2026's Most Anticipated Games - Paul's Picks
2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in video games of all time. No matter whether you play on PC, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X|S, or the Nintendo Switch 2, you’re going to have a lot to play in 2026. Given that, we couldn’t simply pool the team’s thoughts into one top 10 countdown of the most anticipated games, so we solicited 10 from each person to discuss. Today, hear what Paul has to say about their 10 most anticipated games of 2026.
10. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
The Fire Emblem IP wasn’t even a blip on my radar until I played Fire Emblem: Awakening back in the day on my 3DS, and ever since than I cannot get enough of it. There’s still a lot of mystery around Fortune’s Weave, but given the recent run of form in the core franchise’s entries, I’m very confident that Nintendo has a winner up their sleeve when the game launches later this year.
9. Blood Of Dawnwalker
No game in the last two console generations has excited me quite like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Now, a bunch of ex-CDPR developers have struck out to form their own IP, and what I’m seeing in Blood of Dawnwalker looks extremely promising. You can see the Witcher DNA in this one, but at the same time, more than enough flourishes that make Blood Of Dawnwalker uniquely its own. My only reason for this one sitting a little lower in my list is the concern that the game may not actually launch in 2026. I’d love to be wrong though.
8. Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert is promising a lot. Now, usually when a game breaks out of nowhere, and promises the world, there’s reason to be cynical and expect that at some point, the other boot will drop. But then there is this really fresh example where there wasn’t an “Oh, but”, in the form of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I was sure that there had to be something wrong with it pre-launch, and then it ended up being my GOTY. I’m hoping that Crimson Desert keeps all of its promises, and that there’s not some hidden underbelly still to be revealed. If there isn’t then there’s no reason why this one can’t be a GOTY too.
7. Control: Resonant
If this game had been confirmed immediately after I played Alan Wake II, then Control: Resonant would probably be near the very top of my list, and yet, FBC: Firebreak came along, and it’s just dampened my excitement a little bit. I loved Control back in 2019, and in terms of their single-player exploits, Remedy has given me no reason to doubt them. I look forward to seeing what the next chapter in the Faden journey looks like, and I’m sure that FBC trauma will pass soon enough.
6. Fable
Will it come out this year though? I guess with Developer_Direct imminent, there’s a good chance we’ll know very soon. Any positive sentiment I have towards the Xbox brand is closely tied to the Gears Of War, and Fable brands. I adored the original game, even though I didn’t own an Xbox, and had to beg a mate to play it at his house, and Fable II and III were among my most played and most loved Xbox 360 games. We’ve waited too long for this moment, I hope Playground can deliver.
5. Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis
I love Uncharted, and I almost love Tomb Raider just as much. Sadly, both have been absent for far too long, and so a remake of the original Tomb Raider to whet the appetite for a new entry in 2027 will do nicely. I’m loving that we have a chance to go back and play a reimagined version of the original, and I sincerely hope that it is both the first of many remakes, and a game that connects the recent prequels to the earlier titles. I’m super excited for the potential.
4. Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined
I’ve rediscovered my adoration of the Dragon Quest IP in recent years thanks to the HD-2D remakes, and I’m champing at the bit to get into Reimagined. VII was notoriously long and grindy, and so I hope that Square-Enix in their reimagining process, have smoothed out some of the games slower moments, and have sped up many elements to make the game much more approachable for new players, and easier to return to for the experienced heads. The game’s close, so fingers crossed!
3. 007: First Light
While I’m not head over heels for the 007 IP, I always have a good time when I’m immersed in a product connected to that franchise, and for IOI to take the reins on this game fills me with hope that we’re on the verge of seeing a genuinely phenomenal video-game chapter in the Bond story. Inclusions like Lenny Kravitz made me waver momentarily, but I actually just trust the craft of IOI, and everyone involved with the Bond IP, to ensure that guest spots are used smartly, and that the game looks and plays like a Bond game, and less of a Hitman title.
2. Gears Of War: E-Day
Oh the love I have for Gears. Gears got me to buy an Xbox console for the first time, and has every moment since, been a must-play title whenever a new one has launched. I also have a lot of love for the original crew, particularly Marcus and Dom. With E-Day allowing us to go back and spend more time with the two best friends before the heartbreak sets in, I couldn’t be more excited about it. Give me that Lancer now, The Coalition, I’m ready to go to war for you.
1. Marvel’s Wolverine
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Marvel’s Wolverine is going to the GOTY of 2026. I mean, it might be, but I’m certain that Marvel’s Wolverine, more than any other game this year, is the game that I will play and have a grin plastered across my face throughout. Insomniac Games just don’t miss, they not necessarily put out GOTY titles, but they do deliver excellence, time and time again, and I don’t expect Marvel’s Wolverine to buck that trend. It is the game I feel the most sure of being amazing, and while every other game sets off red flags for one reason or another, it’s the game that I will blindly circle in the calendar, and play, knowing that I’m going to have an incredible time no matter what.
So that concludes Paul’s list of their most anticipated games of 2026. What are some of yours? Hit us up via social media to let us know what games you are keen on in 2026!
