My Most Anticipated Games of 2026
2025 was a rich year for gaming experiences. There were numerous big-budget projects, as well as those produced by smaller studios. With each passing year, it seems like the quality bar for games rises even higher. What will it be in 2026? Let’s explore some of the best games expected this year with a list of my most anticipated games of 2026.
Resident Evil Requiem
Release Date: February 27, 2026 | Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
For a long time, I wasn’t too fond of horror games. Resident Evil was one of the franchises that I discovered fairly recently and became a fan of, even with its many horror and jump-scare moments.
Resident Evil Requiem will be available to play in February. The ninth installment in the main series of the franchise is meant to feel like a mix of the best things from previous games with modern mechanics. As part of further developing the series, Capcom decided to look back at the entire history of the franchise. They decided that the best possible direction forward is to connect the past with the present. This is a series that has constantly given players a new story with new characters, sometimes successfully, sometimes controversially, but always with ambition and quality.
In Resident Evil Requiem, we will be able to play as FBI technical analyst Grace Ashcroft, and it is a smart move. This brings in a character that is a part of the legacy of Resident Evil through her mother, who was a part of this universe, making her a first-time playable character.
From what we know so far, she’s trained, intelligent, and capable, but she’s not a superhero or a Deus Ex Machina of this universe. That alone will make each mission with her as dangerous and as important as they can be. The horror comes from not knowing what you’re walking into, from piecing together clues while something watches you from the dark. You will never know what will happen next.
Another good addition is the ability to switch between first-person and third-person as well as playing missions as the iconic Leon S. Kennedy, who returns as a main character. It will let players decide how close they want to be to the horror. Because Grace’s story will be closer to survival horror, and Leon’s will be a thriller-detective.
Resident Evil Requiem is one of the most anticipated games of 2026 for me. As well as a likely contender for GOTY, all thanks to the previous games that were constantly recognized for their story, characters, and overall quality.
007 First Light
Release Date: May 27, 2026 | Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
For a long time, we didn’t get a proper James Bond game. There were attempts to try and recreate the iconic movies with Daniel Craig in the form of games, but they were really mediocre, even bad. This time, we’ll finally get a true 007 game, which tells a new story and is created by a known studio.
007 First Light immediately creates excitement because it finally understands that James Bond doesn’t need to copy the movies to work as a game. Bond is a professional, a spy who survives because he plans, adapts, and thinks faster than his enemies.
But this version of Bond is younger. Patrick Gibson (known from his role as young Dexter Morgan in Dexter: Original Sin) will play the legendary 007 and help tell us the story of James Bond’s origin, joining MI6 and stopping his first enemies.
IO Interactive is responsible for the popular Hitman games. Their strength has always been giving players freedom within carefully structured maps, letting them feel clever rather than powerful, by giving them multiple options to achieve their goal. But with the upcoming 007 game, it will be a mix of those mechanics, with a partially opened world and paced action. There won’t be jumping from map to map without cutscenes, funny dialogues, or hiding. Each time, players will have to think like 007 and act like a secret agent, which is already fun when you think about it.
This version of Bond is younger. He isn’t a flawless Casanova MI6 icon yet. He’s still learning, making mistakes, and earning his reputation as one of the best agents in the field. That makes every mission feel meaningful, as well as its outcome. All because not every mission we go through will be a success. Sometimes, all that will matter is the idea of staying invisible or not making a lot of mess.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Release Date: May 29, 2026 | Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is proof that not every anticipated game needs to be epic or serious. Sometimes hype comes from comfort and trust in the company. All of it starts with the feeling of stepping into a world that’s playful, familiar, and full of charm. The Lego games have always been good at this, even when they started with their first Lego Batman game.
This time, we’re revisiting the world of the Dark Knight, but with the modern twist on Lego games, including dialogues, a bigger open world, and a bigger feeling of immersion.
It is known that Gotham is a city full of dark, mysterious corners, iconic locations, and unforgettable villains. Seeing it recreated with the connection to the iconic Batman projects (both movies and games), once again in Lego form, allows us to experience the beloved moments from the projects in the coziest way possible.
One moment you’ll be solving a puzzle in Christopher Nolan’s Batcave, the next you’re chasing Danny DeVito’s Penguin through Gotham streets in Michael Keaton’s Batmobile.
All of it is great, and it makes this game worth waiting for. It really celebrates Batman’s legacy and opens new doors to celebrate the love for the Dark Knight.
Grand Theft Auto VI
Release Date: November 19, 2026 | Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
It is no secret that for many, the most anticipated game of 2026 is Grand Theft Auto VI. After all these years, and many remasters of GTA V, it is finally time to get ready to once again feel the same chill, emotions, and cockiness that we’ve felt back in the day, 12–13 years ago.
This is not just another game release or a special project premiere. GTA VI’s premiere is, undoubtedly, the most important moment in gaming history. Rockstar doesn’t release games often, but when they do, the entire industry feels it. Exactly like it was with GTA V or Red Dead Redemption II. Everything suggests that Rockstar knows what players want and how high the expectations are. This is the great challenge for them.
In GTA VI, we will return to Vice City (Miami in real life) once again, and it is exciting because it allows Rockstar to mix the nostalgia of GTA: Vice City with the modern world, challenges, and changes in the world. It is not the same city we remember. It’s louder, darker, and more chaotic.
The playable protagonists of the game are Jason and Lucia, whose story will be more personal and emotionally driven. The criminal part of their story was inspired by the iconic crime duo Bonnie & Clyde, and the emotional part of it was inspired very likely by Thelma & Louise.
GTA VI already looks ready to push all limits even further and bring home every award possible. By creating smarter NPCs, deeper mechanics, and a world that reacts to you constantly with the addition of modern world “iconic” negative events, the immersion will be bigger than ever.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Release Date: Late 2026 | Platforms: PlayStation 5
Whenever Insomniac Games develops a game, we know it’s going to be a banger. That’s the same feeling with Marvel’s Wolverine, which, after long years in development and many leaks, will finally premiere in 2026.
It’s an important game because we’re finally going beyond the boundaries of having to save New York as Spider-Man. This time, Wolverine (voiced by Liam McIntyre) will help in many different locations around the world. He’s angry, broken, tired, and devastated by years of violence and loss. This is finally an opportunity for Insomniac to explore a much darker hero and give us an even darker story with not much of a chance for a happy ending.
The shift in tone compared to Spider-Man games is a big reason this project is so exciting. Spider-Man is fast, colorful, and hopeful. Wolverine is slow, heavy, and brutal. Every fight looks personal. You’re not dancing and dodging around enemies; you’re standing your ground and taking hits. Combat like that can tell a story on its own, especially when paired with a character like Logan.
What really builds my anticipation is Insomniac’s track record. They know how to tell character-driven stories without losing gameplay focus. If they let Wolverine’s past, guilt, and rage shape the narrative, this could be something rare in superhero games. Not just another superhero game with references to the comic books but a new study of the character that creates a new story and a new lore.
That’s all for my most anticipated games of 2026
What games are you looking forward to the most this year? Let us know on social media @MyCosmicCircus or join our Patreon and Discord to discuss with others!
Also check out: Marvel Video Games I’d Love to See
