Earlier, our team shared the films they’re most excited about in 2026, but today is all about the video games we can’t wait to play!
As per usual, quite a few of the games we were looking forward to in 2025, managed to slip into the New Year…So you may see some duplicates here and there from last year’s article. That said, there’s no shortage of awesome looking games on the horizon to get hyped for.
Here are the games we’re looking forward to most in 2026 (sorted by release date/release window!):
Fable
Releases sometime in 2026
Dustin: This is a game I was always jealous of on Xbox while being a PlayStation gamer. The next entry in the series looks phenomenal, and similar to the next game on my list, it fills in that need for an Elder Scrolls-esque game to play.
Grave Seasons
Releases sometime in 2026
Katy: I got the chance to play Grave Seasons at Summer Game Fest and it was my favorite game I got hands on time with. It’s in my favorite genre but with a very macabre twist.
Summer Game Fest Hands-On: Murder Mystery Farming Sim Grave Seasons
Dustin: I have been waiting not so patiently for this game since it was announced. A new take on the cozy farming sim where they have just escaped from prison and start over in a small town as a farmer. Everything is great! You’re meeting new people, living a slow cozy life. Except there is also a supernatural serial killer terrorizing the town! This is a cozy horror game for those who love farming and solving a good mystery. The killer changes in each game play so the replayability is endless!
Star Wars: Zero Company
Releases sometime in 2026
Jordan: It’s a bummer that 2025 came and went without some form of new Star Wars game for fans to enjoy, but my hype is in full gear for Zero Company. Pretty much since they announced the new wave of Star Wars games when Disney took over the franchise, I’ve been asking for some kind of tactics based game. I’ve long argued a Star Wars x XCOM game would work incredibly well, so imagine my excitement upon learning Zero Company is coming from the old XCOM developers/director. Yeah, this is gonna eat up a LOT of my time.
The Blood of Dawnwalker
Releases in 2026
Ryan Z: Like a vampire without blood, I’ve been starving for another good vampiric RPG to sink my fangs into. With Bloodlines 2 being what it is, and Blood of Dawnwalker being a new gothic fantasy RPG featuring a half-vampire made by one of the guys who helped create Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, I’m eagerly anticipating great things for this game and the company behind it.
Becky: Confession time: Normally I tend to avoid video games that feature fixed time limits, it tends to mess with my immersion in the story if I know there’s a deadline. However, The Blood of Dawnwalker intrigues me so much, I’m tempted to give it a try regardless. A game that lets you utilize both human and vampire capabilities depending on the time of day in the game world is something that has to be tried at least once.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
Releases sometime in 2026
Dustin: Besides being a unique spin on WWII with Marvel, it is a game led by Amy Hennig. She was behind one of my all time favorite franchises, Uncharted, and is extremely talented. I’m more excited to play a game led by her than I am with it being Marvel.
Gears of War: E-Day
Releases sometime in 2026
Dustin: I’m a huge fan of the series and even enjoyed the last entry in the series as well. I usually buy an Xbox for this game, but with their recent trends I’m simply hoping we see it release on PS5 at this rate. If not I may need to remove the game from my list and put it on my 2027 most anticipated list.
Warhammer Survivors
Releases sometime in 2026
Ryan Z: It’s Vampire Survivors, made by the team that made Vampire Survivors, and featuring Actual Warhammer characters instead of Definitely Not Castlevania Characters. It’s gonna be a banger.
Directive 8020
Releases sometime in 2026
Becky: I have been waiting so long for The Dark Pictures Anthology to continue with its next entry and it’s finally almost time! I’m excited and at the same time terrified to experience Supermassive’s unique brand of choice-based horror that is now set in outer space. I’m especially leery of the stealth elements previewed in the game, but at this point I’m in so deep, I have to see where the story goes next. It’ll be fine….it’ll totally be fine….right?
Building Relationships
Releases sometime in Q1 (January-March)
Dustin: This year everyone decided to give dating sims a chance with the hit game Date Everything, where you were stuck in your house and dating… well everything. From your phone, your door, and even your bed. I am excited to see this trend continue and for everyone to try out more games like this. In the game Building Relationships, instead of dating the things in your home you play as a home on an island vacation looking for love and a good time! Get spicy with a windmill, watch the stars with a tent, or have a boathouse be mean to you as you ask them to call you a good house. I cannot wait for the full release next year!
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon
Releases on January 15
Becky: The Trails games have been a favorite of mine for a while now, and I’m beyond excited to see how Trails Beyond the Horizon continues the story as it left off in Trails Through Daybreak II. It sounds like the overall Trails series might be wrapping up soon, so if this is the beginning of the end, I hope it goes out with a bang.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake
Releases on January 16
Jordan: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a genre defining game in the PS2 era. That whole trilogy remains one of my favorites, so I’ve been looking forward to this since it was first announced. I know it’s been through a whole bunch of reworking and changes, but I’m crossing my fingers for this remake bringing this franchise back in a big way. Unless, Ubisoft has decided used AI to finish it up/speed up the process, then it can—should—go fuck itself.
MIO: Memories In Orbit
Releases on January 20
Kiera: A visually stunning metroidvania about a small hero and their journey to save a spaceship seemingly forgotten. Overrun with other robots who have gone rogue since the AI caretakers have stopped working. The goal? Unlock the memories of what happened on this ship to save it from shutting down completely.
Tailside: Cozy Cafe Sim
Releases on January 20
Kiera: A cozy cafe sim where everyone is an animal. The art is beautiful and there are so many customers to meet, some mini games, decorating, and serving up cute refreshments.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Releases on February 5
Becky: If we can’t get Dragon Quest XII anytime soon, I will happily accept a remake/remaster of one of the best entries in the series. Most agree that Dragon Quest VII is one of the best games ever made in this genre, and I’m excited that it’s been revamped so that a whole new generation of players can experience it.
Nioh 3
Releases on February 6
Ryan Z: The Nioh series has long since been a great alternative to the usual Dark Souls fare for those who prefer a bit more Eastern flair, but find Code Vein a bit too anime for their tastes. The latest one looks to amp up the difficulty with new weapons, crazy new bosses, and the ability to swap fighting modes for even more complex combinations of attacks.
Mewgenics
Releases on February 10
Katy: Binding of Isaac is one of my all-time favorite comfort games (macabre is cozy for some, okay?), so when I saw that its devs Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel announced Mewgenics would be finally releasing after more than a decade was I was sold.
Resident Evil Requiem
Releases on February 27
Dustin: Honestly it is THE game I’m excited for as I love Resident Evil. Silent Hill did a phenomenal job of filling in for the series this year, but Resident Evil still has that polished old school horror vibe to it, and I’m so excited to continue the story with the rumored characters appearing.
S0leb: Summer Game Fest featured a lot of heavy hitters, but one that just stuck with me was Requiem. Horror is back like never before with some of these wild and crazy characters you must face, but its not just the horror it’s the stunning visuals and story telling the game will provide that will have me hooked till the end!
Slay the Spire 2
Releases in March 2026
Ryan Z: I’ve got literal hundreds of hours in the first one. It’s easily one of the best deck-building roguelikes in existence, all you need to do to prove it is look up basically any other card-based roguelike on Steam and see how hard they tried to rip off Slay the Spire. The sequel promises new cards, new characters, and new challenges, and I can’t wait to try them all.
Pokémon Pokopia
Releases on March 5
Jordan: Cozy games have long been a favorite of mine, which seems to increase the older I get. I’ve also long had a deep love of the Pokémon games. Now they’re being combined! It’s like someone designed a video game in a lab specifically tailored for me.
Katy: Pokémon but also Animal Crossing? Do I need to even say more? Wild implications about Ditto being able to transform into a human aside, the concept of the game where you’re a Pokémon is talking (and caring for) other Pokémon in a time where humans are gone tickles the same interest as Mystery Dungeon and PokePark, though Pokopia seems like it will carve out its own space in my heart as you will restore the world using the moves other Pokémon teach you (like surfing or flying to other islands).
Crimson Desert
Releases on March 19
Dustin: I’ve been hyped for this game since they first showed it off because of how much depth it appears to have. I’m a tiny bit skeptical with the developer behind it potentially ruining the experience with pay to play tactics, but we will finally get to see if its an Elder Scrolls competitor soon.
S0leb: After playing the game for almost two hours at Summer Game Fest, I can say Crimson Desert is like no game I have played before! The combat, traversal, and open-world aspects of the game are truly breathtaking and I can’t wait to have it in my hands.
PRAGMATA
Releasing on April 24, 2026
S0leb: This might be the best new iP Capcom has created in years. In Pragmata, you play as Hugh with an android named Diana, as they navigate a hostile lunar research station, face off against rouge robots, and try and bring stability back to these stations as you make your way back to earth. I’m extremely excited to have this game in my hands this year!
ONIMUSHA: Way of the Sword
Releases in 2026
S0leb: What else can I say about this game that the internet hasn’t, Onimusha is back and I can’t wait to take revenge against demons this have wrong this world!
Neopets: Mega Mini Games Collection
Releases on March 26
Katy: Neopets was foundational for me as a mid-30s millennial, from learning HTML for my Neopets Shop, learning to be scammed in the Auction House and, most importantly, the flash games. The mini games collection is a must have, no questions asked.
Roadside Research
Releases on March 31
Kiera: An insane co-op game where you play as aliens poorly disguised as humans who run a gas station so they can collect information on humans while preparing for the alien invasion. Don’t get caught!
Shutter Story
Releases sometime in Q2 (March-June)
Kiera: An indie horror game where a family’s fate is in your hands as you examine their photo album for signs of the paranormal. Diving deeper into dark secrets that put you all at risk.
Saros
Releases on April 30
Ryan Z: Returnal is one of the PS5’s unsung heroes, an incredible roguelike I find myself coming back to time and again. Saros is the developer’s next entry, and looks like it’s going to be taking a lot of cues from Returnal in its design. Plus it’s got the guy from Fall of the House of Usher in it!
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Releases on May 29
Becky: I admit it, I’m a sucker for the LEGO video games. And as soon as I saw the first teaser for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, I was hooked. The fact that it pays homage to so many different eras of Batman, it just feels like what a good Batman game should be. The fact that it’s a LEGO Batman game is just icing on the cake.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Releases in Fall 2026
Dustin: Speaking of Marvel, and my favorite people, Insomniac is back at it again with Wolverine this time. This is THE game I’m excited to play in 2026. They obviously know what they are doing and did their proper research with recent trailers because it looks godly.
Ryan Z: I’m not sure what all needs even be said about this one. A top tier dev team taking on a massively-popular character and giving him all the slash-happy action that Wolverine fans need to be content? It’s a recipe for instant success that I imagine a lot of us are eager to get our hands on in 2026.
Jordan: Insomniac’s Spider-Man games are some of the best comic book related games ever crafted. Hell, you could make the argument for them being among the best games in the last couple generations, period. As such, I’m excited to see how they transfer that to the iconic X-Men character. The sheer amount of carnage showcased in the latest trailer made it clear they’re embracing the darker side of the character and aren’t shying away from his brutality. Hopefully they’re bringing in an engaging story to go with it.
Grand Theft Auto 6
Releases on November 19
Katy: Rockstar Games just doesn’t miss. I’ve played all of the other Grand Theft Auto games, and the nostalgia necessitates jumping in and playing around in Rockstar’s iconic sandbox.
Dustin: If this isn’t listed multiple times by other people I’d be surprised. I’m more, or less, excited for it to be released so the rest of the industry stops playing cat and mouse with their release schedules.
S0leb: Said to be the largest, most expansive game ever created, GTA6 is really looking like it could be something special. With a guaranteed price of right at $100, this game will hopefully live up to the hype and be the most realistic RPG we have ever seen.
007: First Light
Releases on March 27th
S0leb: iO Interactive is not getting enough love for what is possibly going to be one of the best Action Adventure titles of the year. 007: First Light will be the first third-person 007 game in some time and features a star studded cast with some amazing visuals, action-packed gameplay, and the charm that is 007.
After 2026
Exodus
Releases sometime in 2027
Jordan: A new Sci-Fi RPG from old Bioware developers who worked on Mass Effect? Yeah, sign me ALL the way up for that. I’ve been chomping at the bit for this since it’s announcement a couple years ago, and the first (of two) tie-in novel, Exodus: The Archimedes Engine, showed off the depth of the universe they’re crafting. I think we’re in for something really special here.
