The sun has finally awoken from its winter hibernatio,n and the days are begging to get longer. Your drive home from work is finally not under the cover of street lights, and you’re beginning to think about switching off the heating. But we are in Britain, so that’s probably wishful thinking.
That wishful thinking also extends to the summer weather. Every year is a roll of the dice: will we enjoy a long heat wave filled with days in the garden or will be sheltering indoors from warm summer rain showers?
One certain thing, however, is that gaming will be a popular activity this summer. Whether it’s in front of a console or computer or while chilling out in the park under the baking sun, players up and down the country will be kicking back and chilling out with this summer’s hottest games.
Counter-Stike 2
Counter-Strike 2 is the free-to-play sequel to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and, confusingly, is actually the ninth release in the popular series. Valve had a lot to live up to when trying to replace CS:GO, which remained one of the most popular video games in the world a decade after its release.
Sans a few little hiccups in the immediate days and weeks after its release, Counter-Strike 2 is definitely living up to the hype. In March 2025, it continues to have around 1.5 million concurrent players on Steam during quiet periods, around three times more than any other game in the platform’s most-played list, beating other big hits like Dota 2 and PUBG: Battlegrounds.
The game, just like its predecessors, features a range of online game modes that pit players against each other in different challenging scenarios. However, in a break from previous Counter-Strike launches, the game is entirely free to play from day one.
Just like CS:GO, Valve intends for CS2 to be around for quite some time, so it’s shaping up to be one of the hottest games of summer 2025.
Big Blue Bounty
Online casino games have been immensely popular among British gamers for much of the last 20 years, especially since smartphones made it possible to enjoy these games on the go.
With many sites and apps offering players the opportunity to play table games and slots online, brands like PokerStars Casino have had to look for ways to stand out and offer a better and unique experience. One way to do this has been to create its own exclusive titles like its popular Big Blue Bounty.
Many of us head to the seaside each summer to take a dip and cool off but with Big Blue Bounty, you can see the wonders of the deep blue seas without having to change out of your slippers. With tranquil aquatic theming and symbols that depict some of the weird and wonderful creatures that live at these depths, it’s a slot game that will be in high demand this summer.
Fortnite
Fortnite is one of the most recognised video game franchises in the world. It is a free-to-play battle royale title that sees players parachuting into a map with up to 99 other players. They must scavenge for resources, build fortifications, and take out their opponents in a quest to be the last player standing.
Its unique cartoon style of graphics, as well as some of its unique objects like its famous llama, have helped it to stand out in a market full of titles all vying to offer the most realistic shooting games on the planet.
By leaning into this cartoon aesthetic, Fortnite doesn’t need the biggest and best hardware to run. That has allowed Epic Games to create a title that runs on just about any device, be it a smartphone, tablet, PC, or console.
With such broad compatibility and brand awareness, it’s no surprise that Fortnite continues to be one of the hottest games on the market. And with fresh updates every month or so, it’s a game that never gets stale.
You can, therefore, expect to see plenty of people playing Fortnite throughout the summer of 2025.
