2026 doesn’t look like a year you casually tick off and move on. It looks like the kind of year where you open a list of top new games 2026 “just to browse,” and ten minutes later you’ve wishlisted three titles and you’re already digging through comments, threads, and dev interviews to figure out what’s real and what’s hype. Not because everything is loud, but because the lineup feels crowded in a good way: big follow ups that have actually had time to cook, new projects that seem genuinely confident, and enough wild cards to throw your backlog plans out the window.
Here’s the list of the Top 25 upcoming games for 2026.
Valor Mortis
Set in an alternate 19th-century Europe, this one goes for grim atmosphere and hard, methodical Soulslike fights. You play a soldier who comes back from death and keeps moving forward with more questions than answers.
Phantom Blade Zero
Phantom Blade Zero is an action game centered on fast, close-range sword fights. You play as Soul, a killer on a deadline, caught between rival factions and a wider plot.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
The game focuses on high-speed racing in the Star Wars universe, leaning toward the criminal side of the galaxy rather than organized competition. Tracks, vehicles, and events are built around risk, speed, and underground racing culture.
Saros
A narrative-driven action game set around a ruined settlement on Carcosa. Arjun’s repeated deaths feed progression, so every loss still moves the story forward.
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined
This version updates a classic Dragon Quest entry with modern visuals while preserving its traditional structure and tone. The core experience still centers on restoring lost regions and uncovering a mystery that unfolds over a long campaign.
Solasta 2
Turn-based tactics, party synergy, and that tabletop-style “every decision matters” pacing are the main draw. It’s aiming to be a long campaign you settle into, not something you sprint through.
Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem mixes classic survival pressure with stretches that feel more action-driven. Raccoon City is part of the setup again and the story leans into its fallout.
Grand Theft Auto 6
The new GTA is set in and around Vice City following Lucia and Jason through a crime story designed for a modern open world. It’s positioned as a flagship release, with the kind of reach few games can match. Hope is not getting delayed again.
Pragmata
On the moon, things go wrong fast, and you’re not alone—Diana, an android companion, is central to how you survive. Combat and puzzles lean into hacking mechanics that look like they’re more than a side gimmick.
Crimson Desert
A huge single-player open world focused on a mercenary’s journey through a harsh fantasy continent. Expect cinematic travel, heavy fights, and lots of distractions that can derail your main quest in the best way.
Forza Horizon 6
Horizon heads to Japan, and the setting alone is half the appeal—mountain roads, city runs, and car culture everywhere. If you like drifting at sunset and getting lost on purpose, this is your lane.
The Duskbloods
FromSoftware goes darker and more multiplayer-driven, with “Bloodsworn” characters that play differently depending on your role. It sounds built for tense matches where every encounter turns into a story.
Fable
Albion returns with a reboot that wants the old humor and choices to matter again, just with modern production behind it. The tone is still cheeky—until it isn’t.
The Blood of Dawnwalker
Blood of Dawnwalker frames progression around time, with daytime and nighttime affecting how you approach missions and encounters. Its backdrop is 14th-century Europe, where politics, fear, and vampirism are tied together.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Capcom’s new Onimusha entry returns to samurai action with demons and a stronger cinematic presentation. Kyoto serves as the main setting, with combat designed around reading attacks and responding cleanly.
Slay the Spire 2
The “one more run” deckbuilding addiction returns with new cards, new enemies, and new ways to break your build. If the first game ate your evenings, be careful.
Reanimal
The creators behind Little Nightmares return with another unsettling trip and co-op makes it even more intense. It has that specific kind of dread where you whisper instead of talk.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Gotham gets the LEGO treatment again, mixing open-world freedom with a more story-forward Batman angle. Expect jokes, collectibles, and surprisingly satisfying superhero chaos.
007 First Light
IO Interactive tackles a younger Bond in an origin story built around spy work, stealth, and cinematic missions. If Hitman’s sandbox design carries over, the missions could have real replay value.
Control Resonant
Reality bends again, but the focus shifts—Dylan Faden takes center stage and Manhattan becomes the new paranormal disaster zone. Remedy weirdness is the promise and the question is how far they push it this time.
Replaced
Replaced mixes platforming and action in a 2.5D format, built around an alternate 1980s America. Its main character is an AI trapped in a human host, caught in a larger conflict.
Pokemon Pokopia
Instead of chasing badges, this spin leans cozy: you’re shaping a town, helping it grow, and using Pokémon in everyday life. It’s basically Pokémon as a chill routine game.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Insomniac goes darker and more brutal here, focusing on close-range combat and a more personal tone. It’s built to make Wolverine feel dangerous-not just cool.
High on Life 2
The talking-gun chaos is back, but movement looks like the real upgrade, especially with the skateboard in the mix. Expect more ridiculous aliens, louder jokes, and hopefully tighter pacing.
Code Vein 2
Anime-styled action RPG combat returns with the partner system and blood-powered abilities. Time manipulation shows up in the premise, which could become a neat twist if it’s used beyond the story.
I write for Need4Games, mostly keeping track of what’s coming next. I cover showcases and release updates, put together quick lists when you just want the highlights, and I’ll post Steam deal roundups when the sales get wild. I play a lot of games, so I tend to look at games through that lens. No overthinking, just: what it is, why it’s interesting, and if it’s actually worth your time. I also stream now and then on Twitch.
