Featured image: (Pacer Graphic / Sophia Phillips)
There were many new video games announced in 2025. Some with trailers whilst others were simply announced for a date further down the pipeline. Most of these announcements either came from events like ‘Summer Game Fest’ or Sony’s ‘State of Play’, which were productions that were dedicated to these types of reveals. From these events, we received release schedules for some of the most promising games looking to drop in 2026.
Resident Evil Requiem
Since the end of Ethan Winter’s story in ‘Resident Evil Village’, fans have long wondered where the iconic survival-horror series will go next. That question was answered when, on Jun. 6, 2025, Capcom announced the next entry in the series at the kick-off event for the ‘Summer Game Fest’ livestream.
‘Resident Evil 9’, officially titled ‘Resident Evil Requiem’, follows the story of a new protagonist named Grace Ashcroft as she returns to the ever iconic Raccoon City.
The new entry will also see the return of a series legend when Leon S. Kennedy steps back into the spotlight after not being seen in a mainline release since ‘Resident Evil 6’ in 2012. From what gameplay Capcom has released, the game looks exciting.
Players will switch between Leon and Grace throughout the story, a concept that’s been explored since ‘Resident Evil 0’ in 2002. With different mechanics and a fresh, new story, ‘Resident Evil Requiem’ looks to bring fans back into one of gaming’s most popular franchises once it is released on Feb. 27, 2026.
007 First Light
Fans saw the end of Daniel Craig’s take on James Bond in 2021’s ‘No Time To Die’. Since then, there has been a vast absence of everyone’s favorite British Secret Service agent. That changes when developer IO Interactive’s ‘007 First Light’ releases on May 27, 2026.
‘007 First Light’ is a third-person action video game that will focus on James Bond’s quest to earn his license to kill. Being an origin story of sorts, fans will once again get to step into the shoes of Agent 007 for the first time since ‘007 Legends’ in 2012.
Gaming wise, the franchise is in good hands since IO Interactive is notable for making the ‘Hitman’ series of games. Hopefully, this foray back into the world of James Bond will satiate fans until the release of the next film.
Marvel’s Wolverine
With the success of their ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’ game franchise, developer Insomniac has decided to journey away from the domain of the wall-crawler for a closer look at another iconic Marvel character. ‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ will follow the titular character as he travels around the world. Details about the story haven’t been revealed yet, but the game’s overview tells fans that it will follow Wolverine as he looks for answers about his past.
There hasn’t been an exact release date announced yet, but Insomniac has stated that it will likely release in either Q3 or Q4 of 2026. One thing is for certain: many fans will enjoy “snikting” their way through Wolverine’s rouges gallery.
GTA VI
After being teased, announced and consistently delayed, the continuation of Rockstar Games’ ‘Grand Theft Auto’ (‘GTA’) franchise seems to finally be sticking around.
‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ is likely the most anticipated video game release of all time, with many fans wondering about it since the release of ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ in 2013. After principal production began in 2020, Rockstar has likely put full focus into making this game as good as it can be. With the success of ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ in 2018, fans have high hopes that ‘GTA VI’ will be just as successful if not more so.
The story will follow criminal couple Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos as they fight for their lives across the fictional US state of Leonida. With a planned release date of Nov. 19, 2026, fans will have to wait and see if ‘GTA VI’ will live up to the hype or flop on a global scale.
Honorable Mentions: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis / LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight / Gears of War: E-Day / Subnautica 2
