Games We Still Have to Look Forward to in 2026

With how jam-packed the beginning of 2026 has been, you'd be forgiven for just assuming that the year's biggest games have already came and went. But, as it turns out, things are really just heating up. We've had no less than 5 or 6 genuine Game of the Year contenders in just the first two quarters, and the back half of the year is similarly stacked with exciting upcoming titles that seem poised to not just shake up the consensus around the year's best games, but possibly even reshape the industry for years to come. Yes, I'm primarily talking about Grand Theft Auto VI's planned November release and the absolute shockwaves that will send throughout not just gaming, but the entire pop culture zeitgeist. That GTA VI is just the very top of a mountain of great-looking games to come says it all.

• Release Date — May 27, 2026
• Developer — IO Interactive
• Publisher — IO Interactive
• Genre — Action, Stealth
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

The next major release players have to look forward to is just around the corner, with 007 First Light closing out May in style. Given how incredible IO Interactive's Hitman titles are, giving the studio the reins to create the next major James Bond game (the first in many, many years) is one of those rare "perfect fit" pairings between a studio and an IP that has us incredibly excited for what First Light has in store. According to preview coverage that recently went live, players can expect yet another incredibly solid stealth action game from IO Interactive, albeit one that has all the effortlessly cool spy tech and secret agent shenanigans you'd expect from a game starring the legendary MI6 agent. And, lest we forget, James has a license to kill, which means there's going to be plenty of opportunty to get loud when the mission calls for it.

• Release Date — June 18, 2026
• Developer — Claytechworks, Square Enix
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Action RPG
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S

The next big game from Square Enix drops in just about 6 weeks right in the middle of June, and it looks like it's going to be a doozy for fans of action RPGs. The Adventures of Elliot: Millennium Tales is the latest collaboration between Square Enix and Bravely Default developer Claytechworks, and while it originally received plenty of comparisons to The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana from its initial public demo, it actually skews far more closely to something like Nihon Falcom's legendary Ys series. Exploration and puzzle-solving definitely play a role in the moment-to-moment gameplay, but Adventures of Elliot is all about its excellent real-time combat, making it feel like a slightly modernized version of one of the classic Ys games more than something like A Link to the Past.

• Release Date — July 9, 2026
• Developer — Ubisoft Singapore
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Stealth
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

The fact that Ubisoft was working on a remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, arguably the most beloved entry in the studio's flagship series, was one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming. Still, that did little to delute any of the excitement surrounding the recent reveal of that remake, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, and the fact that it's arriving in just about two months is the icing on the cake. So far, Ubisoft is promising that Resynced is taking a "back to basics" approach with its attempt to remake many players' favorite series entry, sticking to the gameplay flow of the original (rather than updating it to be more like the action RPG-esque modern AC games) and giving the title a full visual overhaul that brings its island-hopping pirate fantasy to life like never before.

• Release Date — July 23, 2026
• Developer — Nintendo EPD
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Shooter
• Platforms — Switch 2

Anyone who's played the Splatoon games since their inception on the Wii U knows that they can be incredibly fun multiplayer shooters, complete with a unique aesthetic and that trademark Nintendo charm. Well, after years of players clamoring for a Splatoon game with a bona fide single-player mode, we're finally getting that this summer with Splatoon Raiders, a primarily single-player action-adventure/third-person shooter game set in the Splatoon universe where players take on the role of an ink-shooting treasure hunter. The little we've seen of Splatoon Raiders so far points to it being one of the more interesting Switch 2 exclusives set to arrive this year, harkening back to the kind of experimentation and offbeat ideas Nintendo embraced during the GameCube era. We can't wait.

• Release Date — August 3, 2026
• Developer — Game Freak
• Publisher — Fictions
• Genre — Action RPG, Soulslike
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Speaking of Nintendo, usual Nintendo collaborator Game Freak (yes, the same Game Freak that's behind the best-selling Pokémon IP) is branching out and creating a game for every platform but the Switch 2 with this year's Beast of Reincarnation. And, boy, does it look like a distinct departure for the studio. Unlike the typically simplistic visuals and familiar gameplay of the mainline Pokémon games, Beast of Reincarnation is an honest-to-goodness action RPG/Soulslike with some outstanding visual design and what appear to be some incredibly challenging, high-spectacle boss encounters. Getting a Soulslike from Game Freak was not something most players expected, but it's happening, and it'll be here sooner than you expect.

• Release Date — August 6, 2026
• Developer — Arc System Works
• Publisher — Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Genre — Fighting
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5

The tag fighter is fully back in vogue thanks to games like 2KXO and Invincible Vs, making the upcoming Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls feel especially perfectly timed. Marvel Tokon is a new 3v3 fighting game featuring iconic heroes and villains from across the Marvel Universe, but instead of the usual license holder, Capcom, handling this one, it's Guilty Gear developer Arc System Works. I was fortunate enough to get in on a play test for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls and can attest to even the earlier beta version of the game offering up some incredibly satisfying and mechanically deep combat that's brought to life by some absolutely spectacular visual design and unique riffs on familiar Marvel characters. Fans who have been hurting for a new Marvel vs. Capcom will have something to tide them over and then some.

• Release Date — August 27, 2026
• Developer — Konami
• Publisher — Konami
• Genre — Action, Stealth
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S

As a Metal Gear fan since the series' Western debut on the NES, seeing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots break its way out of its PlayStation 3 exclusivity was something I had already resigned myself never to see happen during my lifetime. Thankfully, that's not the case, as Konami is bringing both it and Peace Walker to modern consoles and PC courtesy of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, Vol. 2. While it would have been nice to see Konami stuff the whole kit and kaboodle into this second collection and include some bonuses like Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel for Game Boy Color or both of the Metal Gear Acid! games for PSP, it's still a huge win for game preservation that Metal Gear Solid 4 is going to be playable for the first time in over a decade.

• Release Date — September 3, 2026
• Developer — Rebel Wolves
• Publisher — Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Genre — Action RPG
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Rebel Wolves' The Blood of Dawnwalker is poised to make up for the mostly disappointing Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 by giving us an honest-to-goodness vampire RPG with actual freedom and consequential choices, and the pedigree of the developer should have players very, very excited. See, Rebel Wolves is a new studio founded by none other than Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, and his place in the director's chair on The Blood of Dawnwalker seems to suggest that it'll be another incredible open-world action RPG along the same lines as that 2014 magnum opus. It's worth noting, too, that The Blood of Dawnwalker has continually wowed players at each new preview event, so this could easily end up being the next great vampire RPG.

• Release Date — September 9, 2026
• Developer — S-Game
• Publisher — S-Game
• Genre — Action RPG, Soulslike
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5

Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation is far from the only Soulslike we have to look forward to later in the year, as September will also be bringing us Phantom Blade Zero. Phantom Blade Zero looks to be more along the lines of something like Black Myth Wukong, blending faster-paced, character action-style flashy combat and movement with the buildcraft, more methodical exploration, and high-spectacle boss encounters of your standard Soulslike. And if it plays anywhere near as good as it looks, Phantom Blade Zero could very well step up to the plate and provide a suitable follow-up to Black Myth Wukong in ways that games like Wuchang Fallen Feathers promised to but couldn't.

• Release Date — September 15, 2026
• Developer — Insomniac Games
• Publisher — Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PlayStation 5

With Saros now in the rearview mirror and firmly planted in many players' PS5s, the next major console exclusive on the horizon is Marvel's Wolverine, the next open-world superhero game from Insomniac. But to go in expecting something like Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2 would be a mistake, because Wolverine looks to be a very different kind of approach to an action-adventure game featuring a Marvel hero. Fitting for the character and his comic book legacy, Marvel's Wolverine is a hyper-violent action game that refuses to pull any punches.

Preview footage that's been showcased proves that players will get to go absolutely out of control, taking the reins of one of the most iconic and deadly X-Men as they slash, cut, and Berserker Barrage their way through some incredible-looking environments and set pieces. If the combat is anywhere near as varied and satisfying as the sandbox in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but with a few extra buckets of blood, Wolverine will be something special.

• Release Date — September 17, 2026
• Developer — Nihon Falcom
• Publisher — Gung Ho
• Genre — RPG
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2

One of the absolute best role-playing games released last year that wasn't Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was Nihon Falcom's ambitious Trails in the Sky remake, and this year the studio is following it up with yet another remake of its sequel, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. The Legend of Heroes series has been getting a lot more love in the West as of late, which is great to see. That we're going to be getting modern remakes of all the original games in the franchise (Trails in the Sky's three chapters, and possibly Trails From Zero and Trails to Azure) is a huge win for RPG fans. If the 2nd Chapter is anywhere near as good a remake as Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is, it'll easily stand tall as one of the best role-playing games of 2026.

• Release Date — 2026 (TBD)
• Developer — Evil Empire
• Publisher — Konami
• Genre — Metroidvania
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S

After watching other developers get to cash in on the series' legacy and create one great Metroidvania title after another, Konami has finally come to its senses and decided to give Castlevania the treatment it deserves with Castlevania: Belmont's Curse. Developed by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire (who've been shepherding Dead Cells' development for years now and even produced the Return to Castlevania DLC), Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is reportedly an honest-to-goodness Metroidvania and return to form for the series that takes inspiration from the Igavania classics like Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow. No word on a release window for this one yet, other than a vague 2026, but we'll hopefully get to go hands-on with this new Castlevania sometime before the end of Q3.

• Release Date — 2026 (TBD)
• Developer — Yacht Club Games
• Publisher — Yacht Club Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

After suffering a critical last-minute delay for the game to get an extra layer of polish, Yacht Club Games' Mina the Hollower has finally gone gold and is expected to arrive sometime within Q2 for PC and all modern consoles. As the follow-up to Shovel Knight, Mina the Hollower has a lot riding on it for Yacht Club Games, but the public demo the studio released not all that long ago indicates that it'll be every bit the retro-inspired modern classic that Shovel Knight was. It's equal parts Castlevania and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening in terms of its gameplay and level design, and there's a surprising amount of Bloodborne influence in terms of its atmosphere and story. After a handful of false starts and a long time in development, we're more than ready for Mina to finally be here.

• Release Date — 2026 (TBD)
• Developer — Capcom
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

It's safe to say that, at this point, 2026 practically belongs to Capcom. The legendary Japanese developer has had one incredible release after another this year, from Monster Hunter Stories 3 to Resident Evil Requiem and then Pragmata. The fourth horseman in its 2026 lineup is the highly anticipated return of the Onimusha series with Way of the Sword, which looks to skew more closely to the original game in its embracing of horror elements alongside its excellent swordplay. And with Capcom firing on all cylinders right now, there seems to be every indication that this will be another must-play for 2026 that lands the studio plenty of awards nominations as the year draws to a close.

• Release Date — November 19, 2026
• Developer — Rockstar Games
• Publisher — Rockstar Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

In terms of anticipated game releases for 2026, there is nothing else that comes close to the fever pitch of hype surrounding November's launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently noted in an interview that the expectations for GTA 6 are "terrifying", and it's easy to see why — there's every chance that Grand Theft Auto VI will demolish sales records in its first weeks of availability, and eventually go on to shape the landscape of the gaming industry through what will likely be an incredibly popular online mode.

But, in typical Rockstar fashion, what we've seen of the game so far points to it being both a fitting follow-up to GTA V and a glorious return to the iconic setting of Vice City. Grand Theft Auto VI is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit; the only question that remains is whether Rockstar will adjust its price accordingly, potentially charging players up to $100 for a copy using the emerging "dynamic pricing" trend.