From GTA 6 to Wolverine, the most anticipated releases of 2026

We're halfway through 2026, and the rest of the year is still full of games. I think this is mostly due to the huge launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, which throws a huge spanner in everyone else's release plans, but it does mean we're in for a particularly rough start to late summer, and probably a pretty packed start to 2027.

there is loads There are some exciting titles coming in the coming months, including a new Gears of War, a revamped Call of Duty, and Insomniac's Wolverine.

10

Halo: Evolving the Campaign

xbox

July 28, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a new, modernized version of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, built on Unreal Engine 5. An early look at this version showed a lot of promise and reimagines this classic for a new generation.

But this isn't just an aesthetic overhaul, there are new weapons, a new skull modifier (the ability to play the entire game in third person, three completely new missions, and more). This is the old Halo in a new frame.

9

Marvel Token: Battle of the Soul

Arc System Works

August 6, 2026

From the creators of Guilty Gear comes a new Marvel fighting game. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is unlike anything else in the Marvel universe, with an aesthetic that reimagines a cast of familiar characters with sleek new designs and visuals.

Arc System Works has inspired a whole new collection of Marvel fans by including popular franchises like Green Goblin and Carnage, which are glimpsed in the latest trailer.

8

Resonance: The Legacy of the Plague Story

August 27, 2026

I played a few hours of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy just a few weeks ago, and it's clearly a spin-off of the main game series with a greater focus on combat than its predecessor. You can read more about my experience with the game here, but for the sake of clarity, my verdict is that this Resonance is basically an action movie version of the mainline game.

Expect faster pace, more extreme set pieces, and plenty of bizarre mythology.

7

control resonance

September 24, 2026

My colleague Jade King recently worked on a preview build of Control Resonant. She noted that fans may have been worried about which direction the sequel to Remedy Entertainment's primary Control would go, but they can rest assured that it turns out the studio knows exactly what it's doing.

“The shift to melee-focused character action may completely change your combat style, but the excitement that oozes from each environment and every line of dialogue remains,” Jade wrote in the full preview, which you can read here.

6

Dawnwalker's Blood

September 2, 2026

The more I read about The Blood Of Dawnwalker, the more curious I become. This is essentially The Witcher 4 but with vampires. Set in dark 14th-century Europe, it looks as clunky and miserable as all good video games should. Rebel Wolves' debut title has all the makings of a classic RPG, but it adds so little that it's anyone's guess how good it will actually be.

I'm completely blown away by the aesthetic, writing, and concept of this piece, so look out for it when it comes out later this year (hahaha). Another potentially outstanding title packed into one of the busiest Septembers I can remember.

5

Phantom Blade Zero

October 28, 2026

With a flashy new teaser on PlayStation, Phantom Blade Zero is quietly making its way to Steam for fans of action role-playing games. Our Sam Woods played this way in 2025. S-Games' title may have felt like the original Souls-like, but he compared it favorably to games like Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry in the preview.

It has the potential to be another martial arts hit like Where Winds Meet and Black Myth: Wukong.

4

Gears of War: E-Day

xbox

October 6, 2026

I keep forgetting that Gears of War: E-Day is coming out this year. This is probably just because this year has been so busy, but it's also probably the thing I'm most quietly looking forward to. I have a lot of fond memories of playing Gears of War as a teenager, and although I haven't been to space in quite some time, I couldn't be any better than returning to a game that bills itself as “the gritty origin story of one of the most acclaimed third-person shooter franchises.” I give a gold star and a lollipop to the person who writes such a PR article. Because I was all in.

I really hope the game focuses on the full brutality of the so-called 'Emergence Day', when the terrible Locust emerges from the land and begins destroying Serah. And from the trailers we've seen so far, they seem to capture that always thrilling 'day one' vibe.

3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

October 23, 2026

I feel like I say this almost every year, but could Call of Duty be back? Following the massive success of Battlefield 6, Activision appears to be trying a new strategy. many It's a textbook page count, including (obviously) discarding strange skins. Nicki Minaj is no longer parachuting overhead.

But it also looks like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 is an upgrade in the way it does for the franchise. Sometimes it takes big leaps in graphical modernization and gameplay quality of life to keep your audience happy. We think it looks cool, but as always, Call of Duty has to do that. too much To regain our trust.

2

Marvel's Wolverine

September 15, 2026

I've been spending a lot of time writing about Marvel's Wolverine over the past few days (mainly dissecting the September release window entirely), and even though I'm not a Marvel fan, I've started to wander around. In fact, Wolverine might be the game I play on my new PS5 before I jump into GTA6.

My only hope is that Insomniac's writing can match the supposedly grittier world of Logan, and that the descriptions of “brutal” and “violent” live up to my expectations. To be fair, some moments in the trailer are downright brutal, like Wolverine jumping off a building and sinking his claws into a random grunt. Of course, Marvel's Wolverine is something worth seeing.

1

grand theft auto 6

November 19, 2026

Ah, Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally here. The release date is now completely 100% confirmed, with pre-orders starting soon. surely? I feel sorry for the developers. How do you say goodbye to a project like this? What is something that took years to develop at astronomical costs and is widely considered to be the single most expensive piece of media ever created?

I have no idea. It will never end. But eventually you just have to let go and let the players do the rest. After a long wait and months of hype, we'll finally be able to play Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year.