[0:00] Grand Theft Auto 6, Marvel's Wolverine,
[0:02] Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time remake.
[0:05] These are just the tip of the iceberg of
[0:08] titles that are slated to come out in
[0:10] the second half of 2026. September alone
[0:13] has dozens of exciting releases that
[0:16] we're eager to try out. You yourself may
[0:18] be trying to pass through which games
[0:20] should be at the top of your mustplay
[0:23] list. So, as such, we pulled the
[0:25] GameSpot staff to lock in our most
[0:28] anticipated titles for the rest of the
[0:30] year.
[0:31] Brought to you by Xbox.
[0:35] There are a number of people on staff at
[0:38] GameSpot that really dig 2021's Kenner
[0:41] Bridge of Spirits, the action adventure
[0:43] title from Ember Lab, the first game
[0:45] from a studio known for doing animation
[0:47] work in the ad and film industries prior
[0:50] to its release. As such, the game
[0:52] sequel, Scars of Cosmora, was on many of
[0:55] our most anticipated lists. This sequel
[0:58] will take protagonist Kenna to the
[1:00] mysterious island of Cosmora, where she
[1:02] will partner with new spirit companions
[1:05] to harness the powers of the elements.
[1:07] Not much is known about the game, and we
[1:09] don't have a firm release date beyond a
[1:11] general 2026 window, but when it does
[1:14] release, it will be a PlayStation 5
[1:16] exclusive. Never bet against From
[1:20] Software. After some initial skepticism
[1:22] around last year's Elder Ring Night
[1:24] Reign leading up to that game's release,
[1:26] a ton of team members really connected
[1:28] with it enough to get it in our top 10
[1:30] of 2025. With that in mind, we're hoping
[1:33] that the Dusk Bloods with its PvPVE
[1:36] gameplay will be just as surprising.
[1:39] Players will become a supernatural being
[1:42] known as a blood sworn of dusk. They
[1:44] will then drop into matches with up to
[1:46] eight total players to compete for the
[1:48] title of first blood. The maps for the
[1:50] game will be an amalgamation of
[1:52] different time periods, making for a
[1:54] unique hodgepodge of different
[1:56] aesthetics. While most matches will be
[1:58] determined by the last player standing,
[2:00] different actions will award players
[2:02] with victory points, which they can then
[2:04] use in the hub world to purchase
[2:06] upgrades for their character. The Dusk
[2:08] Bloods doesn't have a release date
[2:10] beyond the window of 2026, but will be
[2:13] receiving a closed network test this
[2:16] summer. And when it does eventually
[2:17] launch, it'll be a Nintendo Switch 2
[2:19] exclusive. We might know next to nothing
[2:23] about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of
[2:25] Time remake, but we're excited for it
[2:27] nonetheless, considering the original is
[2:29] frequently cited, including by many at
[2:32] GameSpot, as one of the best video games
[2:34] ever made. How does it differ from the
[2:36] original? Will it feature new mechanics?
[2:38] When exactly does it come out? These are
[2:41] questions we're dying to know the
[2:43] answers to. But so far, all we know is
[2:45] that it will come to Nintendo Switch 2
[2:47] exclusively at some point in 2026.
[2:51] Any new game from Pokémon developer Game
[2:54] Freak is bound to grab our attention,
[2:56] but there's a lot that we've seen from
[2:58] Beast of Reincarnation that piqus our
[3:00] curiosity even further. Set in the
[3:03] far-flung future in a post-apocalyptic
[3:05] Japan, where a blight has infected the
[3:08] flora and fauna of the region. The fate
[3:10] of the country lies in the hands of
[3:12] Emma, who can cleanse the blight by
[3:14] sealing it in her own body. Her journey
[3:16] will push her to face the titular beast
[3:18] of reincarnation, the source of the
[3:20] blight. Wielding a katana against those
[3:23] that oppose her along her path. In
[3:25] addition to real-time sword combat, the
[3:28] game will feature abilities via Emma's
[3:30] companion coup that slow down time when
[3:32] sorting through them. Allah, the Final
[3:34] Fantasy 7 remake series. Between its
[3:37] gameplay, setting, and the development
[3:39] studio, we're fascinated to find out if
[3:41] Game Freak has another hit on its hands.
[3:43] Beast of Reincarnation releases on
[3:46] August 3rd for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series
[3:49] X and S. Untitled Goose Game was a title
[3:53] that captured the hearts of many on the
[3:55] team when it released in 2019. So, of
[3:58] course, we're excited to see what its
[4:00] developer House House has in store for
[4:02] us with Big Walk, a multiplayer title
[4:04] that has players taking control of
[4:06] cartoon characters as they navigate a
[4:08] realistic looking open world based off
[4:10] of a national park in Australia. Big
[4:13] Walk is a game about discovery. Players
[4:15] can work in up to groups of 12 to solve
[4:18] various puzzles scattered throughout the
[4:20] world with novel ways of communicating
[4:22] that make this look like the next big
[4:24] friend slop title. Complimentary Big
[4:27] Walk is coming to PC, Mac, PS5, and
[4:29] Nintendo Switch 2 on August 4th. It's
[4:33] safe to say that if Faraxis were making
[4:35] a new XCOM game in 2026, it' be featured
[4:39] on this list. However, a Star Wars
[4:41] tactics game from former Fraus employees
[4:44] has us just as excited. Set during the
[4:47] Clone Wars, players can take control of
[4:49] a customizable character known as Hawks,
[4:51] who commands a variety of other
[4:53] characters on the battlefield to face
[4:55] off against numerous threats. Players
[4:57] limited by how many action points they
[4:59] can spend in a given turn. Players can
[5:01] also customize their own Astramax, which
[5:04] will provide support during encounters.
[5:06] And depending on how said encounters go,
[5:09] characters can be gravely injured or
[5:12] even die with the story adjusting
[5:14] depending on how things play out. Star
[5:16] Wars Zero Company will be releasing on
[5:19] August 27th for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series
[5:23] X and S. Many on the team at GameSpot
[5:26] are fans of Hazellight's co-op only
[5:28] titles such as It Takes 2 and Split
[5:30] Fiction, so naturally we're highly
[5:33] anticipating Orbitals, a throwback to
[5:35] the anime of yesterday year that
[5:37] features similar gameplay from a studio
[5:39] headed by former Hazelite staffers. Two
[5:42] players will take control of Mari and
[5:44] Omura, two young galactic explorers that
[5:46] must save their space station from being
[5:48] trapped in deep space. Like the Hazelite
[5:51] games, the players will utilize numerous
[5:53] different mechanics and gadgets to solve
[5:55] a variety of puzzles, platforming
[5:57] sections, and combat encounters.
[6:00] Orbitals will launch exclusively for
[6:02] Nintendo Switch 2 on September 3rd. Like
[6:05] many, multiple GameSpot staffers are
[6:08] huge fans of Insomniac's Spider-Man
[6:10] titles. So, of course, we're eagerly
[6:12] anticipating the studio taking a stab
[6:15] literally at Wolverine. Set in the same
[6:17] universe as the Marvel Spider-Man games,
[6:20] Marvel's Wolverine establishes the fact
[6:22] that in this world there are no X-Men.
[6:25] Instead, the clawed mutant is a part of
[6:27] a rag tag group known as Team X that
[6:30] looks to protect other mutants from the
[6:32] few humans that are aware of their
[6:34] existence and are out to eradicate them.
[6:36] While there are no X-Men, other
[6:39] characters from the comics such as Gan
[6:41] Gray, Saber-Tooth Mystique, and others
[6:43] will be making an appearance. Marvel's
[6:45] Wolverine will be an utter gorefest with
[6:48] interesting mechanics that revolve
[6:50] around the character's healing factor,
[6:51] making it a rather large departure from
[6:54] the Spider-Man titles. Wolverine will
[6:56] launch exclusively for PlayStation 5 on
[6:59] September 15th. While many on the team
[7:02] adore Fire Emblem 3 Houses, those same
[7:05] people also feel as if the following
[7:07] release in the franchise Engage was a
[7:10] step back for the series. As such, we're
[7:12] hoping that the upcoming Fortunes Weave
[7:15] takes some big swings like some of the
[7:17] most memorable games in the series. Set
[7:20] in the same world as Three Houses,
[7:21] Fortunes Weave follows four characters
[7:24] as they compete in a tournament known as
[7:26] the Heroic Games, where the winner will
[7:28] be granted a wish. Between matches,
[7:30] players can spend their time recruiting
[7:32] new allies, exploring dungeons, and
[7:35] fighting NDwells across the Dagdan
[7:37] Empire. Then, players will throw down in
[7:39] the games, leading armies of their
[7:41] collective forces against other
[7:43] competitors in the hopes of being
[7:45] crowned champion. Fire Emblem Fortunes
[7:47] weave will release for Nintendo Switch 2
[7:50] on September 17th. There seems to be no
[7:53] stopping the resurgence of the Silent
[7:55] Hill franchise with the critically
[7:57] acclaimed back-to-back releases of two
[8:00] remake and F in 2024 and 2025,
[8:03] respectively. Can Konami go for the
[8:06] hat-tick with this year's Silent Hill
[8:08] Townfall? We at GameSpot are itching to
[8:10] find out. Set in the fictional misty
[8:13] town of St. Amelia in Scotland in the
[8:15] mid '90s. Townfall follows Simon Ordell
[8:18] who must uncover the secrets of St.
[8:20] Amelia as well as his own secret
[8:22] connections to the location if he hopes
[8:24] to escape from it alive. Played from a
[8:27] firsterson perspective, Simon will have
[8:30] limited combat opportunities. the game
[8:32] revolving more around his ability to
[8:34] avoid the hellish inhabitants that have
[8:36] set up shop in the town, as well as
[8:38] using a handheld CRTV to help solve
[8:41] puzzles and keep an eye on the various
[8:43] monsters he can encounter. Silent Hill
[8:45] Townfall will release on PC and
[8:47] PlayStation 5 on September 24th. The
[8:50] next game from Remedy Entertainment
[8:53] actually received the most votes out of
[8:55] any other title for our most anticipated
[8:58] game among staff that were pulled. And
[9:00] perhaps that's no surprise when the
[9:02] studio's first two entries in its
[9:04] connected universe, Control and Allen
[9:07] Awake 2, both made our top 10 games of
[9:09] the year in their respective release
[9:11] years. In this sequel to the 2019 title,
[9:14] players will take control of Dylan
[9:16] Feden, brother to Jesse, the protagonist
[9:18] of the first game. Unlike his sister who
[9:21] stepped into the oldest house and
[9:23] wielded the ranged service weapon
[9:25] against the invading Hiss, Dylan will be
[9:27] stepping out into New York City with the
[9:30] melee focused aberrant. Not only does he
[9:32] have to find his missing sister, the
[9:34] director of the Federal Bureau of
[9:36] Control, but he must find a way to
[9:38] prevent Manhattan from folding in on
[9:40] itself thanks to an alternate
[9:42] dimensional leak from the FBC's
[9:44] headquarters. Control Resonant will be
[9:46] available on PC, Mac, PS5, and Xbox
[9:50] Series X and S also on September 24th.
[9:54] Not only has it been 20 years since the
[9:57] last Animia game, but 2026 has been a
[10:00] banger year for Capcom releases from
[10:02] Monster Hunter Stories 3 to Resident
[10:05] Evil Reququum and Pragmata. Therefore,
[10:08] we're eager to find out whether the
[10:09] publisher can go four for four with
[10:11] Onimusha Way of the Sword. Way of the
[10:13] Sword follows Miiamoto Mousashi as he
[10:16] battles against demonic forces in Kyoto
[10:18] during the Edeto period. Mousashi can
[10:21] then absorb the souls of those demons
[10:22] with his gauntlet after cutting them
[10:24] down with his sword with different
[10:26] colored souls having different effects
[10:28] such as replenishing health or executing
[10:30] certain attacks. Onimusha Way of the
[10:33] Sword releases on September 25th for PC,
[10:36] PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and
[10:40] Nintendo Switch 2. After integrating the
[10:43] storied franchise into the critically
[10:45] acclaimed roglike Dead Cells with the
[10:47] expansion Return to Castlevania,
[10:49] developer Evil Empire is getting a full
[10:52] vampiric bite at the apple with a brand
[10:55] new entry in Konami's long-standing
[10:57] series with Castlevania Belmont's curse.
[11:00] The game is centered around Rose
[11:02] Belmont, daughter to Trevor Belmont and
[11:04] Cipher Belnades, two of the leads of
[11:06] Castlevania 3, as well as the animated
[11:09] Netflix series. Set 23 years after the
[11:12] events of the third game in the
[11:14] franchise, Dracula's castle descends
[11:16] upon Paris, and it is up to the young
[11:18] Belmont to wield her father's whip in an
[11:20] effort to defend the city. It's been too
[11:23] long since we've gotten a proper 2D
[11:25] Castlevania game, so we hope getting
[11:27] some of the best rogue light architects
[11:29] in the business to develop it fills our
[11:32] insatiable hunger for such an
[11:34] experience. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
[11:36] comes to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and
[11:40] S on October 15th, with a Nintendo
[11:42] Switch version slated for release at
[11:44] some point later in the year. While GTA
[11:48] 6 came second to Control Resident in
[11:50] terms of most anticipated from our team,
[11:53] of course, this potentially
[11:55] groundbreaking game was going to be on
[11:57] most of our lists. GTA 6 brings the
[12:00] franchise back to Vice City and the
[12:02] wider state of Leonida with players
[12:04] taking control of two protagonists,
[12:07] Jason and Lucia, as they navigate a life
[12:09] of crime. While we know about others in
[12:11] the main cast, as well as the regions
[12:13] we'll be exploring in the game, there's
[12:14] very little officially known about what
[12:17] improvements we can expect from its
[12:18] gameplay and if we can expect any calls
[12:21] from our cousin to go bowling. But
[12:23] needless to say, we're champing at the
[12:25] bit to learn more, as are hundreds of
[12:27] millions of other people on planet
[12:29] Earth. Barring another delay, Grand
[12:32] Theft Auto 6 will release for
[12:34] PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S on
[12:37] November 19th. And those are GameSpot's
[12:40] most anticipated games for the rest of
[12:42] 2026. Of course, there are numerous
[12:45] other titles releasing, many we're also
[12:47] excited about, but these are the 14 that
[12:50] were on a majority of lists. For
[12:52] coverage around all these games and
[12:54] more, stay right here on GameSpot.