“We knew that the hero would create a shock, but I was surprised by the amount of people who were like ‘what the f—huh?’ but then were like ‘I’m in,’ before three quarters of the trailer had even played,” he said. “Cool, that’s what we wanted.”

Project Windless is slated to be an adaptation of popular South Korean fantasy series The Bird That Drinks Tears by author Lee Youngdo. Since the series has plenty of different races and species, Krafton Montreal was presented with quite a few options when it was time to decide on the game’s protagonist. Ultimately, the decision was made to go with the Hero King because, while he is noted to be an important figure in the fantasy setting’s history, few were alive who truly knew him. This gave the studio more freedom with the narrative.

“One of the reasons we felt the Hero King was the right choice is because he’s a mythical character,” Méthé explained. “He’s remembered, but no one is still alive who was there. It gives us a level of flexibility, because the worst thing for us would have been to try to emulate too closely what’s in the novel at the expense of the game.”

The fact that the Hero King—a rekon—also happens to offer a visually striking design is also a bonus. The fact that rekons have special skills and attributes that set them apart from humans provides gameplay benefits as well.

“This character visually stands out from the typical action adventure RPG, but it needs to be more than an eight-foot, 600-pound guy,” he said. “It’s not a guy in a suit. It’s a race, and the race has specific skills and attributes you don’t find in a human.”

These attributes can be further refined by players throughout their time with Project Windless. The Hero King can be shaped into any kind of protagonist that a player might want, be it a charismatic leader, or a character more inclined to get things done on his own. “It’s really up to each player to adapt their play based on what they’re more interested in,” said the creative director.

Méthé went on to tease other features of Project Windless, noting that it was “too soon to say” whether players will be able to grow their character’s facial hair. He also “wouldn’t confirm or deny; that being said, it’s the story of the rise of the Hero King in the context of war,” when asked about whether there will be any romantic entanglements for the protagonist. As for whether the Hero King is the eponymous bird that drinks tears, he noted that “It’s more of a metaphor for the responsibility of being a leader. The answer in that regard will be yes. You will drink tears.”

Project Windless doesn’t yet have a release date. However, Krafton has confirmed that generative AI is not being used in its development.

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.

Noting that studios under the Krafton banner tend to have a high level of independence when it comes to how they want to apply their creativity, the company believes in allowing them the freedom to decide on their own tools. To that end, for Project Windless, the use of AI has revolved around “exploratory phases”, and that none of the player-facing features were involved.

“Krafton’s studios operate with a high degree of creative independence, enabling each team to select the tools and methods that best suit their projects,” said the spokesperson. “For Project Windless, the Montreal team is taking a traditional, craftsmanship-driven approach to single-player development. The team primarily uses AI internally during exploratory phases to support iteration and efficiency rather than as a central, player-facing feature of the game.

The AI that is being used for the game isn’t really what is commonly considered generative AI in this day and age. Rather, it describes machine learning systems that have been used in game development for decades at this point. Project Windless uses it for NPC behaviour systems, and for fine-tuning animations depending on their environments.

“Project Windless uses traditional game AI systems to drive NPC behaviour and bring the world and its characters to life beyond combat. These systems govern how characters react, move, and behave in the environment. We are not using generative AI for content creation or narrative elements,” they said.

Project Windless is going to be an adaptation of the Korean fantasy book series The Bird That Drinks Tears. The trailer gave us a simple story setup, giving us our first glimpse at a Nhaga holding a heart, before eventually cutting to gameplay. The hack-and-slash action game seems to take quite a few cues from Koei Tecmo’s Warriors series, since players, taking on the role of a Rekon, will have to deal with hundreds of enemies in epic battlefields.

While most regular enemies will seemingly be dealt with quite quickly, it looks like bosses will require more thought on the players’ part. Not only do they have hard-hitting, heavy attacks, the boss fights also seem to make good use of the masses of regular soldiers they have at their disposal to ensure that the player is constantly facing pressure and has to figure out their next moves under duress.

Not many details about Project Windless have been revealed so far. However, the book series that it is based on has been praised quite a bit for its worldbuilding aspects, with author Lee Youngdo having gone to great lengths to establish the cultures, languages, and belief systems of the various races that inhabit the world of The Bird That Drinks Tears. This can only mean great news for players, since strong worldbuilding also tends to serve as strong foundations for any given story.

The central conflict of the game seems to revolve around the Nhaga and the other races which largely stems from an envoy that was brutally murdered. Much like the book series, the game also places quite a bit of emphasis on the Nhaga and their relationship with hearts.

The trailer starts off by giving us some story setup before quickly throwing us into the midst of its fast-paced high-intensity gameplay. The number of enemies that are on screen at any given moment might draw comparisons with Koei Tecmo’s Warriors series. However, the trailer has also indicated that there will be boss fights requiring more in terms of tactics than simple button mashing.

The protagonist is of a race based on roosters, dubbed Rekon, and will be capable of wielding different kinds of weapons, from one-handed swords to dual-wielding smaller blades, or two-handing a giant spear. The core story will seemingly revolve around winning battles to “unite a fractured land and give birth to a new kingdom.”

The original series of books was known for its emphasis on worldbuilding, with author Lee Youngdo being praised for his work on establishing various cultures, languages, belief systems, and socio-political structures for every one of its races.