10 top video games to look forward to in 2026

The year ahead is set to be a big one for gaming across the world. Across India, gaming studios are gearing up to showcase their skills alongside big-ticket publishers. The giants, meanwhile, are all set to release headlining titles—including some that have had enthusiasts wait over a decade for. Across PlayStation, PC and Xbox platforms, Mint picks the biggest video games awaited through 2026.

GTA VI

Set to release on 19 November, Grand Theft Auto VI is undoubtedly the biggest release of not just this year, but perhaps this decade. With Vice City and Liberty City references in tow, GTA VI promises to be an absolute belter, at least as per the current cycle of hype. With its typically risque storyline and character sketches, the key things to watch out for is if GTA VI makes progress on its hallmarked open-source worlds, and the gameplay justifies the 12 years it took Rockstar to release the sequel to the critically-acclaimed GTA V.

Resident Evil: Requiem

The second belter of this list is the latest edition of one of the world’s most enduring horror game franchises. Set to be released on 27 February, Requiem is the ninth main game in the Resident Evil series, and is centred around a world of bio-horror. The game comes with both first-person and third-person gameplay, and follows FBI agent Grace Ashcroft and federal agent Leon S Kennedy around a nuclear warfare-hit Raccoon City that’s soaking in doom since minute one.

007: First Light

From the house of Hitman, one of the world’s most beloved spy game series, comes 007: First Light—which this time takes the spy narrative to the original super-spy, James Bond. Based on a storyline from Ian Flemming himself, the game is set to take players through Bond’s formative years, and also feature all-time series favourites in M, Q and Miss Moneypenny, among others. The game is set to release on 27 May, and will feature across all platforms, including Nintendo’s Switch.

Marvel’s Wolverine

While Wolverine does not have a definitive deadline as yet, it is sure to get a jump in player enthusiasm and activity when it releases in the second half of the year. Marvel’s Wolverine, distributed by Sony, promises to bring together the wider X-Men universe into the gameplay. While not a whole lot of details have been revealed about Wolverine yet, the title could become one of the biggest of the year, given that Logan is one of the all-time favourite superheroes, even taking all universes into account.

Reanimal

Published by THQ Nordic, the publishers of the Darksiders franchise, Reanimal is a horror story that goes back to the roots of the genre with its classic gameplay, as what the trailers and showcases have promised. The survival horror game involves a pair of siblings out to try and escape a terrorized version of their home, while completing side quests and taking on obstacles, which at times look more psychologically impactful rather than just banking on jump scares. In a way, it may remind players of the kind of horror obstacles that Limbo presented—only in a different format. Reanimal releases on 13 February.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando

Releasing on 12 March, this one’s a classic zombie shooter, with a storyline that resembles some of the best shooter and survival games and movies to date. A scientific experiment to harness energy from the earth’s core goes horribly wrong, releasing a demonic antagonist named Sludge God, rather unsurprisingly. What follows is the rise of a team of mercenaries, who become humankind’s last hopes to stop Sludge God—before all life from earth is eliminated. It is no wonder that the storyline is a creation of the iconic John Carpenter, one of the best-known horror filmmakers from the 1970s and 1980s.

Nioh 3

For fans of Japanese mythological fiction, Nioh 3 has all the trappings of an incredible third-person role playing game steeped in hardcore action. The story will follow Tokugawa Takechiyo, who takes on supernatural evil spirits on his quest and journey to become a top military ruler. With the Nioh series already known for its combat styles, the game is hotly anticipated also for its art direction. Nioh 3 releases on 6 February.

Crimson Desert

The reason why Crimson Desert is one of this year’s most anticipated games is purely because of how it feels on the screen. Appearing as a cross between Game of Thrones’ multiple factions and the sheer diversity of its universe, combined with the open-world exploratory theme of Red Dead Redemption, Crimson Desert could well be the next epic that becomes a favourite for players who prefer a slow-burn story theme, with lots of tiny nooks and corners to explore. Interestingly, Crimson Desert comes from a relative newcomer studio Pearl Abyss, and releases on 19 March—including on Apple’s macOS.

Pragmata

Think of a game that straddles Prometheus, Gravity and Interstellar, and you’d find a little bit of each in Pragmata. From the stables of gaming legends Capcom, Pragmata is set on a lunar research station, where the human protagonist and his female robot companion take on a rogue AI to survive and make it back to earth safely. The game releases on 24 April, and will be available on all platforms.

Saros

The second title from Sony that’s anticipated richly this year, Saros features a protagonist who goes off to explore a far-flung universe, and takes on an all-new brand of physics and science as he battles for survival. The main character, Arjun Devraj, shows Saros to be a striking third-person shooter, and it looks set to be one of 2026’s top games, set for release on 30 April.