Like this year, when publishers manoeuvered around GTA 6’s original “late 2025” release date, 2026 is front-loaded with significant releases.
Japanese giant Capcom unleashes Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main entry in its blockbuster horror series, in February, followed by sci-fi action adventure Pragmata in April.
Sony is also planning to drop PlayStation exclusive Saros, a follow-up to 2021’s widely-praised Returnal, in April.
While Wolverine, the next superhero smash from Spider-Man studio Insomniac – another in-house Sony developer – is set to arrive in the autumn.
May will see the arrival of 007 First Light – the celeb-filled James Bond adventure from Hitman developer IO Interactive.
Nintendo will be looking to maintain the momentum of its record-breaking Switch 2 launch this year.
Ones to watch include Pokopia – a cosy take on Pokémon – and online multiplayer The Duskbloods from Elden Ring maker FromSoftware.
Fans have complained about the lack of a brand new Mario or Zelda game and, as things stand, neither has been announced yet. But the company’s got form for announcing big new games mere months before they release.
Microsoft recently teased big reveals for its January 2026 Developer Direct showcase and, unless we’re told otherwise, is due to release Fable – its reboot of the very British fantasy RPG series – and Gears of War: E-Day sometime during the year.
Marking 25 years of its Xbox brand could also give the company a chance to win back fans after backlashes over studio closures, price rises to its Game Pass subscription service and its decision to release flagship series on rival consoles.
And that’s just the major publishers. Expect more indie surprises to take centre stage next year.
Our one-to-watch is Raccoin – a score attack game inspired by arcade coin-pusher machines.
Read More: