2026 is shaping as much as be one other massive yr for video video games. The subsequent 12 months are set to convey huge sequels like Forza Horizon 6, Resident Evil Requiem, and Gears of Struggle: E-Day. There are additionally some smaller video games we’re excited to get our palms on, like Bubsy 4D, Mouse: P.I. for Rent, and Slay The Spire 2. And naturally, there’s Grand Theft Auto 6, which, assuming it doesn’t get delayed once more, will shut out 2026 with a giant, industry-shaking bang.
There are such a lot of video games to be enthusiastic about in 2026 that you simply might need forgotten about a few of them. So we right here at Kotaku have created this helpful record of 31 video games we’re excited to play within the new yr. Now, place your bets for what number of will truly launch in 2026 and what number of will as an alternative be delayed to 2027 or past.
Resident Evil Requiem – Feb. 27
I used to be already excited for a brand new mainline Resident Evil sport arriving in early 2026; you didn’t want so as to add Leon Kennedy. However I’m very grateful. -Zack Zwiezen
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Darkish Knight – 2026
We ain’t getting a brand new Arkham sport anytime quickly, so this Lego spin on the components must do. Fortunately, it seems rad as heck. – Zack Zwiezen
Forza Horizon 6 – 2026
The follow-up to probably the greatest Xbox video games ever made, and it’s set in a gorgeously dense open-world recreation of Japan. Yup. That’s going to be goooood. – Zack Zwiezen
Management Resonant – 2026
Treatment’s 2019 Management was a beautiful and creepy paranormal shooter. I’ve desperately needed a sequel, and that’s lastly arriving subsequent yr. – Zack Zwiezen
Mouse: P.I. for Rent – March 19
Mixing a boomer shooter with traditional black-and-white cartoons is an odd selection, however the remaining product appears superior, and we don’t have to attend lengthy to play. – Zack Zwiezen
007 First Mild – March 26
IOI, the folks behind Hitman, appear to be the proper studio to make a James Bond sport. Hopefully, all of it comes collectively within the spring. – Zack Zwiezen
Bubsy 4D – 2026
I didn’t have “Excited for a brand new Bubsy sport” on my bingo card for 2026, however right here we’re. What can I say? Bubsy 4D seems good. – Zack Zwiezen
The Duskbloods – 2026
FromSoftware’s upcoming eight-player on-line motion RPG feels like an excellent concept now, after Nightreign proved to be an enormous hit and an excellent sport. Hopefully, the Change 2 is ready to deal with it. – Zack Zwiezen
Gears of Struggle: E-Day – 2026
I’m unhappy that Gears 5’s story isn’t transferring ahead. Nonetheless, it must be enjoyable seeing Marcus and Dom again collectively on this upcoming prequel to the OG Xbox 360 trilogy. – Zack Zwiezen
Star Wars: Galactic Racer – 2026
So many Star Wars video games are RPGs, shooters, or action-adventure experiences. That’s fantastic, however I’m blissful to see somebody making a racing sport set in my favourite sci-fi universe. – Zack Zwiezen
Marathon – March 2026
The it’s over/we’re so again graph has been in every single place on this one, however with a sequence of post-alpha check tweaks, together with the addition of proximity chat, I’m as soon as once more trying ahead to seeing Bungie’s tackle the extraction shooter, particularly if they will weave as a lot of the background sci-fi lore right into a Future-style aspirational end-game as I’m hoping they will. – Ethan Gach
Grand Theft Auto 6 – November 19
At this level, I really feel like I’ve written so many phrases concerning the upcoming GTA 6 that I’m undecided what else to say. You realize what this sport is. You’re most likely excited for it. Let’s hope Rockstar lands this sucker. – Zack Zwiezen
Marvel’s Wolverine – 2026
Insomniac’s Spider-Man video games have been joyous open-world treats that really feel nice to play. So persons are understandably excited for the studio’s upcoming Wolverine sport that appears enjoyable and really, very bloody. – Zack Zwiezen
Saros – April 30
Returnal will at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart, however I’m trying ahead to seeing Housemarque department off right into a extra forgiving roguelike arcade shooter construction with a strong metagame development that offers extra gamers extra footholds, which is able to hopefully see extra of them grasp on and stick it out for the entire trip. – Ethan Gach
Mina the Hollower – 2026
Following a short delay, I can’t wait to see the Shovel Knight crew’s tackle Castlevania meets The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink’s Awakening. I’m trying ahead to a retro homage that pushes the genres it’s enjoying with to new heights. – Ethan Gach
Changed – March 12
This sport seems unimaginable. it will likely be sufficient. Enjoying it’s going to hopefully really feel additional particular. – Ethan Gach
Forbidden Solitaire – Q1 2026
Forbidden Solitaire is ostensibly about you discovering and enjoying a spooky ‘90s CD-ROM solitaire sport—suppose The seventh Visitor however, y’know, solitaire—and getting far more than you bargained for. I do not know what meaning in gameplay phrases, however I can’t wait to seek out out. – Carolyn Petit
The Blood of Dawnwalker – 2026
Ex-Witcher 3 devs make a vampire immersive-sim RPG. Sufficient stated. – Ethan Gach
Danganronpa 2×2 – 2026
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is getting a flowery remake, but it surely’s additionally getting a brand new “what if” state of affairs by which totally different victims and killers manifest in its homicide thriller. So hey, even when the brand new storyline isn’t nice, we’ll get to play Danganronpa 2 once more. – Kenneth Shepard
Pokémon Champions – 2026
Pokémon Champions is the brand new aggressive platform for the sequence transferring ahead, and it’s going to combine a number of mechanics, comparable to Mega Evolution and Z-Strikes, into one place, that means it has the potential to utterly rework the aggressive house, and release the principle video games to not be beholden to a selected method of doing issues. – Kenneth Shepard
Mario Tennis Fever – February 12
The world wants extra enjoyable tennis video games. Thanks, Mario and firm, for listening to these calls and exhibiting up so early in 2026 to ship a sport that appears prefer it’ll be precisely what people need. – Zack Zwiezen
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis – 2026
Positive, one other remake of the primary Tomb Raider sport appears a bit foolish. However, hey, it seems nice and can maintain followers over till 2027’s Tomb Raider: Catalyst. – Zack Zwiezen
Pokémon Pokopia – March 5
Pokémon Pokopia seems to be Pikachu and buddies’ tackle an Animal Crossing-style life sim, but it surely additionally appears to have a darkish, post-apocalyptic setting which may hold it from being as cozy as different video games within the style. Intriguing! – Kenneth Shepard
Pragmata – April 24
New AAA franchises are so few and much between, it’s a particular deal with at any time when we get one, particularly out of Japan. It’s not 3D Mega Man but it surely could be the following neatest thing. – Ethan Gach
Marvel Tokon Combating Souls – 2026
Relating to anime fighters, you don’t guess in opposition to Arc System Works. Marvel Tokon Combating Souls is a 4v4 preventing sport with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on the roster, and it seems fairly rad. – Kenneth Shepard
Scott Pilgrim EX – 2026
It’s about time we bought a brand new Scott Pilgrim beat em up, and this time, it’s coming with a model new story by sequence’ creator Bryan Lee O’Malley set after the occasions of the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime. – Kenneth Shepard
Demon Tides – February 19
Demon Tides is a modern-day PS2-style mascot platformer that manages to nail the center floor between pinpoint precision and free-flowing, fast-paced motion that so many others within the style can’t fairly inhabit. – Kenneth Shepard
Nocturne – June 30
I needed to get not less than one rhythm sport on this record, and Nocturne, a rhythm RPG impressed by science fantasy video games of the ’90s, is principally Guitar Hero meets Last Fantasy. – Kenneth Shepard
Slay the Spire 2– March 2026
I slept on the primary Slay the Spire when it initially launched. I can’t make that mistake once more. With most sequels I need just a little bit extra than simply “larger and higher,” however with Slay the Spire 2 that will probably be greater than sufficient. – Ethan Gach
Halo: Marketing campaign Developed – 2026
Like Tomb Raider, it’s a bit foolish that we’re getting yet one more remake of the primary Halo, however this one is coming to PlayStation 5, and I want I might return in time and inform 12-year-old Zack that truth. It will blow his dumb pre-teen thoughts. – Zack Zwiezen
Yoshi and the Mysterious E-book – 2026
This ain’t the Nintendo platformer I hoped for in 2026, but it surely seems cute, and for folk who love the Yoshi video games, nicely, right here’s one other one for you. – Zack Zwiezen
