All 2026 video game release dates: GTA 6, Tomb Raider, 007 First Light, and more

The video game industry is off to a quick start this year with games including Resident Evil Requiem, Saros, and Marvel’s Wolverine.

Video game release schedules have never been the same since Covid but what’s really messing with them at the moment is the constantly changing release date of Grand Theft Auto 6. Previously, everyone was trying to stay out of the way of May this year but now it’s the autumn they’re trying to avoid, so there may be significantly less games released at the end of 2026 than is normal.

Release dates are rarely known that far in advance anyway, but what is clear is that February is going to be extremely busy, because that was the safest time to launch before GTA and still give yourself a couple of months leeway for a small delay.

Because May is no longer a problem, though, that means many of these dates may change at the last minute, but for now this the best information we have on when 2026’s biggest games will be out.

15 January – Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (NS2)
Instead of a brand new Animal Crossing game, Nintendo is remastering New Horizons for the Switch 2 and releasing a generous new update for both versions, which is a surprise but a welcome one.

26 January – Highguard (PS5/XSX/PC)
The mic drop game at the end of The Game Awards doesn’t seem to have attracted much interest so far but there’s sure to be a big marketing push for this new multiplayer live service game.

5 February – Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined (NS/PS5/XSX/NS2/PC)
With all these Dragon Quest remakes it’d be nice if we got a new game one day, but first there’s this new version of the 2000 PS1 game, which wasn’t originally released in Europe.

6 February – Nioh 3 (PS5/PC)
An unexpected, but very much deserved, new sequel to what has so far been the most accomplished Soulslike series not involving FromSoftware, although the iffy voice-acting and focus on storytelling is a bit concerning.

11 February – Romeo Is A Dead Man (PS5/XSX/PC)
No More Heroes creator Suda51 returns with his most ambitious new game in a long time, although he might have chosen a quieter month for it, because February is looking very busy.

12 February – Mario Tennis Fever (NS2)
It’s never too long until a Super Mario sports game turns up on a new Nintendo console, but we just hope this time you can play it without all the unwanted power-ups and random elements.

13 February – Reanimal (PS5/XSX/NS2/PC)
Little Nightmares 3 was a disappointment, but that’s because developer Tarsier Studios went off to work on this instead, although it does look very similar to their previous games.

17 February – Virtual Boy
The most unlikely Nintendo comeback ever not only revives their most unsuccessful console, so you can play its games on Nintendo Switch Online, but a physical recreation so you can experience them in 3D.

27 February – Resident Evil Requiem (PS5/XSX/NS2/PC)
The first blockbuster of the year has seemed impressive from the first previews, although exactly how the two main characters interact, and how much of the game takes place on the mean streets of Racoon City, remains a mystery.

5 March – Pokémon Pokopia (NS2)
A combination of Animal Crossing and Minecraft set in the world of Pokémon doesn’t necessarily sound a bad idea, although we’re a bit worried the developer is the same one behind Hyrule Warriors.

27 March – 007 First Light (PS5/XSX/NS2/PC)
IO Interactive branch out with an origin story for James Bond, that clearly has elements of the Hitman franchise, as well as more cinematic gunplay and vehicular action.

March – Marathon (PS5/XSX/PC)
It doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but Bungie’s troubled new online shooter is supposed to be out in March, although the chances of a further delay seem high.

24 April – Pragmata (PS5/XSX/NS2/PC)
Capcom put their money where their mouth is with this brand new IP, that mixes Vanquish style third person combat with a peculiar puzzle element that seems interestingly peculiar.

28 April – Diablo 4: Lord Of Hatred (PS4/XO/PS5/XSX/PC)
The new DLC expansion for Diablo 4 has a typically cheerful sounding name but it brings with it the return of the Paladin class and a second brand new one, yet to be revealed.

30 April – Saros (PS5)
One of our most anticipated games of the years is the follow-up (but not sequel) to Returnal. Just how different it will be remains to be seen, but everything so far looks very promising.

29 May – Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight (PS5/XSX/PC)
This new Lego game not only combines elements from multiple different movies and comic books but also the gameplay from Batman: Arkham series. A Switch 2 version is planned but there’s no indication of a date.

8 September – Halloween (PS5/XSX/PC)
Yet another in the endless parade of horror movie franchises turned into 4 vs. 1 multiplayer games, although at least this one should have good music.

9 September – Phantom Blade 0 (PS5/PC)
China’s obsession with Soulslikes continues, although this new example has more flamboyant action than you’d expect of FromSoftware and hopefully a more accessible storyline than Black Myth: Wukong.

19 November – Grand Theft Auto 6 (PS5/XSX)
A game that needs no introduction, although it’s difficult to give it one anyway, since we still know so little about it and few would bet against there being yet another delay.

Q3/Q4 – Marvel’s Wolverine (PS5)
One of many new Marvel games due this year and this one has at least a rough release date, with Sony lining it up to be their big Christmas release, in the manner of Spider-Man 2.

TBA – The Duskbloods (NS2)
Nothing has been said about FromSoftware’s new multiplayer game since it was announced back in April, and it’s unclear how long the Switch 2 exclusivity will last for.

TBA – Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis (PS5/XSX/PC)
The brand new game won’t be until next year but this ‘reimagining’ of the PS1 original looked very impressive in its trailer debut, with the return of dinosaurs and the happy, smirking version of Lara Croft.

TBA – Fable (XSX/PC)
Microsoft’s Fable reboot has been a mystery for many years now, but as far as anyone knows it’s still due out this year. You’d assume it would also launch on PlayStation 5, but that’s not been confirmed.

TBA – Control: Resonant (PS5/XSX/PC)
Remedy announced their sequel to Control some time ago, but it got its first unveiling at The Game Awards in December. Hopefully it’ll be a more convincing financial success than Alan Wake 2.

TBA – Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave (NS2)
It was only a matter of time before a Fire Emblem game appeared on Switch 2. Where exactly this appears in the canon is unknown, but it may be a direct sequel to Three Houses.

TBA – Forza Horizon 6 (XSX/PC)
A much more reliable success than Fable, this new sequel is set in Japan and rumoured to be a relatively early release for 2026. A PlayStation 5 version is confirmed but whether it’ll be this year is unknown.

TBA – Onimusha: Way Of The Sword (PS5/XSX/PC)
Capcom’s attempt to continue the Onimusha series looks as much like the Resident Evil remakes as you’d expect but we were very impressed by the Sekiro-inspired combat when we played it.

TBA – Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve (PS5/XSX/PC)
One of the best surprise announcements from The Game Awards is a new combat flight sim from Bandai Namco. The graphics look fantastic and we just hope it has a VR mode.

TBA – Gears Of War: E-Day (XSX/PC)
All these Xbox games were commissioned before Microsoft started its current multiformat policy so while this prequel will undoubtedly come to PlayStation 5 at some point, it may not be this year.

TBA – Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (PS5/PC)
If Wolverine is Sony’s big Christmas game it’s unclear when this fighting game from Guilty Gear creators Arc System Works might appear, but it’s already in closed beta so hopefully it won’t be long.

TBA – Marvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra (PS5/XSX/PC)
EA cancelled their Black Panther game, but T’Challa’s grandad appears in this multiformat title, alongside Captain America. It’s been in development for years but still very little of it has been shown in public.

TBA – Halo: Campaign Evolved (PS5/XSX/PC)
The first appearance of Halo on a PlayStation console is quite the event, although this remake of the story campaign from the first game does not include competitive multiplayer.

TBA – Lords Of The Fallen 2 (PS5/XSX/PC)
FromSoftware’s most enthusiastic tribute band returns with a third attempt at being more Dark Souls than Dark Souls itself, which suggests more competent but unoriginal action role-playing.

TBA – Game Of Thrones: War For Westeros (PC)
This is a PC-only real-time strategy game, which means there still hasn’t been a traditional console-based action game based on Game Of Thrones, even after all these years.

TBA – Professor Layton And The New World Of Steam (NS/NS2)
This is not the first time this game has appeared in one of these yearly preview lists but hopefully this time it will actually make it out in time, as we miss the Prof. and his logic puzzles.

TBA – Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream (NS)
Along with Rhythm Heaven Groove, this is one of two new first party Switch 1 games due for release this year, with Tomadachi Life likely to be huge in Japan, where the previous games were massive sellers.

TBA – Subnautica 2 (XSX/PC)
It’ll only be released in early access this year, and not on PlayStation 5, but we’re not sure how much enthusiasm exists for this sequel, after the scurrilous revelations about how the publisher has been treating the developer.

TBA – Star Wars: Zero Company (PS5/XSX/PC)
A cross between Star Wars and XCOM sounds like a dream game to us, although nothing has yet been shown of it in action, and setting it during the Clone Wars still seems a bit odd.

TBA – Yoshi And The Mysterious Book (NS2)
Nintendo still hasn’t announced a brand new game to coincide with the new Mario movie, just a Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, so this cute looking new 2D platformer may be the closest we get, in the first half of the year at least.

TBA – Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War 4 (PC)
We can only imagine how the developers felt when they saw Sega unveil Total War: Warhammer 40,000 but that doesn’t have a release date yet and almost certainly won’t be this year.

TBA – Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time (TBC)
Another game that nobody sensible would take bets on actually appearing this year but that’s when Ubisoft says it’s due, so we can but hope it happens and returns the series to its previous prominence.

TBA – Skate 1.0 version (PS5/XSX/PC)
It’s been in early access all this year but the first full release of EA’s revamp of the Skate franchise is supposed to happen at sometime this year, bringing with it a significant amount of new content.

TBA – Star Wars: Galactic Racer (PS5/XSX/PC)
A new sequel to Star Wars: Episode I – Racer may be low-key the biggest surprise from The Game Awards, especially as it’s set during the sequel trilogy, which most media so far tend to avoid.

Possible video games for 2026

Splatoon Raiders (NS2)
There’s still no clue as to what this spin-off is or when it will be released, but the obvious guess is it’s another attempt to make a single-player mode that’s just as much fun as the multiplayer.

Judas (XSX/PS5/PC)
This new game from the creator of Bioshock seems to have disappeared from radar screens but hopefully it’s relatively imminent. We’d settle for some news on Bioshock 4 this year too.

Pokémon Gen X
Last year’s Pokémon Legends: Z-A was a positive step forward for the franchise, so we’re cautiously optimistic about the next mainline entry, which if it’s not released this year should at least be announced.

Half-Life 3
Incredibly, we have been able to upgrade this long-awaited sequel from unlikely to likely, although that may be stretching things a bit. Nevertheless, there are a lot of rumours that it, or at least some kind of Half-Life game, is going to be a launch game for the Steam Machine in the first half of the year.

Unlikely video games for 2026

Tomb Raider: Catalyst
The new Tomb Raider finally has a name, but it’s confirmed that it won’t be out until next year. Hopefully we’ll get some more info soon, but perhaps not until after the launch of the remake.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Sony has confirmed that there is no chance Naughty Dog’s new game will be out this year, although there’s a good chance it’s aiming to be 2027’s big Christmas game.

Persona 6
We bet on this being unveiled last year and it never happened but surely it must get announced at some point in 2026. When it’ll be released is a mystery, but it certainly won’t be until at least next year.

The Elder Scrolls 6
2028 still seems the most likely release date for Bethesda’s impossibly overdue sequel and if that’s true it wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise if we didn’t even get a preview of it this year.

Mass Effect 4
BioWare’s next role-playing game is hardly any less anticipated, or late, and they have much more riding on its success, but there’s little to suggest we’ll see any of it this year, let alone its release.

The Witcher 4
CD Projekt has confirmed that The Witcher 4 will not be out this year but it’s unclear what’s happened to the remake of The Witcher 1, which did seem as if it was meant to be out a lot sooner. With no word on it so far though it’s also unlikely for this year.

Kingdom Hearts 4
Another sequel that’s missing in action for another year. As with these others, if we’ve not even seen an announce trailer yet then the chances of a launch in 2026 is non-existent.

Ōkami 2
There’s been no further info on this Capcom sequel since it was announced, so the best you can hope for this year is a proper trailer and perhaps a hint of a release date.

Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic
The director has disputed claims that this won’t be out until 2030 but whenever it arrives it certainly won’t be this year, and even a new trailer is probably unlikely.

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