#1. Grand Theft Auto VI — 19 November 2026 (Coming)
Developer / publisher: Rockstar Games · Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S · Status: Not yet released
The defining anticipation event of the decade, and now a genuinely near-term one. GTA VI returns the series to Vice City and is the first new mainline entry since 2013 — a gap long enough that a whole generation of players has never bought a GTA at launch. Rockstar's marketing has been deliberately sparse, which has done nothing to reduce demand; if anything it has concentrated it.
It also won Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards in consecutive years, which is the clearest official signal available that this is the title the industry expects to define 2026. Note that no Steam listing exists for it: this is a console-first release, so wishlist data for it is not comparable to the PC titles further down this list.
#2. Resident Evil Requiem — 27 February 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: Capcom · Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC · Status: Released
Capcom's ninth mainline Resident Evil was the first of the year's heavy hitters to arrive, and it arrived early enough to set the tone for everything after it. It carries the series back toward the survival-horror register of the older games while keeping the modern over-the-shoulder combat that began with Resident Evil 4's remake.
A Switch 2 version was added alongside the main platforms, and Capcom has continued supporting the game with amiibo releases through the summer — a sign of a long tail rather than a launch-and-move-on product.
#3. 007 First Light — 27 May 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: IO Interactive · Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC; Nintendo Switch 2 in summer 2026 · Status: Released
IO Interactive — the studio behind Hitman — building a Bond origin story is one of the more natural pairings in recent memory, and it was the second-most-anticipated game of 2026 by The Game Awards' reckoning. The pitch: a young James Bond earning his licence to kill, with stealth and social infiltration carrying more weight than pure gunplay.
Its release history is itself part of the story. The game was delayed into the window GTA VI had vacated, which put it opposite nothing — a scheduling move that almost certainly helped it launch cleanly on 27 May.
#4. Marvel's Wolverine — 15 September 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment · Platforms: PlayStation 5 · Status: Released
Insomniac's follow-up to its Spider-Man games, and the first time the studio has applied that template to a character whose whole appeal is the opposite of Peter Parker's: less quip, more damage. Sony confirmed the 15 September date in February 2026, ending years of speculation that had been running since the project was announced in 2021.
It is a PlayStation 5 exclusive, which makes it the most platform-restricted entry on this list — and the reason it does not appear in PC wishlist data.
#5. Phantom Blade Zero — 29 October 2026 (Coming)
Developer / publisher: S-GAME · Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) · Status: Not yet released
A dark wuxia action game from a Chinese studio, and the title most often described as 2026's most-wishlisted game — a claim that circulates widely in the press but that we cannot confirm through an official Valve ranking, so treat it as a reported signal rather than a verified one.
What is verified: S-GAME moved the game from 9 September 2026 to 29 October 2026, a delay the studio's creative director announced directly, and pre-orders opened on 12 August across PS5, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Steam currently lists 28 October for the same release; the publisher's own site says 29 October.
#6. Gears of War: E-Day — 6 October 2026 (Coming)
Developer / publisher: The Coalition / Xbox Game Studios · Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC; Xbox Game Pass day one · Status: Not yet released
A prequel set on Emergence Day, the catastrophe that started the entire Gears of War timeline, with Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago back as the leads. Xbox has confirmed 6 October 2026 and a day-one Game Pass release, with early access opening on 1 October.
It is also an Xbox console exclusive, which makes it the only entry here that PlayStation owners cannot play at launch at all. One practical note from the technical side: the game requires a GPU with hardware ray-tracing support, which is a higher floor than the series has ever set.
#7. Crimson Desert — 19 March 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: Pearl Abyss · Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S · Status: Released
Pearl Abyss spent years building this single-player open-world action game after making its name in MMOs, and the result was one of the year's most closely watched releases. It is also unusual for a launch that was followed immediately by a further push: its DLC, "Charting the Unknown", was itself delayed to 29 October 2026.
For readers tracking the year rather than just the next seven weeks, Crimson Desert is a useful marker of what 2026 actually delivered — a big-budget open world from a studio that had never shipped one before.
#8. Nioh 3 — 5 February 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: Koei Tecmo · Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S · Status: Released
Team Ninja's third Nioh brought the series to a significantly wider platform set than its predecessors, including Xbox for the first time, and it opened the year's release calendar in early February. For action-game players, it was the title that set the 2026 baseline for combat depth in January and February.
#9. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection — 12 March 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: Capcom · Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S · Status: Released
Capcom's turn-based, monster-collecting branch of Monster Hunter continues to carve out its own audience, distinct from the mainline hunting games. Note the Switch 2 version — 2026 has been the year Nintendo's new hardware moved from launch window into a genuine multi-platform target, and this is one of several titles on this list that shipped on it.
#10. Subnautica 2 — 14 May 2026 (Out now)
Developer / publisher: Unknown Worlds Entertainment · Platforms: PC, consoles · Status: Released
The underwater survival sequel had a genuinely rocky run to launch, and given that history, it arriving at all in 2026 is itself notable. It closes out the ten as the year's clearest example of a long-awaited sequel that finally shipped rather than slipping into the next calendar year.
Still to come before 2026 ends
The 2026 calendar is not finished after GTA VI. Two further major releases are locked for December, both on 3 December 2026: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV from KING Art, the long-demanded return of the real-time strategy series, and Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World from Square Enix. Deadlock, Valve's third-person shooter, remains without a release date at all — Valve lists it simply as "to be announced" — which is exactly why it does not appear in the ten above: an unrated release window cannot be ranked against dated titles.
Looking ahead to 2027
Two of the biggest known titles have already moved past this year. Fable arrives on 23 February 2027 from Playground Games, the first entry in the series since 2012. Ananta, NetEase and Naked Rain's open-world RPG, lands on 15 January 2027 across PC, PS5, iOS and Android — with the studio confirming it will not be a gacha game, a positioning choice that has been central to its pre-release coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Which game is the most anticipated of 2026?
Grand Theft Auto VI. It won Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards in consecutive years and releases on 19 November 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Which of these have already been released in 2026?
Seven of the ten: Resident Evil Requiem (27 February), Nioh 3 (5 February), Monster Hunter Stories 3 (12 March), Crimson Desert (19 March), Subnautica 2 (14 May), 007 First Light (27 May) and Marvel's Wolverine (15 September).
When does Grand Theft Auto VI come out?
19 November 2026, per Rockstar Games, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. No PC version has been announced.
Is Fable a 2026 game?
No. Fable is dated 23 February 2027 by Playground Games, which puts it outside this list.
Why is Deadlock not on the list?
Because Valve has not announced a release date. It is a genuinely major upcoming title, but it cannot be placed on a 2026 calendar that Valve itself has left open.
Do these dates take time zones into account?
Not perfectly. Storefront listings and publisher announcements can differ by one day — Steam shows Nioh 3 on 5 February while some outlets report 6 February, and Phantom Blade Zero's own site says 29 October while its Steam listing says 28 October. Where that happens, we have used the publisher's own date.