly great fishing spots out there so you can start your journey to become a fishing master.

Enjoy the fishing mechanics as well as the exploration and you’ll see exactly why this game is so special.

#11 SBK 22

• Release date: September 15, 2022
• Developer: Milestone
• Publisher: Milestone
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5

If you’re not familiar with SBK, that’s the superbike circuit, where competitors race bikes at incredibly high speeds in some of the most winding tracks you’ll ever see. It takes a lot of skill and composure to be on this circuit.

What’s more, the SBK video game series hasn’t been around in a long time, so the SBK™22 game knew it had to bring it in order to survive.

There are 24 different riders that you can be, and 12 stages you’ll get to participate on. Go to the practice runs to get ready, then start your trek to the top of the podium!

#10 OlliOlli World

• Release date: February 8, 2022
• Developer: Roll7
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
• Publishers: Private Division, Take-Two Interactive

If you really think about it, there are only a couple of true skateboarding titles out there in the world. There’s the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games, and then there’s Skate. But now, you have a third option via OlliOlli World.

In the game, you’ll be put into a colorful world of skateboarding where you’re trying to connect with the skate gods above to go to the next plane of skateboarding existence. Yeah, that makes sense!

You’ll have freedom in your boarding movements and have all sorts of quests for you to do! In short, OlliOlli World is a fun title for those who want to skateboard in a world that’s built for it.

#9 F1 Manager 2022

• Release date: August 25, 2022
• Developer: Frontier Developments plc
• Publisher: Frontier Developments plc
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

As we all know by now, the “manager” titles aren’t just about playing the games, but making sure you can actually run the show in the best way possible.

Because a lot of us THINK we can “run the show”, but can you? For example, in F1® Manager 2022 (which is coming in late August), you’ll get to pick your own F1 team to go and control. At times, you’ll be racing in the series to try and get to the top position, or at the very least, close to it.

Then, in between the races you’ll control every single detail of your team in order to make sure it’s the best-managed F1 team out there. Your performance will dictate how well you do, do you think you have what it takes to impress the board?

#8 Monster Energy Supercross 5

• Developer: Milestone
• Publisher: Milestone
• Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, X/S
• Release: March 17, 2022

If you enjoy the supercross sport, you might already be well informed about the Monster Energy Supercross franchise. We have another installment coming this year with Monster Energy Supercross 5. This installment will put players into the 250SX Future Class amateur as you attempt to race through massive competitions. Soon, you’ll reach the professional level scene. Developers are also making this game a bit more realistic with what they are dubbing the Shape System. This feature will keep track of your racer’s injuries and how they could hurt your performance during a race. So if you’re careless and end up damaging your racer, be prepared for some training and recovery to get your character back in true racing form.

#7 MX vs ATV Legends

• Developer: Rainbow Studios
• Publisher: THQ Nordic
• Platform: PC, XBO, X/S, PS4, PS5
• Release: NA

If offroad racing and motocross are more of your sport, then there are many games to pick from. One of the more long-running franchises out there is MX vs ATV. This year we’re getting MX vs ATV Legends. These games have different bikes, UTVs, and ATVs to race around in. There’s also a variety of environment courses to go through, but chances are you’ll dabble in the career mode as well. So far, we know that the developers are making the career mode to feature different pathways that players can take and different management options such as taking on promotional events or sponsorship deals.

#6 Shredders

• Developer: FoamPunch
• Publisher: FoamPunch
• Platform: X/S
• Release: 2022

Shredders is an upcoming snowboarding game. The title looks to offer a fluid and thrilling experience as players carve down the mountain. With different ramps and rails, players will attempt to impress the competition with some impressive flips and tricks. We know that the campaign is based around a resort appealing to different professionals in the nearby area. Our protagonist is trying to gain the attention of these professionals by pulling off some of their own impressive moves. Otherwise, players can join online and freely explore the mountain. You can casually play this game and rack up points or compete with friends.

#5 Windjammers 2

• Developer: Dotemu
• Publisher: Dotemu
• Platform: PC, NS, PS4, XBO
• Release: January 20, 2022

Dotemu has worked on bringing out several classic games back into the limelight. They were able to get Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap along with Streets of Rage 4 into the marketplace. Now the studio is delivering a sequel to 1994’s Neo Geo classic Windjammers. The sequel acts much like the first installment. Players are top-down, where two competitors attempt to throw a disc into the opposing side’s goal. Of course, each character has their own attributes such as more power, speed, or potentially better aim. From there, it’s a fast-paced match as players throw the disc and attempt to block or catch it from entering their goal.

#4 Rugby 22

• Developer: EKO Software
• Publisher: Nacon, Bigben Interactive
• Platform: PS4, X/S, XBO, PC, PS5
• Release: 2022

Rugby might be more of a niche sport in some parts of the world. However, if you’re a fan, you have a video game release coming out this year called Rugby 22. This is a simulation game where you can take control of a leading club as you attempt to go through different competitions. We know that this installment has over sixty teams, a career mode, and a tactical system. There’s also the ability to compete online and face against your friends. If you want to enjoy this tough and challenging sport further, you can expect this game to launch within January of this year.

#3 FIFA 23

• Developer: EA
• Publisher: EA
• Platform: NA
• Release: NA

Right now, fans are still enjoying FIFA 22, but that’s because we’re waiting on FIFA 23 to get unveiled. We know it’s coming, but not much has been officially announced at the moment. So now, what features and game modes might be included is a waiting game. With that said, we can speculate. A couple of rumors and speculation pieces have been circulating online lately, based on changing the brand and this series going free-to-play. The FIFA name might actually get changed up, although, for such a long-running franchise, it’s hard to know if the IP will see that significant change or not. Another big aspect that fans have been toying around with is that FIFA 23 could end up free-to-play. Quite a few fans wonder if that will end up being the case. It could even come with cross-platform support, but again, it’s a waiting game at this point.

#2 NBA 2K23

• Developer: Visual Concepts
• Publisher: 2K Sports
• Platform: NA
• Release: NA

NBA 2K23 is another game, at the time of writing this description, that doesn’t have any details quite yet. We expect the game to release this September. But installment reveals in the past has typically been within the summer months. So we have some time to go before getting a big unveiling for this upcoming installment. However, fans can speculate what features might be included or if we’ll see the same mechanics carry over from NBA 2K22. Likewise, there’s plenty of hype on just who the cover athlete will end up being. The big question some fans might be having here is just what platforms the game will launch on. There is a chance we might see this installment release on the latest generation platforms only. However, with how difficult it is to secure a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S there might be some hesitation on going that route.

#1 Madden NFL 23

• Developer: EA
• Publisher: EA
• Platform: NA
• Release: NA

The first Madden NFL title to come out since the passing of John Madden will be Madden NFL 23. At the time of writing this description, it’s an installment that we don’t know a whole lot about. We’re still waiting on the big reveal and what the new title might bring. With last year’s release, the developers offered more in-depth features such as more team-based management and field strategies. This was mainly to help keep fans happy after a somewhat series of stagnant installments. Therefore, we’re expecting more focus on making Madden NFL 23 a bit more compelling of a release. However, since John Madden has passed away, some fans might hope that this release helps honor the iconic hall of fame individual.