10 most anticipated games coming out in 2026 (besides GTA 6)

2025 has been an incredible year for video games, and while the gaming industry takes the time to reflect and celebrate stellar releases like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, ARC Raiders, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Death Stranding 2, it’s also time to look forward to what 2026 has in store for players. While the first quarter of the year is packed with great AAA and indie releases, the latter parts of the year are strangely empty.

This gaping hole is caused by the shadow that’s been hanging over the gaming industry ever since December of 2023. This shadow is, of course, Grand Theft Auto 6. Every developer in the world is trying desperately to avoid releasing near what is sure to be a dominant cultural juggernaut, which is why so many games that were previously confirmed for 2026 have hesitated to confirm a more solid release date. Though GTA 6 has crowded the spotlight with its (ever-changing) release date, there are plenty of other games to get hyped for in the next few months.

Resident Evil 9

• Developer: Capcom
• Release date: Feb. 27, 2026

Otherwise known as Resident Evil: Requiem, RE9 is the next entry in the long-running survival horror series. Capcom, the developers behind the game, have been on a hot streak of success ever since Resident Evil 7 came out in 2017. From what’s been revealed in trailers and demos, it looks like RE9 will be just as horrifying as the last few RE games, especially as a classic series element is returning for the first time since RE6.

Taking place sometime after the events of Resident Evil 8, RE9 will follow Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst, as she’s sent to investigate a series of mysterious deaths in a hotel, the very same place her mother was killed eight years earlier. Teasers have revealed that the game will return to Raccoon City in some capacity, alongside the return of Leon S. Kennedy, which has only increased the hype surrounding the game for long-time fans of the series.

Marvel’s Wolverine

• Developer: Insomniac Games
• Release date: Late 2026

Of all the games on this list, none have had as shaky a development period as Marvel’s Wolverine. First announced back in late 2021 alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Wolverine was a featured part of the 2023 ransomware attack on Insomniac Games. Pre-production assets, cast lists, and even private employee data were all leaked, which stoked concerns that the game would be cancelled outright. Thankfully, the game has continued with development and finally received a firmer release window of late 2026 at the State of Play last September.

Set in the same universe as the Marvel’s Spider-Man games, Marvel’s Wolverine promises to be a darker, more violent superhero story, fitting to the comic book character. While the game is exciting in its own right, it’s also thrilling to see a larger Marvel universe potentially come together.

Grave Seasons

• Developer: Perfect Garbage
• Release date: 2026

While not a AAA title in the same league as GTA 6 or Resident Evil 9, Grave Seasons is an upcoming cozy farming simulator with an incredibly interesting twist. Rather than taking place in a quaint, safe town like Stardew Valley’s Pelican Town, Grave Seasons is set in the town of Ashenridge where cutesy locals are being gruesomely murdered by something supernatural. It’s up to the main character, a recently escaped convict, to figure out who is behind the deaths all while building relationships and running a farm.

Grave Seasons is likely to hit the internet by storm when it comes out in 2026, especially with its selection of romanceable characters (including the mystery killer), which makes it one to keep an eye out for next year.

The Blood of Dawnwalker

• Developer: Rebel Wolves
• Release date: 2026

While the next Witcher game may not come out until 2027, fans of gritty fantasy RPGs may be well sated with The Blood of Dawnwalker in more ways than one.

Not only is this upcoming game a dark fantasy RPG, but it’s been developed by former CD Projekt Red employees who formed their own studio, Rebel Wolves. One look at the gameplay demos shows The Witcher 3 like combat and atmosphere, which makes this a title worth getting excited for.

Saros

• Developer: Housemarque
• Release date: March 20, 2026

From the makers of Returnal comes Saros, a dark sci-fi action game that utilizes repeated deaths in its gameplay. The story of Saros hasn’t been revealed much beyond an eerie cinematic trailer which features the main character, played by Rahul Kohli, waking up on a beach to face a giant enemy. The voice over of the trailer does hint towards some sort of cosmic horror or a time loop, as Kohli states” every time the sun dies, madness reigns”.

Given the universal praise Returnal had in 2021, it seems likely that Saros will follow in its mind-breaking footsteps, which places it firmly in the list of most anticipated games.

Set in the 14th century, Blood of Dawnwalker follows a man named Coen living in a kingdom dominated by a ruling class of vampires. After his own transformation fails, Coen becomes a Dawnwalker, a being that can exist in the sunlight while utilizing supernatural abilities at night. While the game won’t have a traditional approach to main quest lines in RPGs, Coen will have a main goal in rescuing his family from the dungeons of their vampire lords in under 30 days and nights.

007 First Light

• Developed: IO Interactive
• Release date: March 27, 2026

It’s been over a decade since the world had a new James Bond video game, and even longer since we had a good one. With Amazon recently gaining creative control of the franchise, it comes as no surprise that another Bond game was developed right away. What makes 007 First Light so intriguing is not only its setting – fans don’t often see Bond in his early days – but the fact that the story is primarily based off of the Ian Fleming books, rather than the later movies.

The first sign that the game would be faithful to the original stories is right on Bond’s face, as he sports a large scar on his cheek that was never represented in the movies. If this new take on Bond’s character wasn’t enough, then the developers of the game itself should earn some excitement. 007 First Light is being developed by IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series. If any studio can handle the scope of James Bond, which needs an intriguing story as well as tight action, it’s IO Interactive.

Gears of War: E-Day

• Developer: The Coalition, People Can Fly
• Release date: 2026

As a franchise, Gears of War has effectively been in hibernation ever since 2019’s Gears 5, but recent console ports and the announcement of a new game at Xbox Game Showcase in 2024 has reignited the fanbase. The newest game, Gears of War: E-Day, will take players back to the very beginning of humanity’s struggle with the Locust Horde. Playing as Marcus Fenix, players will experience Emergence Day – the moment the Locust Horde erupted from the planet’s surface – and all the devastation that came with it.

Gears of War is a classic action series, and while developers have promised this title will be more focused on horror, the return to this dark, war-torn world and the opportunity to rip into some Locust makes 2026 even more exciting.

Mewgenics

• Developers: Edmund McMillen & Tyler Glaiel
• Release date: Feb. 10, 2026

Mewgenics is a weird game, from a weird developer, and it is the very best kind of weird. Made by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel (the same creatives behind The Binding of Issac and The End is Nigh) comes Mewgenics. A roguelite with turn-based combat, Mewgenics is a game where you breed cats and send them out on runs to defeat enemies, earn cash, and collect treasure.

While that premise sounds straightforward, the actual game has unbelievable depth, as players must selectively breed their cats for more desirable traits (which may lead to undesirable mutations) and strategize on the best way to maintain their feline empire from run to run. The initial reactions to Mewgenics’ demo were overwhelmingly positive, which only added fuel to the hype train behind this kitty cat title.

Fable

• Developer: Playground Games
• Release date: 2026

Like Gears of War, Fable is a beloved franchise that’s been inactive for far too long. With the last game, Fable: The Journey, releasing all the way back in 2012, the fantasy RPGseries is ripe for a new installment. Luckily, a new game, simply titled Fable, is set to release sometime in 2026.

Like past games, the newest Fable is all about developing a character through interactions, adventures, and, most importantly, making choices. Players can choose to make their character as good or bad as they’d like, though these choices will greatly affect how the people of Albion view them. With the long hiatus and the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek humor of recent trailers, Fable is sure to be popular when it releases next year.

Halo: Campaign Evolved

• Developer: Halo Studios
• Release date: 2026

The game that revolutionized the first-person shooter is returning, rebuilt from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5. Halo has struggled as a brand in recent years, with Halo: Infinite not living up to expectations and the Halo TV show being received, to put it lightly, poorly by fans. While Halo: Campaign Evolved isn’t anything necessarily revolutionary for the series, it is a throwback to the glory days of 2000s FPS games and a chance to experience iconic missions, locations, and characters in modern day graphics.

Halo: Campaign Evolved won’t just retread the exact same paths as the original game, as Halo Studios has promised to add mechanics that weren’t introduced until later in the series (like the ability to wield an energy sword) and some new narrative connections to the greater Halo lore.