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Top 10 games 2026: The best new releases for PC, PS5, Xbox & Switch
The video game year 2026 has a number of highlights in store for fans of RPGs, open-world games and other genres. We present the 10 most important games that will be released in 2026.
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The 2025 gaming year is slowly entering the home straight and has given us numerous gaming highlights such as Hades 2, Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei and many more. But 2026 goes one better. These are the 10 hottest games of 2026 you can look forward to.
01
GTA 6 / Grand Theft Auto VI
- Release: 19 November 2026
- Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
- Genre: Open world
GTA VI once again takes us to the neon-drenched streets of Vice City
© Rockstar Games
After several postponements and an eternity of waiting, the time has finally come on 19 November 2026. That's when the new open-world highlight GTA 6 from Rockstar Games will finally be released.
GTA 6, or Grand Theft Auto 6, will finally continue the series 13 years after the fifth instalment and everything points to the development team creating not only the biggest but also the most ambitious open-world game of all time.
With two playable characters, it's back to the fictional US metropolis of Vice City, which is inspired by Miami. In contrast to the GTA III prequel from 2002, however, you will explore the city and its surrounding areas in the modern era and discover completely new areas. GTA 6 will undoubtedly be THE most important game of 2026.
02
Resident Evil: Requiem
- Release: 27 February 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Action-adventure
Resident Evil: Requiem
© Capcom
The ninth instalment in the iconic survival horror series Resident Evil will be released at the beginning of 2026 and has what it takes to play an important role in the race for Game of the Year.
After all, Resident Evil: Requiem was honoured with numerous awards at gamescom 2025. The latest main instalment takes you back to Raccoon City, which you explore from a third or first-person perspective in the skin of smart FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft.
The ninth instalment is set to significantly increase the proportion of horror elements compared to its direct predecessors and is clearly based on the first parts of the series, which should please fans of the series.
03
Crimson Desert
- Release: 19 March 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Open world
Crimson Desert
© Pearl Abyss
The spiritual successor to Black Desert Online will be released in March 2026 after numerous postponements and promises to be one of the most exciting games of 2026.
With Crimon Desert , you can expect a gigantic and graphically impressive open-world role-playing game with a Nordic-inspired fantasy setting in which you can do whatever you feel like. In addition to varied missions and exciting puzzles, battles against all kinds of monsters and fantasy creatures are of course also on the agenda.
Crimson Desert combines elements from games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Dragon's Dogma 2 and GTA with course gameplay from Assassin's Creed Shadows to create a unique mix that should not only delight genre fans.
04
Forza Horizon 6
- Release: 2026
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Racing game
Forza Horizon 6
© Microsoft Game Studios
The open-world racing game enters the next round: not much is known about Forza Horizon 6 yet. However, we do know that the next instalment will take us to Japan and reflect the country's entire car culture. That alone is almost enough to get the Train hype going.
Part six once again focuses on a huge game world that will cover the entire spectrum, from the mountains of Mount Fuji to Tokyo and rural regions. Drift racing will also play an important role in the high-end racer, which is expected to hit PC and Xbox Series X/S in winter 2026.
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- Drifting in Japan: Two-time world rally champion Kalle Rovanperä tackles an exciting drifting challenge on Japan's Iwaki Mountain:
05
F1 2026
- Release: Summer 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Racing game
F1 25 plays even more realistically
© EA Sports / Phil Briel
UPDATE : EA has now announced that F1 26 will not be its own game for the first time. Instead, the decision was made to integrate the new Formula 1 season into the already available F1 25 as a premium update. In 2027, there will be another new game that "looks, feels and plays differently - and offers more gameplay options."
Racing game fans can look forward to another highlight in summer 2026. Even if there is no specific date yet, one thing is clear: F1 26 from Codemasters is coming and will once again realistically depict the premier class of motorsport.
The upcoming spin-off will be particularly exciting, as Formula 1 will start in the 2026 season with a completely revised set of rules and new cars. Red Bull Racing with Max Verstappen will start with brand-new Ford engines, Audi will enter Formula 1 and there will even be an additional team in the form of Cadillac. Excitement and thrilling races are therefore guaranteed, not only in reality but also on the virtual tarmac.
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- Two worlds collide: Be there in the'Red Bull Racing Road Trips' as Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen blurs the boundaries between sim and reality.
7 min
From sim to reality
Max Verstappen gets sucked into his simulator and needs to clear different levels to get to the Belgium GP.
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06
Hela
- Release: 2026
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Adventure
Hela
© Windup
Co-op fans: This one's for you! The cute adventure game Hela, in which you explore the world through the eyes of a brave mouse, will finally be released in 2026.
Shortly after its announcement, the picturesque title inspired by the Scandinavian landscape and folklore became a real surprise hit. The aim of the game is to work together with a friend to help a kind witch and save her life after a serious illness.
To achieve this, you explore beautiful landscapes, solve puzzles and fight for the good of the land. We were able to play Hela at gamescom 2025 and were thrilled by the atmospheric and heart-warming mouse adventure. This will undoubtedly be a gaming highlight for 2026! Hela can be played alone, in couch co-op or in online co-op mode.
07
007 First Light
- Release: 27 March 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Action-Adventure
007 First Light
© IO Interactive
His name is Bond. James Bond. The charismatic and world-famous secret agent has been brought out of retirement by the Hitman makers at IO Interactive and is looking forward to a brand new adventure in 007 First Light .
In First Light, the double-zero agent has to uncover a huge conspiracy and, together with his mentor Greenway, prevent an impending coup. The title tells the story of the fictional cult figure who helped the young hero rise to become the best MI6 agent of all time.
Naturally, the Hitman makers incorporate numerous elements of the stealth games centred around Agent 47. So it's up to you whether you prefer to operate quietly from the shadows or go for the kill with your weapon at the ready. In typical Bond fashion, you will of course have numerous agent gadgets and iconic vehicles at your disposal. It all starts on 27 March.
08
Marvel's Wolverine
- Release: 3rd quarter 2026
- Platforms: PlayStation 5
- Genre: Action-adventure
Marvel's Wolverine
© Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer Insomniac Games has already impressively proven with the Spider-Man games that they have a knack for superhero games. After the friendly spider from the neighbourhood, the team is now venturing into an adaptation of one of the most popular superheroes of all time: the X-Men Wolverine.
Marvel's Wolverine, which is expected to be released exclusively for PlayStation 5 in autumn 2026, will be a brand-new interpretation of the cult character and feature numerous well-known characters such as Mystique, Omega Red and many more alongside the mutant with the claws.
The game relies on the same cornerstones that already characterised the Spidey games: Fast and intense battles, impressive technology and an exciting story.
09
Fable
- Release: 2026
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Role-playing game
Fable
© Xbox Game Studios
Role-playing game fans on PC and Xbox consoles have reason to rejoice: With Fable, the Forza Horizon makers at Playground Games are finally bringing a cult game series that was thought to be lost back to the screen.
A full 16 years after Fable III, the latest instalment is a reboot of the popular RPG series, which was created in the early 2000s by Lionhead Studios under Peter Molyneux. The latest offshoot is set to focus on an impressive and detailed open world, which is bursting with the British humour typical of the series.
Once again, all your decisions will have an impact on the world of Albion, its inhabitants and the course of the story. Concrete details about the gameplay are still scarce, but the published videos already whet the appetite for more. The RPG is scheduled for release in 2026.
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- The creation of video games: Fable creator Peter Molyneux provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the development of his game Legacy in our show'Levels'.
12 min
Peter Molyneux: Legacy
Controversial gaming figure Peter Molyneux reveals all behind his newest game with a twist – Legacy.
10
Star Wars Zero Company
- Release: 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre: Strategy
Star Wars Zero Company
© EA
Star Wars Zero Company is extremely exciting in several respects. On the one hand, the new title is being created by developer studio Bit Reactor, which is made up of genre veterans who are responsible for the legendary XCOM series under the Firaxis banner (supported by Apex Legends maker Respawn Entertainment).
On the other hand, the upcoming tactical game fills a long-standing gap in the gaming world: a turn-based strategy game in the style of the aforementioned XCOM. With a dark science fiction setting, an extensive campaign and (for the first time) a Star Wars licence.
In Zero Company, you take on the role of Hawks, a disgraced Republic officer who now leads the eponymous Zero Company. A ragtag bunch of extremely dubious characters who have to stop a growing threat during the Clone Wars.
The game focuses on a gripping story, believable and highly customisable characters and unique abilities of the team members, who are made up of Astromechs and Jedi, among others. It certainly sounds like an absolute feast for strategy and Star Wars fans.
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