We’re one month into 2026, and we’re starting to see some major releases coming down the pipeline. For the most part, my wish for the year is simple: enjoy lighter, shorter games while I whittle down my backlog from last year. To that end, I’m mostly looking forward to more third-party ports for the Switch 2. Last year’s Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows proved that Nintendo’s new hardware can handle demanding titles without sacrificing much in the graphics department.
I’m also excited to revisit both Fallout 4 and Elden Ring on the go. And maybe I’ll finally give Borderlands 4 a fair shake. That’s assuming they can rid themselves of the horrendous technical problems that plagued last year’s release.
Generally, the games I play for fun tend to be RPGs or games with heavy narrative elements. But I find a lot of fun in just about any genre; even more niche sports titles or experimental indie games have a place. That being said, here are the new releases I’m most looking forward to this year:
February
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined: The original Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in the US) was one of the first games I ever played and left a profound impact on me with regard to the types of games I enjoy. I completely dipped out of the series for most of my life, favoring its more narrative-focused sibling, Final Fantasy. That was until Dragon Quest XI brought me back into the fold.Since then, I’ve slowly been working through the modern re-releases, having just finished the Dragon Quest 1+2 HD-2D Remake a few weeks ago.I’m still hoping for a remake or re-release of Dragon Quest VIII, though.
- Resident Evil Requiem: Honestly, I’m not that big of a fan of the Resident Evil series, but I did enjoy the remake of Resident Evil 2 more than I thought I would. So I’m here for another go. Though I have a strong feeling this one may sit in my backlog for a good while.
March
- World of Warcraft: Midnight: Avid readers of Gamekatsu or Gamepast probably know I have a major affinity for MMORPGs. Though it’s been years since I’ve considered WoW my “home game”—having left that world behind at the outset of Cataclysm—I still like to return for new expansion packs. I love to level my Alliance Paladin just to experiment with the new features and reconnect with old friends. As a bonus: getting access to WoW Classic with the same subscription is actually what I’m more excited to get into this year.
April
- I Am Jesus Christ: As a fairly doctrine-indifferent agnostic, I really have no idea how devout followers may view this title, but I’m completely intrigued. As far as I can tell, this is a 100% earnest effort at re-telling the biblical story of Jesus Christ in the form of a Bethesda-style open-world RPG. Jesus’s use of “miracles” as a substitute for a magic system and period-accurate recreations of cities like Jerusalem really tickle my Assassin’s Creed-addled brain. I’m actually rooting for this one to be more than a joke because I honestly find the premise quite interesting.
May
- 007 First Light: From the moment its trailer was revealed, I was onboard for this one. I’m a casual Bond fan but a major fan of Archer. So as long as I can self-roleplay as secret agent Duchess, I’ll gladly spend some time driving fancy cars, wooing gorgeous ladies, and living out the fantasy of being the world’s greatest super-spy.
- Forza Horizon 6: Simple, polished, and utterly addictive. The Forza Horizon series has grown to be my gaming comfort food; it’s something that never sounds that exciting to play, but once you actually sit down and begin going through its endless list of challenges and races, it becomes absolutely engrossing. Even if you’re someone who would normally avoid these types of games, you owe it to yourself to just try one of them.
November
- Grand Theft Auto VI: Eh, it’ll be fine, I’m sure. Look, I’m not the biggest Grand Theft Auto fan. I appreciate the sheer enormity of this project, and I love how excited everyone is for it, but having played through both IV and V multiple times, it’s sort of dawned on me that I don’t care much for the series. I’m a much bigger fan of Rockstar’s cowboy opus, Red Dead Redemption, than I am GTA. Still, you can’t lie and say you’re not excited to at least explore the infinitely detailed world that will likely go down as the most profitable piece of media ever created. Unless it’s delayed again, of course.
Unannounced Release Date
- Danganronpa 2×2: As of this writing, I’m roughly 50 hours into The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy—a game I will write about eventually, but first I must push myself through dozens more endings to get the full story. I’ve called this game the “Red Dead Redemption 2 of visual novels.” After such an ordeal, I’m really looking forward to a good old-fashioned, simple story about teenagers murdering each other again.
- Greedfall 2: A sequel to a niche RPG done up in classic BioWare fashion, the original Greedfall was a surprisingly robust tale of the evils and morals of colonialism. Despite an absolutely tiny budget, developer Spiders really went all out, settling on nothing less than creating a classic RPG in the vein of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Dragon Age: Origins. I’m really looking forward to what they can pull off with their sophomore effort.
- Scott Pilgrim EX: I’m a massive fan of Scott Pilgrim and all its various media adaptations. A sequel to the beloved side-scrolling beat ‘em up was absolutely unexpected, but with the team behind the excellent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge at the wheel, it seems we have a surefire retro hit on our hands.
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer: I can and will make a passionate argument that Star Wars: Episode I: Racer is one of the greatest Star Wars video games of all time. The original sits among F-Zero GX and the Wipeout series as one of the best ultra-fast racers, creating a feeling like you’re in the movies and in direct control of a cobbled-together engine flying 600mph through perilous courses across the galaxy.
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis: I love the Tomb Raider series, even if I consider the original PS1 releases as those types of games that are just absolutely miserable to play in modern times. The “survivor” trilogy released throughout the 2010s was absolutely phenomenal. And I’m always happy to see gaming’s leading lady back for another adventure. At the very least, I’m looking forward to this more than the Sophie Turner-backed Amazon series also set to make its debut this year.
Other Releases to Watch
The last two years have radically impacted video game release dates thanks to a combination of industry layoffs and a shifting Grand Theft Auto release date that every publisher actively moves their releases to avoid. We’ll discover more releases as the year progresses.
I’m also 99% certain we’re going to see a new mainline Pokémon game for the holidays. But other than that, the House of Mario has been somewhat quiet. Is a new 3D Mario in the works? Or the rumored remake of the Game Boy classics The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons? Will we actually see the new Sony first-party Wolverine game this year?
What are you looking forward to playing this year?