Welcome to 2026, everyone! We at GamesBeat are excited to begin fresh with a new year, and the main thing we have to look forward to are all of the new games coming out. So we’ve assembled a list of all of the games we’re looking forward to most, with some honorable mentions at the end.
Keep in mind that this list contains games that are, at the present moment, scheduled to launch in 2026. It’s entirely possible that delays could push them off the calendar at some point in the future. It’s also possible that some very exciting games, which are currently TBD, may launch in 2026. If that’s the case, we’ll likely report on it, but this is essentially our wishlist for 2026.
Grand Theft Auto VI
Of course GTA 6 was going to begin our most anticipated list. I don’t know if I could think of a single game that has been more anticipated than GTA 6 … unless it was GTA V. But the sequel seems to have accumulated just as much hype, if only because of the tangled story behind its launch, which includes a hack and leaked footage of the game in development.
Not helping is the fact that the game has now been delayed twice (it was originally supposed to be out already), and at current report is due out on November 19. But we can’t wait to see what awaits us when we return to Vice City as Jason and Lucia later this year.
Resident Evil Requiem
One of the first major releases of 2026 for us to look forward to is Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main entry in the Resident Evil series, which launches on February 27. For the first time since Resident Evil 3, the series returns to Raccoon City with new protagonist Grace Ashford and returning stalwart Leon Kennedy.
So far, Capcom has revealed a few details about the gameplay and story. Namely, Grace will be pursued by another big, scary monster in the style of Mr. X or Lady D from previous titles. Leon, being more experienced, handles the more combat-heavy sections of the game. It’s not yet clear how the decimated Raccoon City ties into the overarching plot, but we don’t have to wait long to see.
007: First Light
IO Interactive’s Young James Bond adventure, 007: First Light, is showing us all of the right stuff so far. From the trailers and gameplay that IO has dropped so far, the game features all of the cool spy stuff built on the bones of the Hitman series, combined with combat worthy of MI6’s best.
The story follows a youthful Bond, on one of his first outings as a secret agent and not always following protocol. It looks to have all of the Bond staples: Fast cars, cool gadgets and a formidable enemy in the form of Lenny Kravitz as the pirate Bawma. As if that wasn’t enough, First Light appears to have snagged the window vacated by GTA 6 as it launches on May 26.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Given that Warner Bros. Games may soon be under new management, the new Batman game has a bit of a corporate pall hanging over it. However, Legacy of the Dark Knight combines the Gothic darkness of the World’s Greatest Detective with the ever-reliable humor formula of the Lego games.
The game’s developers describe it as a love letter to Batman’s history, which has spanned over 80 years of material. It curtails the usual Lego game cast to just a handful of playable characters to Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Catwoman, Talia al Ghul, Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl. Legacy of the Dark Knight is scheduled to launch on May 29.
Neverway
I’m aware this list is very heavy on triple-A games — we at GamesBeat can be a bit biased in favor of the big releases because that’s most of what we hear about in our day-to-day work. But I want to make sure we recognize the indie games that are scheduled for 2026, including Neverway by Coldblood Inc, which is scheduled to launch sometime this year.
The reason I included this is because it feels like it contains the “greatest hits” of indie games: Cozy, farming sim energy; top-down combat; and unsettling horror. Those are all of my favorite indie game vibes, and Neverway has all of them at once. It’s scheduled for launch sometime later this year.
Tides of Annihilation
The debut title from Eclipse Glow Games brings some of the themes of Arthurian legends to a modern-ish action-adventure fantasy title. Tides of Annihilation follows the story of Gwen and her knightly companions, who can join players in combat to add a co-op wrinkle to a single-player title.
The story takes place in both modern/futuristic London and in the realm of Avalon, with the former being partially destroyed by some form of alien incursion that Gwen must battle as she traverses the city. So far Eclipse Glow has not given an exact release date for the game, but we’re hoping for a 2026 launch (yes, this entry is a bit of a cheat, but we’re very enthusiastic about it).
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
This one is for me, Rachel, specifically — I think I’m the biggest Fire Emblem fan on the GamesBeat staff (and if not, Alex and Dean can fight me for it). Nintendo revealed it relatively recently and has not revealed much information about it, but Fortune’s Weave will supposedly launch for the Switch 2 sometime this year.
While the information launched has been sparse, it’s enough to arouse speculation in the community that Fortune’s Weave is actually a sequel (or possibly prequel) to Three Houses. The game takes place in a gladiatorial arena tournament, with several mechanics returning from Three Houses. We’ll have to wait and see whether there’s truth to the rampant speculation when Fortune’s Weave releases.
Control Resonant
Remedy finally revealed the sequel to Control during last month’s Game Awards: Control Resonant, though we’ve known the game is in the works for some time. The developer has also teased the return of Control’s bizarre enemies and innovative gameplay mechanics in its most recent game, the acclaimed Alan Wake 2.
Control Resonant stars Dylan Faden, the brother of previous protagonist Jesse Faden. The horrors usually held back by the Federal Bureau of Control in the Oldest House have broken containment and invaded Manhattan. Dylan must suppress the invasion while looking for his missing sister. It’s scheduled for launch sometime this year.
Saros
Saros is the latest game from Housemarque, best known for previous roguelite horror-action game Returnal. And while Returnal had a strong lunar theme, Saros appears to be going the other way with a focus on solar imagery. Housemarque has said Saros is a new intellectual property, but it seems that it’s a safe bet that if you liked Returnal, you’ll like its successor.
Saros features the return of third-person bullet-hell gameplay as protagonist Arjun Devraj attempts to uncover the mystery behind a missing colony on the hostile world of Carcosa. The planet shapeshifts in response to Arjun’s exploration, making for a world that’s different after each in-game death. It’s scheduled to launch on April 30.
Marvel’s Wolverine
We’ll wrap up this list with yet another game that’s high on hype after years of speculation about when and if it was ever going to launch: Marvel’s Wolverine. The game comes from Insomniac and is their latest incursion into the Marvel universe following the success of Spider-Man. It’s also, like GTA 6, been the subject of at least one major cyberattack that leaked early gameplay footage and details.
As the name suggests, the game follows Logan, a.k.a. the mutant Wolverine in his various exploits as he hacks and slashes his way through with his signature adamantium claws. The game includes other Marvel characters, with Mystique making a notable appearance in the reveal trailer. The game is projected to launch sometime in late 2026.
Other 2026 games for which we’re excited
- Highguard
- Pokemon: Pokopia
- Crimson Desert
- Replaced
- The Duskbloods
- Code Vein II
- Pragmata
- Marathon
- Halloween
- Danganronpa 2×2
- Invincible VS
- Romeo is a Dead Man