Why action RPGs are dominating in 2025 is honestly keeping me awake at night, and not in the fun way. I’m sitting here in my crusty gaming chair in Columbus, Ohio, November 2025, the radiator’s clanking like it’s mad at me, and I just looked up from Black Myth: Wukong for the 47th hour this week. My eyes feel like I rubbed sand in them, there’s a Red Bull ring stained into my desk shaped like crop circles, and I’m still thinking: dude, action RPGs straight-up own us now.
How I Accidentally Became an Action RPG Slave (Again)
Remember when I swore I was “done” after Elden Ring? Yeah, that lasted about as long as my last diet. Then Avowed dropped, then that Monster Hunter Wilds beta hit, then I saw the trailers for the new Dragon Age and—bro—I folded faster than laundry. I’m 34, I have a real job (kinda), and yet here I am at 2:47 a.m. parry-timing a lightning wolf because the dopamine hit is just that disgusting.
It’s not even the graphics anymore. It’s the loop. Dodge, smack, loot, number go up, feel briefly like a god, repeat. My brain is literally fried chicken.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (But My Sleep Schedule Does)
Look, I’m not gonna pretend I’m some industry analyst. I’m just a dude who spent $400 on Dragon’s Dogma 2 deluxe edition and cried when the griffin flew off with me. But even I can see it:
- Elden Ring sold 25 million (twenty-five!!)
- Black Myth: Wukong did 20 million in like two weeks
- Steam’s top 10 is basically action RPGs cosplaying as different games
Sources if you wanna fact-check my delirious ass: → Elden Ring sales – Bandai Namco Q3 2025 report → Black Myth numbers – Game Science investor call
Why Action RPGs Are Dominating in 2025: My Dumb Theories
- The combat just feels good, man. Like, physically good. I’m stress-tapping my L1 trigger like it owes me money.
- Live service fatigue is real. People are tired of battle passes that demand their soul. Action RPGs give you 100 hours of single-player crack and then peace out.
- Gen-Z and millennials are all secretly touch-starved for challenge?? Turn-based is cozy, but sometimes you just need to get your ass kicked by a tree monster at 4 a.m. to feel alive.
The Part Where I Admit It’s Kinda Ruining My Life
I missed my niece’s birthday party last weekend because I was “five minutes from a boss.” Five minutes turned into four hours. My sister texted “hope the dragon was worth it.” It was. I hate that it was.
And yet… I pre-ordered the next one. I’m not strong enough.
So Yeah, That’s Why Action RPGs Are Dominating in 2025
Because they scratch the exact itch our burnt-out, overworked, slightly depressed brains have in late-stage capitalism. Instant feedback, clear progression, and the sweet lie that if I just grind one more level I’ll finally be happy.
Anyway. If you’re reading this instead of sleeping, go touch grass. Or don’t. I’m literally alt-tabbing back to Wukong right now.
Drop your most embarrassing action RPG relapse story in the comments so I feel less alone. And if you see me online at 3 a.m…. no you didn’t.
 figuring out why action RPGs are dominating in 2025—here’s the unhinged truth from my dark bedroom.){kind=link}