Littler, the reigning Premier League champion, will also face world number one Luke Humphries, Rob Cross, and Michael van Gerwen – his opponent during his historic win at Alexandra Palace earlier this month – in the weekly tournament which gets underway next month.
Littler, Humphries, Cross and van Gerwen earned automatic entry into the tournament based on their top-four ranking in the PDC’s Order of Merit while Price, Bunting, Dobey and Aspinall earned wildcard entries.
The announcement marks a sensational return to the Premier League for Bunting who last competed in the tournament in 2015. The 39-year-old capped a stellar year at Ally Pally by reaching the semi-finals after finishing second in the Players Championship Series.
Dobey lost to van Gerwen in the world championship semi-finals but won three Players Championship titles, while Price reached three European Tour semi-finals.
The news will be a bitter blow for two-time world and Premier League champion Gary Anderson, and Peter Wright, who failed to make the shortlist for the first time since 2013. Mike De Decker is also not included despite winning the World Grand Prix last year.
PDC chief executive Matt Porter told Sky Sports: "Obviously with Price, Dobey and Aspinall, there are players above them in the rankings who haven't been selected but we have looked at it in terms of big stage presence, popularity, and the way they can get a 10,000-person crowd every Thursday going.
"We want people on the edge of their seats. We want people up and enjoying their darts. That isn't to say other players can't do that. You have to make decisions on who is right at the time."
When does the Premier League Darts 2025 take place?
Matches will take place every Thursday evening between February and May in various cities around the UK and Europe.
The tournament will start at the SSE Arena in Belfast on February 6th and conclude at the O2 Arena in London on May 29th.
Each night will feature an eight-player knockout tournament with all players competing across weeks 1-7 and 9-15. A draw will determine matches for weeks 8-16.
Each winner receives five points, with three points awarded to the runner-up and two points for each losing semi-finalist. After week 16, the top four in the table contest the Premier League semi-final and final in London.
Premier League Darts 2025 schedule
Night 1: The SSE Arena, Belfast, February 6th
Night 2: OVO Hydro, Glasgow, February 13th
Night 3: 3Arena, Dublin, February 20th
Night 4: Westpoint Exeter, February 27th
Night 5: The Brighton Centre, March 6th
Night 6: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, March 13th
Night 7: Utilita Arena, Cardiff, March 20th
Night 8: Utilita Arena, Newcastle, March 27th
Night 9: Uber Arena, Berlin, April 3rd
Night 10: AO Arena, Manchester, April 10th
Night 11: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, April 17th
Night 12: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, April 24th
Night 13: Utilita Arena, Birmingham, May 1st
Night 14: First Direct Arena, Leeds, May 8th
Night 15: P&J Live, Aberdeen, May 15th
Night 16: Utilita Arena, Sheffield, May 22nd
Semi-finals and final: The O2, London, May 29th