Most Anticipated Games of 2026

2025 has certainly been a good year for video games, with big hits like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Split Fiction. However, 2026 arguably looks like the best year for AAA games in a long time. Today, I’ll be listing my opinions on my top 5 most anticipated 2026 releases.

NUMBER 5 – MAX PAYNE 1 + 2 REMAKES

These remakes have been climbing up my list as I play more of Remedy’s newer work. Personally, I thought the first Alan Wake game was a flawed but decent enough blend of action and horror mixed with a slight twinge of comedy. As for Alan Wake 2, I am still going through my first playthrough. However, like many others, I find the gameplay and graphical updates made with the sequel to be very impressive (even if I do find Alan’s story to be somewhat confusing). Regardless of your opinions on the Alan Wake franchise/Remedy Connected Universe, most can agree that the original Max Payne games are classics. Although I myself have not personally played them, I definitely see myself enjoying them based on the general gameplay loop. Considering Remedy has certainly improved in the gameplay and graphical departments in recent years (combined with the fact that Rockstar is helping Remedy with these remakes), I think these games will be must-plays in 2026.

NUMBER 4 – MARVEL’S WOLVERINE

Like many others, I was quite disappointed with Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2. While it had its moments, they were few and far between, making the game’s story ultimately very disappointing. However, my excitement for a new Insomniac game has peaked again after FINALLY seeing footage of Wolverine at Sony’s recent State of Play. Although Sony definitely waited a long time to show us any actual game footage, I would say the wait was definitely worth it. The game’s tone is 100% more brutal than anything seen in the Spider-Man games, which fits the general mood of Wolverine as a character. His moveset seems to be very vicious with tons of hand-to-hand (or rather, claws-to-head) combat. Additionally, the scope of the game seems to expand beyond just Wolverine, with other X-Men-related characters in the mix. Ultimately, the trailer certainly sold me on the concept of this game, making it one of my most anticipated releases of 2026.

NUMBER 3: JAMES BOND: FIRST LIGHT

I can’t think of a more perfect combination than IOI (the Hitman developers) and an IP like James Bond. Based on the extended footage we saw of the game at State of Play, IOI did not disappoint. The campaign certainly looks a little different from the Hitman franchise, mixing the company’s standard stealth combat with Uncharted-esque action and setpieces. Bond’s weaponry/gadgets also seem to be well-represented, with his classic charm even being a gameplay mechanic. Ultimately, although I am not sure how I feel about Patrick Gibson as James Bond, the gameplay alone placed this game at this ranking on the list. I just hope that the game receives extended support like all of IOI’s other works.

NUMBER 2: LEGO BATMAN: LEGACY OF THE DARK KNIGHT

Like most people, I grew up with LEGO in many mediums. I built my fair share of LEGO sets, watched all of the LEGO movies/shows, and, of course, LOVED the LEGO games from Traveler’s Tales. I enjoyed (almost) all of their takes on different IPs pretty equally. However, I have always ranked Lego Batman near the top of my personal favorites. Beyond being a big fan of comics in general, Batman has always been one of my favorite superheroes. That’s why when I first saw the trailer for Legacy of the Dark Knight, I knew it would be one of my most anticipated games next year.

Besides having TT Games’ signature LEGO charm, the game seems like an absolute love letter to all things Batman. The game’s story appears to be a mix of all the main Batman movie eras (Burton, Nolan, and Reeves respectively). While some believe this to be a mistake, I am interested to see how TT synthesizes all of these takes on the character into one cohesive story. In terms of graphics, Gotham looks beautiful, even for a LEGO game. TT really nailed the dark, dirty, and grimy atmosphere that the comics have always tried to achieve. As for the gameplay, it seems to be heavily inspired by the Batman Arkham series in terms of combat and mobility. Obviously, this is very different from what we have seen from any previous TT Lego game, with The Skywalker Saga being an exception.

Personally, I found the gameplay (like many aspects of Skywalker Saga) to be flawed. However, considering that TT has had more development time to truly realize the vision of Legacy, I trust that this game will be more fleshed out. Hopefully, it will also “fix” the flaws of Skywalker Saga.

NUMBER 1 – GTA 6

There’s not much I can say about this game that hasn’t already been said. This is arguably one of the most anticipated pieces of media in years, with a soon-to-be THIRTEEN-YEAR gap since the last GTA entry. Based on what little we have seen in the trailers, I really like the “Bonnie and Clyde” dynamic of the campaign protagonists. Additionally, the game’s setting essentially being a parody of Florida is both unique and exciting. This setting provides tons of ammunition for Rockstar’s style of comedy. However, there is still one factor that remains dubious: how GTA Online will evolve with the arrival of VI. Based on the unbelievable amount of revenue GTA V Online generates, I imagine Rockstar will keep both it and VI’s online active at the same time. Ultimately, like many others, GTA 6 is my most anticipated game of next year. I am very excited to see how Rockstar manages to live up to both the game’s extremely high expectations and the high level of quality Rockstar has become associated with.