2026 is shaping up to be another big year for video games. The next 12 months are set to bring massive sequels like Forza Horizon 6, Resident Evil Requiem, and Gears of War: E-Day. There are also some smaller games we\u2019re excited to get our hands on, like Bubsy 4D, Mouse: P.I. for Hire, and Slay The Spire 2. And of course, there\u2019s Grand Theft Auto 6, which, assuming it doesn\u2019t get delayed again, will close out 2026 with a big, industry-shaking bang.<\/p>\n
There are so many games to be excited about in 2026 that you might have forgotten about some of them. So we here at Kotaku have created this handy list of 31 games we\u2019re excited to play in the new year. Now, place your bets for how many will actually launch in 2026 and how many will instead be delayed to 2027 or beyond.<\/p>\n
Resident Evil Requiem<\/b> \u2013 Feb. 27<\/b> <\/p>\n
I was already excited for a new mainline Resident Evil game arriving in early 2026; you didn\u2019t need to add Leon Kennedy. But I\u2019m very grateful. -Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight <\/b>\u2013 2026\u00a0<\/b> <\/p>\n
We ain\u2019t getting a new Arkham game anytime soon, so this Lego spin on the formula will have to do. Luckily, it looks rad as heck. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Forza Horizon 6 <\/b>\u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n
The follow-up to one of the best Xbox games ever made, and it\u2019s set in a gorgeously dense open-world recreation of Japan. Yup. That\u2019s going to be goooood. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Control Resonant <\/b>\u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n
Remedy\u2019s 2019 Control was a wonderful and creepy paranormal shooter. I\u2019ve desperately wanted a sequel, and that\u2019s finally arriving next year. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Mouse: P.I. for Hire <\/b>\u2013 March 19<\/b> <\/p>\n
Mixing a boomer shooter with classic black-and-white cartoons is an odd choice, but the final product seems awesome, and we don\u2019t have to wait long to play. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
007 First Light \u2013<\/b> March 26<\/b> <\/p>\n
IOI, the people behind Hitman, seem like the perfect studio to make a James Bond game. Hopefully, it all comes together in the spring. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Bubsy 4D<\/b> \u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t have \u201cExcited for a new Bubsy game\u201d on my bingo card for 2026, but here we are. What can I say? Bubsy 4D looks good. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
The Duskbloods<\/b> \u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n
FromSoftware\u2019s upcoming eight-player online action RPG sounds like a great idea now, after Nightreign proved to be a huge hit and a great game. Hopefully, the Switch 2 is able to handle it. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Gears of War: E-Day <\/b>\u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n
I\u2019m sad that Gears 5\u2019s story isn\u2019t moving forward. Still, it should be fun seeing Marcus and Dom back together in this upcoming prequel to the OG Xbox 360 trilogy. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Star Wars: Galactic Racer<\/b> \u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n
So many Star Wars games are RPGs, shooters, or action-adventure experiences. That\u2019s fine, but I\u2019m happy to see someone making a racing game set in my favorite sci-fi universe. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n
Marathon \u2013 March 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n The it\u2019s over\/we\u2019re so back graph has been all over the place on this one, but with a series of post-alpha test tweaks, including the addition of proximity chat, I\u2019m once again looking forward to seeing Bungie\u2019s take on the extraction shooter, especially if they can weave as much of the background sci-fi lore into a Destiny-style aspirational end-game as I\u2019m hoping they can. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Grand Theft Auto 6<\/b> \u2013 November 19\u00a0<\/b> <\/p>\n At this point, I feel like I\u2019ve written so many words about the upcoming GTA 6 that I\u2019m not sure what else to say. You know what this game is. You are probably excited for it. Let\u2019s hope Rockstar lands this sucker. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n Marvel\u2019s Wolverine<\/b> \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n Insomniac\u2019s Spider-Man games have been joyous open-world treats that feel great to play. So people are understandably excited for the studio\u2019s upcoming Wolverine game that looks fun and very, very bloody. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n Saros \u2013 April 30<\/strong> <\/p>\n Returnal will always have a special place in my heart, but I\u2019m looking forward to seeing Housemarque branch off into a more forgiving roguelike arcade shooter structure with a robust metagame progression that gives more players more footholds, which will hopefully see more of them hang on and stick it out for the whole ride. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Mina the Hollower \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n Following a brief delay, I can\u2019t wait to see the Shovel Knight team\u2019s take on Castlevania meets The Legend of Zelda: Link\u2019s Awakening. I\u2019m looking forward to a retro homage that pushes the genres it\u2019s playing with to new heights. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Replaced \u2013 March 12<\/strong> <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This game looks incredible. Looking at it will be enough. Playing it will hopefully feel extra special. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Forbidden Solitaire\u00a0\u2013 Q1 2026 <\/p>\n Forbidden Solitaire is ostensibly about you finding and playing a spooky \u201890s CD-ROM solitaire game\u2014think The 7th Guest but, y\u2019know, solitaire\u2014and getting way more than you bargained for. I have no idea what that means in gameplay terms, but I can\u2019t wait to find out. \u2013 Carolyn Petit<\/p>\n The Blood of Dawnwalker\u00a0 \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n Ex-Witcher 3 devs make a vampire immersive-sim RPG. Enough said. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Danganronpa 2\u00d72 \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is getting a fancy remake, but it\u2019s also getting a new \u201cwhat if\u201d scenario in which different victims and killers manifest in its murder mystery. So hey, even if the new storyline isn\u2019t great, we\u2019ll get to play Danganronpa 2\u00a0again. \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Pok\u00e9mon Champions \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n Pok\u00e9mon Champions\u00a0is the new competitive platform for the series moving forward, and it\u2019s going to integrate several mechanics, such as Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, into one place, meaning it has the potential to completely transform the competitive space, and free up the main games to no longer be beholden to a particular way of doing things. \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Mario Tennis Fever<\/b> \u2013 February 12<\/b> <\/p>\n The world needs more fun tennis games. Thank you, Mario and company, for hearing these calls and showing up so early in 2026 to deliver a game that looks like it\u2019ll be exactly what folks want. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis<\/b> \u2013 2026<\/b> <\/p>\n Sure, another remake of the first Tomb Raider game seems a bit silly. But, hey, it looks great and will hold fans over until 2027\u2019s Tomb Raider: Catalyst. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n Pok\u00e9mon Pokopia \u2013 March 5<\/strong> <\/p>\n Pok\u00e9mon Pokopia appears to be Pikachu and friends\u2019 take on an Animal Crossing-style life sim, but it also seems to have a dark, post-apocalyptic setting that might keep it from being as cozy as other games in the genre. Intriguing! \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Pragmata \u2013 April 24<\/strong> <\/p>\n New AAA franchises are so few and far between, it\u2019s a special treat whenever we get one, especially out of Japan. It\u2019s not 3D Mega Man but it might be the next best thing. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n When it comes to anime fighters, you don\u2019t bet against Arc System Works.\u00a0Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls\u00a0is a 4v4 fighting game with Earth\u2019s Mightiest Heroes on the roster, and it looks pretty rad. \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Scott Pilgrim EX \u2013 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n It\u2019s about time we got a new\u00a0Scott Pilgrim\u00a0beat em up, and this time, it\u2019s coming with a brand new story by series\u2019 creator Bryan Lee O\u2019Malley set after the events of the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off\u00a0anime. \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Demon Tides \u2013 February 19<\/strong> <\/p>\n Demon Tides\u00a0is a modern-day PS2-style mascot platformer that manages to nail the middle ground between pinpoint precision and free-flowing, fast-paced action that so many others in the genre can\u2019t quite inhabit. \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Nocturne \u2013 June 30<\/strong> <\/p>\n I had to get at least one rhythm game on this list, and Nocturne, a rhythm RPG inspired by science fantasy games of the \u201990s, is basically\u00a0Guitar Hero meets\u00a0Final Fantasy. \u2013 Kenneth Shepard<\/p>\n Slay the Spire 2\u2013 March 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n I slept on the first Slay the Spire when it initially launched. I will not make that mistake again. With most sequels I want a little bit more than just \u201cbigger and better,\u201d but with Slay the Spire 2 that will be more than enough. \u2013 Ethan Gach<\/p>\n Halo: Campaign Evolved<\/b> \u2013<\/b> 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n Like Tomb Raider, it\u2019s a bit silly that we are getting yet another remake of the first Halo, but this one is coming to PlayStation 5, and I wish I could go back in time and tell 12-year-old Zack that fact. It would blow his dumb pre-teen mind. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n Yoshi and the Mysterious Book \u2013<\/b> 2026<\/strong> <\/p>\n This ain\u2019t the Nintendo platformer I was hoping for in 2026, but it looks cute, and for folks who love the Yoshi games, well, here\u2019s another one for you. \u2013 Zack Zwiezen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026 is shaping up to be another big year for video games. 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