Right now there’s no shortage of sports to watch, but once the NBA and NHL playoffs come to a close, we’ll be looking for something to do with our free-time. Luckily for us, there are some big time sports games that have us excited. Some of them are just around the corner, while others will have us waiting until 2022.

Here are the five sports video games that you should be excited about.

Knockout City

The first game on the list is actually already out. It was just released on Friday May 21st, and it’s currently in the midst of a ten-day free trial. It’s the dodgeball game that you never knew you needed. Whether you want to dive in alone or with a crew, Knockout City provides a fast-paced, dodgeball experience that has a similar look to Fortnite. This isn’t a battle royale though. There are different modes but the basis is obvious - hit your opponent with dodgeballs while avoiding getting hit as best as you can.

If you’re worried you’re not going to like it, no sweat. It’s still free-to-play for a while longer so see if this game might be for you.

Mario Golf: Super Rush

Mario Golf: Super Rush is the game on top of our list. Anytime a new Mario sports game gets released, you better believe that we’re excited for it. Mario Golf games have been great experiences in the past and this one is expanding on an already successful and fun series. If all you want to play is golf, then this game has you covered with fairly realistic mechanics including curve, spin, and green analysis.

Mario Golf: Super Rush is also bringing a game mode that we cannot wait to try. It’s Speed Golf! It’s basically the experience of Mario Kart but out on the golf course. It’s not about how many shots it takes to get there, but how fast you get to the hole. And yes, there are power ups that you can use to get in the way of your friends.

You don’t have to wait too much longer for this one. Mario Golf: Super Rush comes out on June 25th.

Skate 4

It was back in July of 2020 when we found out that there would be another addition to the Skate franchise.

At this point it’s been over 10 years since Skate 3 came out, and since then the diehard fans of the series have been hoping for it’s return. Well a new Skate game is official, we just have no clue when it will be playable. Where Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater has a more arcade-y feel to it, the Skate series provided a bit more realism when it came to the controls. There’s a place for both, and if the remastered THPS didn’t do it for you, give the upcoming Skate title a try.

EA Sports PGA Tour
Here’s another golf game on our list and it’s here for a whole different reason. Mario Golf will hit us with the party game experience that makes us hate our friends. EA Sports PGA Tour will transport us onto the real courses that the pros are playing on. The game is coming with all four majors, including of course The Masters. We’re not getting our hands on this until Spring of 2022, but get ready to dive into some of the most historic and difficult courses out there.

2K Sports Football Game

We don’t know the title, we don’t know what the gameplay will be like. All we know is that we’re excited for 2K Sports’ return to football. This won’t be a direct Madden competitor either as 2K Sports signed a deal to make a non-simulation NFL game. In other words, it’s purpose is not to mimic the realism of an actual football game. Does that mean we could see something along the lines of NFL Blitz? If that were to happen it would blow our minds but we’ll try to keep our expectations in check. 2K Sports did announce that this won’t be ready until 2022, so we’ll have time to dream about what this game will look like until then.