With the new year comes new games, but also the promise of titles that have tested folks' patience for months.
From the usual big-budget releases to indie titles seeking a shot at glory like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong did in 2025, 2026 has something for all tastes.
Here are the first seven of the 28 games that everyone's waiting for this year:
Grand Theft Auto VI - Nov 26, 2026
Rockstar Games's upcoming juggernaut isn't just some hot topic that will blow away—it defines the decade's gaming conversation.
Winner of the Most Anticipated Game at the 2025 Game Awards and delayed for over a decade since the release of Grand Theft Auto V in 2013, GTA 6 brings up Jason and the franchise's first female lead, Lucia—two new protagonists in a reimagined Vice City.
Resident Evil: Requiem - Feb 26, 2026
Capcom's latest offering from its iconic survival horror franchise sees a new protagonist, FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, return to Raccoon City for a case linked to her past.
Taking place 28 years after the Raccoon City destruction incident, the ninth instalment in the mainline series features tense combat, puzzles, and a choice of camera perspective.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 - 2026
After more than a decade, this fourth instalment of the real-time strategy (RTS) games from the Dawn of War series is from Iron Harvest developer King Art Games, instead of Relic, which made the other three games.
Still, it promises to be the largest game in the series yet, featuring four new factions—the Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and the Adeptus Mechanicus—more than 70 campaign missions, and a return to various modes, such as the Last Stand, Skirmish, and multiplayer.
Marvel's Wolverine - Fall 2026
This highly anticipated title comes from Insomniac Games—the studio reputed for its Spider-Man games—and is reportedly a gory homage to the Canadian anti-hero that just might be Marvel's best video game yet.
Featuring a tired Logan's narration, the trailer hints at one of Marvel's oldest characters seeking answers to questions from his past, and stopping at nothing to find them.
007: First Light - Mar 27, 2026
This James Bond origin story from the creators of Hitman: World of Assassination—arguably the best game in that franchise—could very well be a perfect example of similar franchises uniting to deliver a masterpiece.
Featuring high-speed chases and otherworldly plots, this espionage action-adventure game aims to take you to the roots of Ian Fleming's famous spy as a young buck.
Crimson Desert - Mar 19, 2026
Set in the beautiful, yet terrifying, continent of Pywel, Pearl Abyss's latest open-world action MMORPG game was first said to be a prequel to the popular game Black Desert, and later said to be a standalone game with the same themes.
Touted as one of South Korea's biggest gaming gambles yet, this game promises a good mix of open-world exploration, high-impact combat, and cinematic storytelling.
Halo: Campaign Evolved - 2026
This Halo Studios remake of Halo: Combat Evolved has turned heads because it promises to be faithful to the original, a first-person shooter from Bungie, while also while also modernising it.
Players now get HD visuals, refined controls, an online co-op mode for up to four players, three new missions, an expanded arsenal of weapons and vehicles, as well as a host of new enemies.
