Well, that’s exactly what we’re setting out to do. Here are a few recently announced titles that are sure to make 2026 and the next few years all the more exciting with their presence. Let’s get started!

1. Sons of Sparta

This one was quite a pleasant surprise, being made available right after its reveal at State of Play. If you love hard-hitting action, big set-piece battles, and a setting that goes all-in on spectacle and emotion, this one’s an absolute no-brainer.

It’s a 2D platformer that rewinds the clock, diving into a protagonist’s past as he fights alongside his brother and begins carving out his place on the battlefield. It leans heavily into tight platforming challenges, while its spear-and-shield combat proves surprisingly addictive, rewarding precision, smart parries, and well-timed evasions.

2. The Trilogy Remake

It was a welcome surprise to see the announcement land at the show, especially with a full remake project on the table for players. We’re eager to see how the updated versions modernize the classic gameplay loops, sharpen the pacing, and refine the combat feel while keeping the general flow and feel intact.

Either way, we’ll be jumping in the moment it’s playable, though it sounds like it may be a while, with development still in the early stages.

3. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

It’s always great to join one of the Belmont’s on a monster hunting adventure, and this one’s setting in Paris has us fascinated by its gothic vibe and buttery smooth combat animations. Of course, the Vampire Killer is making its return to your side along with new weapon types that let you take the fight to whatever monstrosities the game throws at you.

While details about its story are a tad scarce at this time, we’re sure that Konami and the Dead Cells team are up to the task of making it one worthy of the long-standing franchise.

4. Gothic Remake

This is another remake that we’re itching to get our hands on considering just how much work is going into making it a game that stays true to the classic RPG while modernizing it to make it appealing to a new generation of players.

With the most recent in a series of videos about its development showcasing how the team has crafted its NPC character models from the ground up, this one’s shaping up to be a very fine addition to a slew of remakes of classic titles. Even better is the fact that it’s currently scheduled for a 2026 release.

5. Samson

This one’s quite unique in that it features a man in a leather jacket literally taking on the world in order to pay off his debts and save his family. That’s easier said than done, however, as the city of Tyndalston is not an ideal place where one can earn their fair share without a little bit of violence involved.

Miss a day’s payment, and you’re even deeper in the debt trap with both the law and the lawless out to get you. This action brawler is going to keep the pressure on you, but of course, it gives you everything you need to come out on top. Just don’t expect it to give you cash or mercy.

6. Aphelion

While we’ve seen our fair share of sci-fi adventures where humanity needs to move out from the Earth thanks to hostile living conditions, we’re still excited for Aphelion as it does things a little differently. You see, it focuses on two explorers stranded on a potentially new home for their fellow humans, their ship having crashed, and one of them being injured in the process.

With two protagonists with their own abilities and skills, and a story that explores the burden of duty in a dire situation, this one could pull at your heartstrings more than you’d like to admit.

7. John Wick

It’s always going to be great to see Keanu Reeves play another video game badass after his work as Johnny Silverhand. And John Wick’s excellent take on the character’s signature gun-fu style is looking very promising in the reveal trailer at State of Play, February 2026.

Saber Interactive looks like it’s staying true to the character while bringing all of the action and chaos that seems to chase him around to the table in a title we’re excited to play, although that could take a while.

8. Knight’s Path

When life gives you lemons, you pick up a sword and wander the land in search of redemption. At least, that’s what Arlyk, the protagonist of this action-RPG set in ancient Rome, sets out to do in order to rebuild his life as a noble.

With combat that’s looking like you’re going to earn your reputation as a swordsman without comparison, this one is going to have us spending a lot of time with mechanics that are designed to make each swing or slash of your blade count. Add in an immersive world and a potentially memorable cast of characters, and you have yourself a winner.

9. Kena: Scars of Kosmora

Kena is now older, wiser, and more determined to bring her unique blend of empathy and compassion to Kosmora, a brand new location that’s opened its doors to her. She’s more confident in her role as a guide and is determined to help the living as well as the dead as she goes about her duties.

That’s good news for us as it gives us more opportunities to experience a story that hopefully retains the wit and charm of Bridge of Spirits with a combat system that seems fast, fluid, and, most importantly, fun.

10. Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2

We’re never going to say no to any opportunity to play more Metal Gear Solid, and the chance to replay MGS4 on a modern console without having to boot up our admittedly ancient PS3 is always a reason to celebrate.

And with Peace Walker retaining its online play components, this is a title we’re eager to get our hands on when August 2026 finally comes around. It’s time to round up your friends and take on a Metal Gear title that was built around cooperative play in this second addition to the Master Collection series from Konami.

11. GreedFall 2: The Dying World 1.0

The prequel to Greedfall has been in early access for a while now, but it’s finally ready to face the world this March. We’re stoked to return to Tree Fradee, a place where your choices carry wait and there’s always a bit of danger for those adventurers who care to go looking for it.

If this new title is anything like its predecessor, this one could have us spending more than a few hours finding out that our actions have consequences, and ones that we didn’t expect more often than not.

12. ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies

The spiritual successor to Disco Elysium is definitely up there with the more interesting concepts we’ve seen in recent years. You play as a former secret agent who harbors dark secrets and is now working as a PI after being forced out of the agency in disgrace.

The story is about rebuilding burned bridges as much as it is a mystery, where you need to think carefully about your actions while also paying attention to your crumbling mental state. That’s a lot to take in, but it’s going to be worth it from everything we’ve seen about this one.

13. Road to Vostok

Coming to early access in April 2026, this post-apocalyptic survival title takes you to Vostok, a harsh place in which even a silly error could mean the end of your adventure, with permadeath being a constant threat that hovers over you as you make your way through the story.

With a dynamic world that features a comprehensive weather system, multiple hostile factions all determined to give your character a premature death, and of course, a ton of loot to be gathered, Road to Vostok has us quite enthusiastic for all of it.

14. IKUMA – The Frozen Compass

Any adventure where you’re accompanied by a NPC is one that’s worth it in our book, and this one definitely caught our eye with its unique visuals and art style. You play as Sam, a boy who finds himself alone and stranded on an island in the Arctic with his loyal furry friend Ellie at his side.

Together, they must find a way home, braving all of the challenges in their way in a coming-of-age story that forces Sam to confront his past in order to ensure he has a future.

15. Project Windless

If you liked The Bird That Drinks Tears series of novels, this is a game that’s going to be a treat for you. It’s an open-world RPG set in the same universe as the books, placing you in the shoes (metaphorically, of course) of a giant humanoid bird who is armed with a pretty cool pair of dual blades and out on a mission that has you taking on several enemies who are quite skilled at coming at you from all directions based off what we’ve seen in the trailer.

This is a game that we’re eager to play thanks to its focused, single-player experience.

And that’s a wrap on our most anticipated titles for the rest of this year and perhaps a few that are going into 2027 and beyond. Of course, you can be sure you’re going to hear from us the moment new information on any one of them becomes available.

What’s next? Dropping the “2” from its name.

As announced in a Steam Community post covering the year that was, the developer felt the name to be a “little confusing at times as the game isn’t technically a sequel.” Since a “lick of paint” was required, it’s going with just GreedFall: The Dying World in the future.

“The game is still within the universe of GreedFall, so you’ll still find everything you love in it, from the lore to the story itself.”

That’s not all, of course, as Spiders is prepping an “important announcement” for the release date with more details coming in January 2026. Considering delays for content updates to improve the overall game and what’s still to come, it should be interesting to see where it lands, especially if it wants to avoid the busier second half of the year.

GreedFall 2: The Dying World is available on PC via Steam Early Access, but is also coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

“Hey! We’ve recently been informed that, like most of the industry, Spiders Games will proceed a layoff plan and sadly most of the Animation and Rig team will be affected,” wrote Perrin on LinkedIn. “If you’re looking for some talented and passionated Paris based Animator or a Rig Artist hit me up! [sic]”

Since the studio itself is yet to make an announcement, it is currently unknown what it means for not only its future projects, but also its currently ongoing ones like the Early Access release of GreedFall 2: The Dying World, which was released back in September 2024.

GreedFall 2: The Dying World got its first major update back in March, which brought with it a new region—Olima—along with a new companion in the form of Safia of the Bridge Alliance. For more details about the RPG, check out our Early Access review from back when it first came out.

There’s also a new companion, Safia of the Bridge Alliance. Available after progressing through the story, she’s a ranged attacker who provides support. Players can also venture to their ship (aka the Hub), interact with companions, customize their equipment, and much more. It’s also handy for revisiting past locations.

If that wasn’t enough, the combat system has seen multiple improvements to its animations, enemy AI, tactical options, and user interface. You also have access to new weapons and skill trees, with the level cap now set to 30. And if you don’t like the current playstyle, a consumable to respec your character is also available.

Check out the patch notes below for more details. GreedFall 2: The Dying World is available for PC, but it’s also coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Update 0.2 Notes

• The Disguise system – Take advantage of your new cover to infiltrate the enemy lines.
• New regional quests and events – Learn more about the world and discover more secrets.
• Beginning of the companion quests – Get to know your companions and help them achieve their goals.
• New level cap – Your max level is now 30.
• Respec consumable – Feeling like trying a new playstyle? It is now possible with this new consumable.
• Improved interface – See the game in a new light with new icons and better UI.
• Bugs fixing – No more miners missing their pickaxes!
• Fixed various issues with the companion’s behaviors in combat.
• Fixed issue with Nilan being inactive in combat in certain instances when the Autonomous Party is on.
• Fixed issue with the skills or attributes not being properly retained by the companions.
• Fixed various issues with the Monkeys in the trees in combat.
• Fixed issue with the compromising document which could be found before going to the Inkmistress and triggered the wrong dialogue.
• Fixed issue in the Treasure Island quest with the Last letter which wasn’t added properly to the Notes section.
• Fixed issue with some dialogues not triggering as intended after opening the chests during the treasure hunt.
• Fixed issue during the trial where the Shipyard Master and Emissary Zahide’s lines overlapped with each other when presenting the evidence.
• Fixed issue with Admiral Cabral’s head during the cutscene when arriving in Uxantis.
• Fixed issue with one of Telmo’s lines missing audio during Like Father, like son quest.
• Fixed issue with the grenade’s impact following the player’s character during battle.
• Fixed issue with the unusual spawn of a hostile naut group near the Inn in Uxantis at night.
• Fixed issue after finding Diogo where there was an infinite loop when talking to the Naut Guard.
• Fixed issue where it was possible to buy a shovel from the Merchant or Blacksmith before finding it in the fortune camp.
• Fixed LOD issue on Uxantis level.
• Fixed issue with Safia’s head during the cutscene when you first meet her.
• Fixed issue in the Journal entry where the time left before the ship is ready to leave Uxantis wasn’t properly displayed.
• Fixed issue in Find the gold scales quest which prevented it from progressing if the statue was crafted after obtaining the quest from Armal.
• Fixed issue with The missing scales quest which couldn’t be completed when creating the statue for Armal while having golden scales and miners loot in the inventory.
• Fixed issue with the main character behaving unusually during the dialogue with the Fort Captain when asking help with interrogating the Woodcutters.
• Fixed LOD issue on Teer Fradee level.
• Fixed issue in tutorial popup which displayed the wrong keybinds after leaving Minan’s house.
• Fixed issue with the tutorial popup for the Journal lacking a prompt button when using a gamepad controller.
• Fixed issue with floating wooden rafts colliding with rocks in the native village.
• Fixed issue with the NPC’s animations in the Bridge Alliance’s Fort.
• Fixed issue with the missing keyhole on the mine’s doors.
• Fixed issue with Armal’s teeth when talking to him.
• Fixed issue with certain hairstyles floating unusually.
• Fixed issue during the Ritual Arena combat tutorial which caused the popup windows to disappear when entering the Pause Menu.
• Fixed issue during the Ritual Arena tutorial where activating the Autonomous Party option during the fight will halt it.
• Fixed issue with the harassed miner who doesn’t do anything if the party attacks the offenders.
• Fixed issue during A new evil quest which displayed unusual behaviors from one of the miners before triggering the cutscene.
• Fixed various localization issues.
• Fixed various descriptions and UI issues.
• Fixed various issues with animations and collisions.
• Fixed other various issues.

Accessible from anywhere on the world map (save for dungeons), it’s a ship that lets you rest, access the Workshop and chest, and fast travel to previously cleared levels. You can also adjust your party’s skills and equipment or observe them with hints of further interactions.

Spiders is planning other features for The Hub, like welcoming rescued NPCs, buying materials, and receiving messages. Stay tuned for more details and updates as they arrive.

GreedFall 2: The Dying World is available only on PC, though it’s also in the works for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Check out our review for the early access version, though note that it’s undergone several changes already since launch.

The latter has since wrapped, and though it’s not yet ready to announce a release date, the developer confirmed a final test in the next two weeks. “Depending on the level of satisfaction of our teams and the Beta Testing group of players, we will be able to give a date for the update.”

It’s massive, adding a new region (Olima), a new companion, new weapons and skills, additional regional quests, The Hub, and more. The combat system receives several long-awaited improvements, including faster animations when starting and chaining attacks, longer ranges, and a “close camera” for real-time combat. Even the UI is better with icons and improved visual feedback for effects and damage.

There will be more details, particularly about Olima, next week, so stay tuned. GreedFall 2: The Dying World is currently in early access for PC. Check out our review here. It’s also coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Spiders says the gameplay changes it’s looking to prioritize based on feedback from players over the course of GreedFall 2’s early access period thus far will target the combat, the UI, character customization, and more. That said, the studio also says that the changes, which “require substantial work”, will happen “gradually”.

“As mentioned in our last Community Update, we have decided to delay the release of Update 0.2,” the developer says. “This decision allows us to focus on implementing significant improvements and fixes based on your feedback. These include the combat system—which is as important to you as it is to us—the UI, character customization, optimization, and many other aspects.

“Most of the changes we want to implement will take place gradually. As they need substantial work, Update 0.2 will only be the first step towards this end goal. We’re looking forward to sharing these improvements with you when they’re ready.”

Spiders also says it’s in the process of recasting Alvida, who will be portrayed by a new actor going forward, with her existing lines also obviously set to be replaced.

“We also encountered an issue with recording Alvida’s lines during development,” Spiders explains. “Sadly, for reasons out of our control, the original voice actress couldn’t record anymore, and we needed time to assess and find a solution. We recently met a new voice actress with whom we’ll start recording Alvida’s lines again. It also means we’ll have to record all her previous lines to ensure the voice doesn’t change in the middle of the game. So, you can expect a change of cast for the next update and onwards for Alvida.”

As for when Update 0.2 will finally arrive, Spiders says it doesn’t yet have a firm release date to share.

“We wish we could provide a release date, but we would rather wait until we’re certain,” the developer says. “What we can promise is that our priority remains delivering a game that meets your expectations and takes your feedback into account.”

GreedFall 2: The Dying World is available on PC in early access. When it launches in full, it will also be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The team wants to “take the time to address your feedback and polish certain aspects of the game which were demanded by the community.” A new release date will be announced as soon as it’s able.

As for what the update offers, there’s a new region (Olima, the City of Stars) and a new companion with new skill trees to unlock. There’s also the Hub for gathering the party, the first series of companion quests, new regional quests, and main quest content. Spiders will also begin deploying combat improvements, namely improved animations and smoother gameplay, though it’s only the first step.

GreedFall 2: The Dying World is playable only on PC via Steam Early Access, but it’s also coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5 next year.

GreedFall would become successful in its own right, selling over one million units by November 2020 and shipping two million by May 2022. Spiders would announce a follow-up, GreedFall 2: The Dying World, around the same, but opted for a different rollout – early access. Call it taking inspiration from Baldur’s Gate 3 to work with the community and build the title alongside them, taking feedback and polishing it all the while, but it sounded like a decent approach.

"The first hour or so is pretty dull, especially given some of the lackluster personalities in the village (though they try their best, performance-wise)."

Many early access titles offer less-than-polished experiences – it’s right there in the “early” part of the name – and Spiders has stated that this is only 30 percent of the entire game. Unfortunately, it suffers from its fair share of polish issues, bugs, animation jank, performance problems, and whatnot. While these can be fixed down the line, some more fundamental issues with the overall gameplay (including the combat) warrant discretion for anyone taking the plunge. It’s a shame because there are some things, like about GreedFall 2, and if everything goes well, it may just stand out among the big players.

A good place to start improving would be the character creator. Current options are limited, and though options and even Transmog are promised, there’s no ETA. I could live with that if the hair didn’t have awful aliasing. It gets somewhat fixed as you progress, but it still pops up on occasion, whether with your companions or other NPCs and breaks immersion.

The story begins three years before the first game’s events, with players controlling a Teer Fradee native named Vriden Gerr. They’re commonly referred to as “Rootless” by childhood friend Nilan, due to their interactions with outsiders from the Bridge Alliance. Nevertheless, they’re set to complete their initiation to become Doneigada, keepers of nature and the Teer Fradee, but first, you must complete two missions.

Setting out with their other childhood friend, Sheda, players traverse the region and must rescue hunters from their village while investigating a mysterious sickness. As an introduction to the core gameplay and the Teer Fradee, especially the latter’s customs and how they’re affected by the Bridge Alliance’s activities, GreedFall 2 is a little uneven. The first hour or so is pretty dull, especially given some of the lackluster personalities in the village (though they try their best, performance-wise). Even Nilan and Sheda can feel one-dimensional at times, and the initial missions can feel lackluster.

"The quest design is otherwise fairly rudimentary. Activate your tracker vision to discover clues, sneak around (since fighting can feel pointless in some places), and pass skill checks – you get the idea."

Things open up more when exploring more of the land, if only because it allows your party’s personalities and overall dynamic to emerge. It doesn’t quite make up for the protagonist’s lack of a personality since almost every decision can be justified towards their overall stoic character (even if some have more positive results than others). However, I’m keen to see if siding with any particular faction changes that dynamic, like in the first game.

For now, some decisions feel like they provide the illusion of choice rather than worthwhile alternatives. Why wouldn’t I slay the Trappers who are indiscriminately killing animals in the region, or just keep save-scumming until I succeed in the diplomacy check? Why would I pay a whopping 2000 Gold or try to convince the village king to give them 50 skins?

Perhaps the fallout will manifest down the line or in how the different factions perceive me. At the very least, there were consequences to failing a diplomacy check with a Chief Miner since it affected other Teer Fradee. I can also see another story quest affecting things down the line with a companion.

The quest design is otherwise fairly rudimentary. Activate your tracker vision to discover clues, sneak around (since fighting can feel pointless in some places), and pass skill checks – you get the idea. While not particularly unique, all of these elements work well enough, and though the quest steps can feel tedious, I was interested to see what happened next.

Fortunately, the story-telling picks up when the protagonist, Nilan and Sheda are taken prisoner by the Bridge Alliance and shipped overseas for reasons unknown. However, it may tie into the Malichor, a disease spreading like a plague throughout the continent of Gacane.

"Gone is the sleek, fast-paced combat of the first game – instead, GreedFall 2 opts for real-time with pause combat. You can designate enemies for units to auto-attack or pause and issue orders, with abilities costing Action Points and having cooldowns."

There, they meet a good chunk of the main companions in prison – Fausta, a mysterious individual jailed for committing a crime; Sybille, a legate of Thélème (a nation which doesn’t take kindly to the Bridge Alliance); and Alvia, a Naut whose honest and strong-willed. After rendezvousing with former soldier Ludwig, the adventure begins in earnest.

Some of the writing and plots could use some cleaning up, but the dialogue interactions are pretty solid overall. Though the facial animations are nothing to write home about, they’re not a disaster either, and each main cast member turns in some decent performances.

However, it doesn’t make up for the unoptimized performance or unpolished presentation. GreedFall 2 can look detailed at times, especially with the environments, but the fidelity is far from mind-blowing, and the performance is uneven. The more enclosed areas run better the overall aesthetic feels like it’s a step back from the first game, even if some lighting and shadows occasionally pop out.

That’s not accounting for all the bugs, like textures on the character’s clothing taking time to load at multiple points during a conversation – a headache-inducing affair. Or the terrible upscaling implementation – both FSR and DLAA created noticeable outlines around characters, even if they fixed some of the issues with hair aliasing. Even if you can stomach the visuals – “early access,” lest we forget – the battle system will take much more getting used to.

Gone is the sleek, fast-paced combat of the first game – instead, GreedFall 2 opts for real-time with pause combat. You can designate enemies for units to auto-attack or pause and issue orders, with abilities costing Action Points and having cooldowns. It’s possible to switch to other party members and control them directly. If you’re initiating an area-wide melee attack and want to avoid some friendly fire or want to target specific enemies, it’s ideal.

"The inventory menu is the biggest waste of space I’ve ever seen, with how small each equipment category icon is. However, the dialogue menu is just awful and so barebones that it’s embarrassing."

The problem is the execution. Some abilities are area-of-effect, and as a result, a target or ally could walk right out of their space, completely wasting the Action Points. Auto-attacking can also feel stilted, and selecting targets can be difficult unless you reposition the camera slightly. I also encountered instances where characters kept trying to reposition themselves to attack mere inches away, running into their allies and getting stuck in an annoying loop.

I did get used to all the idiosyncrasies of combat, especially as more options and abilities opened up, but it still felt awkward. The lack of setting specific commands for allies, like Nilan healing someone if their health drops below 50 percent or staying back and not diving into the fray against melee combatants, is also baffling.

As you familiarize yourself with each companion’s abilities and skill sets, learning the ins and outs of the attributes and talents, you’ll also accumulate a fair amount of gear. It’s straightforward enough, especially when trying to min-max armor types based on proficiencies.

However, the stats on higher-tier weapons can be baffling at times. An orange-tier one-handed mace has a chance to inflict Weakness on enemies sounds great, except the chance is low, and all the other stats leave something to be desired.

Finally, there’s another aspect of the experience, the earliest of all, to access – the UI. The skill trees, attributes and talent menus are all well and good, as is the Journal, even if its open objectives could be arranged better. The inventory menu is the biggest waste of space I’ve ever seen, with how small each equipment category icon is. However, the dialogue menu is just awful and so barebones that it’s embarrassing. It’s likely a placeholder, but how this passed muster is truly beyond me.

"GreedFall 2: The Dying World is a pretty big shift from the original in some ways and a downgrade in others, and it’ll need more than just time to come into its own."

Other issues are hampering the experience, like weapons suddenly disappearing amid combat, fast travel mysteriously disappearing, and a black screen that occurs when skipping through dialogue with the Spacebar. Once again, all of these can be fixed with time. It’s the more deep-rooted issues with the visuals, combat, UI, and polish which will take longer to address.

Whether fans are willing to give it that much time is unknown, especially when there are many other compelling RPGs to experience. Maybe it’ll surprise me down the line and hone in on all those aspects that shine while ensuring its fundamentals are more polished and enjoyable. For now, GreedFall 2: The Dying World is a pretty big shift from the original in some ways and a downgrade in others, and it’ll need more than just time to come into its own.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Unlike the first game, players control a Teer Fradee native, who is forcibly parted from their homeland and taken to Gacane. The mysterious Malichor runs rampant, and they must also deal with rival factions in conflict. Like the previous game, your decisions have consequences, including whether companions remain friendly.

The combat has also seen some changes, with auto-attacking and a Tactical Pause for issuing commands to party members. It’s a pretty big departure from the original’s action RPG approach. Check out our feature for other details on what to expect.

You can also view the roadmap for the first few months of early access here. GreedFall 2: The Dying World is also coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, with a planned release in 2025.