2023 is shaping up to be a great year for sports games. Since many of the most famous and beloved sporting franchises in gaming release yearly, you can, of course, look forward to the 2023 iterations of games like FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA, but there are plenty of other surprises on the horizon as well, including some indie hopefuls and some intriguing-looking fantasy-style sports games as well. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best sports games that are coming up for PS4 in 2023!
Blood Bowl 3 (available now)
If you’re a fan of more outlandish and fantasy-inspired sports titles, as well as ones that ask for more strategy than skill, then Blood Bowl 3 is definitely where you’ll want to apply. Based on the classic Warhammer tabletop game, Blood Bowl 3 is another crazy, over-the-top strategy sports game with plenty of different races to play as, each of which has its own strategy. Will you try to dominate your opponent with overwhelming force or trick them with clever tactics?
Monster Energy Supercross The Official Videogame 6 (March 9th)
Milestone really is the king of licensed racing video games, and Monster Energy Supercross The Official Videogame 6 (try saying that fast ten times) is aiming to prove that the studio still deserves that crown. It comes complete with a full suite of licensed riders, bikes, and tracks, as well as a huge amount of customisation options and a new Rhythm Attack single elimination tournament mode. If you’re a motocross fan, you should definitely be checking this one out when it launches.
WWE 2K23 (March 17th)
After last year’s WWE 2K22 revitalised the ailing wrestling franchise, we’re very much looking forward to seeing what 2K can do with this year’s entry. Promising gameplay tweaks, an expanded roster, and a rather exciting story mode in the form of a John Cena Showcase, WWE 2K23 is bound to continue WWE 2K22’s run of good form. If you’re a wrestling fan, you’ve been somewhat ill-served by video games lately, so let’s hope that WWE 2K23 can carry on 2K’s heel-face turn.
MLB The Show 23 (March 28th)
Sony and San Diego Studio’s baseball sim returns for another year. This year, the story is all about the historic Negro Leagues and their importance in the world of Black baseball legends; it’s a lesser-known period of baseball history, but the showcase on offer promises to be both educational and entertaining. The Stadium Creator mode is also making a triumphant return, and this year, for the first time, MLB The Show will allow you to scan your own face into the game using just a single selfie. Not bad, eh?
TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3 (May)
Promising a challenging physics engine to overcome and 200km of open roads to take your bike on, TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3 brings more breakneck motorcycling fun to PS4 in May. Naturally, it comes with licensed TT teams, courses, and more, as well as two different classes to race across and an all-new open-world environment to explore on your bike. You’ll also find a career mode to enjoy, as well as online multiplayer, weekly and monthly races that are updated regularly, and lots more.
AEW: Fight Forever (TBA)
If there’s one wrestling game that can threaten to knock 2K and the WWE 2K series off their perches, it’s AEW Fight Forever. Developed by longtime WWF/WWE SmackDown creator Yuke’s, this rival wrestling sim will let you play as the extensive AEW roster, which includes WWE alumni like the Hardy Boyz and CM Punk. It’s also promising lots of match options and modes, an extensive wrestler creation suite, and an in-depth career mode, just like the SmackDown games of old. Here’s hoping they can deliver.
Maximum Football (TBA)
A new instalment in the Maximum Football series is on its way, promising a free-to-play sim that will let you recruit your dream roster and pit it against other players either locally or online. As a live service game, this is aiming to be the definitive version of its franchise, which is probably why it doesn’t come with a number like previous entries have. The game is due to arrive in Early Access on PC in spring, but we’re not sure when it’ll be coming to PS4 just yet. Let’s hope for a 2023 release!
Toy Sports (TBA)
Sadly, we don’t have a release date for Toy Sports, so we’re not actually sure that it’ll be arriving in 2023. However, we can hope, and maybe by putting it on this list, we’ll catch someone’s attention and they’ll deign to release the game for PS4 this year. Toy Sports looks like exactly the kind of nostalgic exercise in retro gaming we need; it lets you play as a toy and compete for points across a variety of different sporting arenas. If you like fun, colourful, and over-the-top sports games, this one looks like it’ll be for you.
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road of Heroes (TBA)
We’ll freely admit that this one is a pure wishlist pick for us. Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road of Heroes hasn’t even been confirmed to be coming to the West yet, but we’re hoping that it does arrive here, because the Inazuma Eleven franchise offers something that no other series does. It’s an anime-inspired take on football (or “soccer”, as the Americans would have it), featuring a strategy-style “combat” system for games alongside a storyline involving recruiting a team of underdogs and taking them to the top.