The April 2020 video game release schedule has reach historical levels of importance, with a recent delay placing Resident Evil 3, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Cyberpunk 2077 all within a two-week launch window of each other. There have been stacked release windows before, but these games are three AAA titles that have all been tagged as legit contenders for 2020’s game of the year - and they’re all going to be out at the beginning of the industry’s second quarter.

Prior to recent developments, consumers had March highlighted as a potential all-time great thanks to releases like Animal Crossing: New Horizons on top of the now-delayed Final Fantasy 7 Remake and DOOM Eternal. That was buoyed by the fact that The Last of Us 2 has February seemingly locked down, funneling other titles into later months, before that game was also delayed until spring. With an evenly-paced release window for big titles all the way until April now, there’s a definite calm before the storm taking place in the industry as critics and consumers alike prepare for April, which will see two of the current generation’s biggest launches alongside a remake in Resident Evil 3 that has huge expectations thanks to the success of Capcom’s stellar Resident Evil 2 remake from 2019.

April 2020’s video game release schedule will test consumer interest like few months have before. Three high-profile new releases in a two-week span could financially impact all of the game’s performances, or, given the excitement, launch each one into an even bigger spotlight thanks to more people discussing video games at that time. April 2020 will also showcase some of the biggest, most ambitious development that the current generation of consoles had to offer: Final Fantasy 7 Remake was announced all the way back in 2015 during E3 2015, receiving a standing ovation from fans who thought it was on the horizon - Square Enix’s stock price even rose to its highest rating since 2008 when it happened. Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red’s much-discussed follow up to one of the best RPGs ever created in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was similarly announced well before it’s time, as it was first revealed in a teaser trailer in 2013 following an announcement in May 2012.

Both games have been two of the most anticipated titles of the last decade, and both will release within a week of each other. Their April release dates will likely put them closer to The Last of Us 2 than they would have been previously, so it’s possible the spring season will follow in April’s footsteps as one of the most important in recent memory. Either way, that’s two generational games releasing in back-to-back weeks.

Fans shouldn’t sleep on Resident Evil 3 either, though. Recently released footage has made that game look every bit as tantalizing as Resident Evil 2’s remake did in 2019, and that game was touted by many as a sleeper pick for game of the year before other huge releases like Sekiro and Death Stranding made that discussion more competitive. Resident Evil 3 has the benefit of appealing to a slightly different crowd, too, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it stand alongside both other titles both in sales and reception.

Finally, April 2020’s video game release schedule is also a fitting swan song for the PlayStation 4, a console that completely dominated its generation of devices and may go on to become the best-selling of all time as the years go on. While two titles will be available across other platforms, Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s (probably) timed exclusivity will make the PS4 the only device consumers could own and play all three of April 2020’s releases on.

When fans look back at this generation of games, there will be a lot of individual moments to remember. They’re hardly going out with a whimper, though. April 2020’s video game release schedule is absolutely bonkers, the kind of thing that will have consumers scrambling to squeeze every spare moment into playing the title they’re most excited about. Q2 in video games is going to be a hell of a ride, and April is set to set the bar impossibly high for the rest of the quarter - and possibly the year - to follow.

Next: Resident Evil 3 Remake Won’t Have Mercenaries Mode

Resident Evil 3 releases on April 3, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake releases on April 10, 2020 for PlayStation 4.

Cyberpunk 2077 releases on April 16, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia.