With the release of major hits like Monster Hunter: Wilds and Dual Shadow Realm, the rankings on Steam’s Top 10 Wishlist have once again shifted. A once-doubted title has reclaimed the top spot, and several new games have entered the list.
Let’s take a closer look at the Top 10 most wished-for games on Steam and explore why they’re generating so much excitement among players!
Deadlock
- English Title: Deadlock
- Release Date: TBD
- Genre: Third-Person Shooter / Team-Based / MOBA
- Steam Wishlist Ranking: 1st
My take on Deadlock? A legendary debut. Its “viral” invite-only testing phase wasn’t the most accessible approach, but it still managed to peak at over 170,000 concurrent players on Steam during testing, securing a massive initial fanbase.
Explaining Deadlock’s gameplay is no easy task—it’s Valve’s fusion of third-person shooter mechanics with MOBA elements. Players must farm resources through last-hitting enemies or eliminating opponents, then purchase gear once they accumulate enough. The core strategy revolves around snowballing advantages by acquiring powerful equipment and continuously taking down enemies, leading your team to ultimate victory.
However, much like Valve’s previous titles—Artifact (the ill-fated card game) and Dota Underlords (their take on auto chess)—Deadlock saw a rapid decline in active players after its initial hype.
To be blunt, compared to other mainstream PvP shooters, Deadlock feels more like a passion project for Valve’s engineering-minded “mad scientists” rather than a commercially driven blockbuster.
The game’s complex mechanics are both its greatest strength and its biggest hurdle. It combines multiple systems into a layered, intricate experience—much like how Dota 2 undergoes major overhauls every patch, forcing players to continuously adapt to new heroes, maps, and mechanics. While undeniably fun, its steep learning curve could deter casual players.
As for whether it will be a long-term success after its official launch? It’s hard to say. Valve is constantly reworking features and adding new content, meaning the final product might look completely different from its current iteration.
That said, Deadlock is already sitting at #1 on Steam’s wishlist rankings. If you’re eager to try it out early, you might want to find someone in the comments section with an invite!
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Release Date: TBD
- Genre: Side-scrolling action / Metroidvania / Platformer
- Steam Wishlist Ranking: 2nd
It’s back again—yes, still at #2 on the wishlist rankings, and still the possibly mythical Hollow Knight: Silksong. Just kidding! The developers have repeatedly assured fans that the game is steadily progressing, though the release date remains a mystery.
Building upon the foundation of Hollow Knight, Silksong continues the Metroidvania-style gameplay, blending precise platforming with deep exploration. Players take control of Hornet, the guardian of Hallownest, as she journeys through an unfamiliar kingdom, uncovering ancient mysteries, discovering new abilities, and meeting a colorful cast of NPCs.
With over 150 new enemies to battle and an intricate world to explore, the game promises to be a thrilling expansion of the Hollow Knight universe.
It doesn’t exactly sound like a massive AAA production, so why hasn’t Silksong been released yet?
Well, as the internet brilliantly puts it: “Team Cherry is all about that artisan blacksmith mindset—tinkering away, crafting a masterpiece one careful hammer strike at a time. And they won’t stop until every last cent of their crowdfunded money is spent.”
In theory, this should be great news—who wouldn’t want a developer that’s this dedicated? But the catch? They raised so much money that they might never run out of it.
So when will Silksong actually launch? That remains a mystery. For now, all we can do is wait… and maybe suffer through another round of “Four Locks, Five Gates.” 😭
ELDEN RING: NIGHTREIGN
- Release Date: May 30, 2025
- Genre: Online Co-op / Roguelike / Action
- Steam Wishlist Ranking: 3rd
Coming in at third place on the wishlist is Elden Ring: Nightreign, a spin-off of the massively popular IP. This time, the core gameplay shifts toward a battle royale-style survival experience with roguelike mechanics and 3-player co-op PvE.
Each match drops players into a procedurally generated version of Limgrave, where enemy placements, fortresses, and castles are randomized at the start of every round.
The game is structured around a three-day/night cycle, with each match lasting around 40 minutes:
- Daytime: Players can freely explore, clear enemy camps, hunt for rare loot, and complete specific tasks to power up.
- Nightfall: A poison zone begins closing in, restricting movement. Players must defeat powerful bosses to progress to the next phase.
A Soulsborne battle royale with roguelike elements? FromSoftware is definitely cooking up something ambitious! 🔥
The combat system retains the core mechanics of Elden Ring while introducing a more structured class system. Each class comes with unique abilities and ultimate skills, and players can upgrade their attributes throughout the match to quickly build familiar Soulsborne playstyles.
At the end of each match, players receive a “Relic”, an out-of-match item that grants permanent upgrades to their chosen character. These relics can unlock new abilities, animations, and skins, adding a layer of long-term progression.
Ultimately, the goal is simple: survive for three in-game days and defeat the final boss on the third night to claim victory.
While it’s unclear whether this hybrid gameplay will resonate with a mainstream audience, FromSoftware’s bold experiment has certainly piqued the interest of fans. With Elden Ring: Nightreign launching in May, we’ll soon find out if it lives up to the hype! 🔥
inZOI
- Release Date: March 28, 2025
- Genre: Life Simulation / Character Customization / City Building
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 4th
The upcoming “Korean Sims”, inZOI, has surged to 4th place on the Steam wishlist rankings. This life simulation game offers extensive sandbox building and open-world exploration, allowing players to shape their environment freely.
Its powerful customization features let players create highly detailed characters, redesign home layouts, and even build entire cities that align with their personal preferences.
Beyond just customization, the game boasts a wealth of interactive content and countless random events. Leveraging NVIDIA ACE technology, the AI-driven NPCs will actively engage with player-driven stories, making the world feel truly dynamic.
Even without these innovative features, the stunning visual design by Korean developers is a compelling reason to check it out. Whether you’re looking for a worthy competitor to The Sims, a new “Nuannuan” (dress-up) style game, or just a way to create the perfect male/female character to match your ideal aesthetic, inZOI is definitely worth a try!
Mecha BREAK
- Release Date: 2025
- Genre: Mecha Combat / PvP / Third-Person Shooter
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 5th
Despite mixed reviews from its last test, Mecha BREAK remains highly anticipated, especially among fans of Chinese-developed mecha games. One thing is undeniable—the mecha designs and graphics are absolutely top-tier!
Gameplay-wise, it blends several popular modes from recent years:
- Escape mode inspired by Escape from Tarkov, where players search for loot and extract safely.
- Hero shooter-style team PvP, focusing on competitive battles.
- PvPvE co-op mode, where players fight AI enemies and rival teams.
While nothing groundbreaking, the core mechanics seem solid.
The main player complaints so far focus on three areas:
- Cluttered UI design
- PvP balance issues
- Excessive grinding for parts and currency
Fortunately, all of these can be fixed with proper adjustments. If the final version doesn’t become overly pay-to-win or grind-heavy, this game could have huge potential. I, for one, am definitely ready to dive in once it releases! 🚀
Light No Fire
- Release Date: Unannounced
- Genre: Open World / RPG / Survival Adventure
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 6th
Light No Fire is the new project from Hello Games, the developers of No Man’s Sky. This time, they’ve shifted their focus from the vast universe to a single planet, but with an equally ambitious goal: creating a massive multiplayer world that could support a population comparable to Earth! Quite an ambition, just as big as No Man’s Sky itself.
The gameplay retains the core logic of open-world survival and construction, allowing players to explore a vast map, gather valuable resources, and interact with unique creatures. The fantasy setting introduces exciting features like riding beasts and flying on dragons, ensuring plenty of gameplay variety.
Players can explore solo or team up with others from around the world to build and explore together. The structures you build, whether houses or towers, will persist in the world, creating the potential for a cooperative experience or turning into territory battles, making it a bit of a human nature test.
So far, the content revealed for Light No Fire is very enticing, but with such a grand scale, it’s hard not to recall the criticism and lessons learned from their previous title’s launch, particularly regarding PC optimization. Fingers crossed they’ve learned from the past!
Subnautica 2
- Release Date: 2025 (within the year)
- Genre: Underwater World / Survival Adventure / Multiplayer Co-op
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 7th
Subnautica 2 is a familiar title, and in this sequel, we will venture into a new alien underwater world, collecting blueprints to craft submarines, a vast array of tools, and building our own base.
The ocean environment remains the game’s biggest draw, with everything from tiny fish to massive Leviathan-like creatures. The unique ecosystem promises to maintain a fresh experience for long-term play.
The game also supports 4-player co-op, allowing you to explore mysterious ruins with friends, which promises to be an exciting experience. While the overall gameplay doesn’t differ much from its predecessor, both the graphical quality and the new storyline are highly anticipated.
Subnautica 2 is set to enter Early Access later this year, with continuous updates to introduce new biomes, creatures, craftable items, features, and storylines. If you’re interested in ocean exploration or want to build a home with friends while uncovering hidden ruins, make sure to add it to your wishlist!
Dune: Awakening
- Release Date: May 20, 2025
- Genre: Open World / Survival Adventure / Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 8th
Dune: Awakening is set to release on May 20th, and it’s quite a romantic date, I must say. The game might look like a bit of a mashup at first glance, blending various gameplay styles. You can think of it as a combination of: a MMORPG similar to World of Warcraft (with guilds, dungeons, and other features) + survival and building elements akin to ARK: Survival Evolved + third-person shooter combat like Squad 2.
Honestly, it’s difficult to judge whether the game will be fun until you actually play it. A lot depends on factors such as server quality, PC optimization, player community atmosphere, and shooting mechanics—any of which can cause frustration if they fall short. That said, the graphics look promising, and the continuation of the Dune universe’s story is sure to attract sci-fi fans.
If you’re a fan of the Dune universe, have imagined the political intrigue between guilds and noble houses, or want to pick up a weapon and battle giant sandworms, Dune: Awakening is one to keep an eye on.
Borderlands 4
- Release Date: September 24, 2025
- Genre: Loot Shooter / Action / Role-playing
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 9th
At 9th on the Steam Wishlist is the legendary loot shooter franchise—Borderlands 4. This time, players will take on the role of one of four new Vault Hunters, escaping from a dangerous hidden planet. The gameplay will definitely stay true to the series’ traditional formula, still supporting 1-4 player co-op loot grinding. The development team recently teased, “The map in this game is massive! Every area you can see is a playable zone.”
Additionally, the combat system introduces new mechanics like sliding, dodging, and precision melee combat. The addition of new weapon brands is sure to make the shooting feel even more satisfying, ensuring that grinding for loot will be even more enjoyable. The RPG aspects will still focus heavily on skill trees, so players will need to spend time figuring out how to best pair weapons with skills to create their optimal build.
Of course, the quirky, comedic, and darkly humorous storyline is also something to look forward to. If you’re a fan of loot-shooter games or have been a long-time fan of the Borderlands series, this new installment is definitely one to not miss!
ARK 2
- Release Date: TBD
- Genre: Open World / Survival / Building
- Steam Wishlist Rank: 10th
ARK can be considered the game that truly put survival and building games on the map. Despite multiple delays and no official release date yet, there are still many fans eagerly waiting for the sequel and have added it to their wishlists.
In ARK 2, almost every system has been redesigned. The most noticeable change is the shift to a third-person perspective. With the power of Unreal Engine 5, the game’s visual details are much richer, and movement now supports actions like free climbing, parkour, sliding, and swinging.
The combat system introduces a Souls-like melee combat style, featuring targeting, blocking, dodging, combos, and special attacks. The building mechanics have also been enhanced, allowing players to craft weapons and tools from a variety of modules, as well as customize their appearance.
The open world map continues to evolve, with dynamic events that significantly increase immersion. The RPG aspects maintain the use of experience points and skill points, with an expansive skill tree that will keep players grinding for hours.
In summary, you’ll be hunting giant dinosaurs in a more detailed world with friends! If you’re a fan of ARK and open-world survival and building games, this is definitely a must-play. As for the release date, well, only time (and perhaps the developers) will tell!
Conclusion
That’s it for this issue of the Top 10 Steam Wishlist Games. In fact, there are also great titles in the 11–20 range like Slay the Spire 2, Little Nightmares 3, and Metal Gear Δ: Snake Eater that are worth looking forward to. Due to space limitations, we won’t go into detail here. If your favorite has been left out, feel free to share it in the comments. See you in the next recommendation section. Muah~
