With ‘GTA VI‘ officially set to launch on November 19, 2026, nearly every major publisher has had to consider the same question: do you really want to release a game in the same year as Rockstar’s next blockbuster?
The game will take players back to Vice City and the wider state of Leonida, following Jason and Lucia as they become entangled in a sprawling criminal conspiracy. Rockstar’s first new ‘Grand Theft Auto’ in more than a decade is already shaping up to be one of the biggest entertainment launches ever, making it the kind of release many studios would normally avoid at all costs.
Not everyone is moving out of the way, though. Several major franchises and highly anticipated titles are still holding onto their release windows, betting they can find an audience even with ‘Grand Theft Auto VI‘ dominating the conversation.
Here are 10 games brave enough to share a release year with Rockstar’s long-awaited sequel.
10. Screenbound
- Release Date: September 10, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Indie developers Crescent Moon Games and Radical Forge are doing something genuinely unusual with ‘Screenbound’. The action-adventure platformer splits its world between two realities at once: a retro 2D adventure displayed on a handheld console called the Qboy and a fully realized 3D world surrounding it. Players must navigate both dimensions simultaneously, with enemies, puzzles, and progression stretching across each plane. It’s one of the more inventive concepts arriving in 2026 and could be a standout for players looking for something beyond the usual action blockbuster.
9. Marvel’s Wolverine
- Release Date: September 15, 2026
- Platforms: PlayStation 5
After years of anticipation, Insomniac Games is finally bringing Logan back to center stage in ‘Marvel’s Wolverine,’ and this time they are taking a much darker approach with Logan than they did with Spider-Man. The PlayStation 5 exclusive follows Wolverine as he attempts to rescue captured mutants from the Reavers, a cybernetically enhanced mercenary group working for the anti-mutant industrialist Bolivar Trask. Along the way, Logan reunites with Jean Grey and the remnants of Team X, a mutant task force fighting for survival in a world that fears their existence.
Combat looks every bit as savage as fans hoped. Wolverine can stalk enemies, launch ambushes, and tear through opponents with fast-paced claw attacks, while his Rage system rewards aggressive play with stronger abilities and enhanced healing. Insomniac is also leaning heavily into the character’s comic-book roots, combining brutal action with an original story that explores Logan’s place in a world increasingly hostile toward mutants.
8. Dune: Awakening (Console Release)
- Release Date: September 22, 2026
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Funcom’s ‘Dune: Awakening’ arrives on consoles with far more than a simple port. By the time it reaches PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, players will have access to every major update, feature, and story expansion released since the game’s original launch. Set on the unforgiving world of Arrakis, the survival MMO combines exploration, base-building, and large-scale faction conflict against the backdrop of Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi universe.
One of the biggest additions is a fully featured single-player mode, allowing players to experience the entire story without interacting with others online. Those who prefer multiplayer can still compete for valuable resources, participate in the Landsraad endgame, and venture into the Deep Desert, while a wide range of difficulty and customization options let players tailor the experience to their liking.
7. Phantom Blade Zero
- Release Date: October 29, 2026
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC
Few developers appear less concerned about ‘GTA VI’ than S-GAME. After ‘Phantom Blade Zero’ secured an October 29 release date, some fans questioned whether launching so close to Rockstar’s blockbuster was a risky move. According to director Qiwei “Soulframe” Liang, it wasn’t something the studio spent much time thinking about.
In comments shared with PC Gamer’s Wes Fenlon, Liang dismissed the idea that release timing or market competition played a major role in the decision.
“Many people may think we have some marketing strategy to move it from the overcrowded September, and some are very worried that it’s closer to November,” Liang said. “We don’t think about any of this. We only think of the quality of the product itself.”
Developed by S-GAME, ‘Phantom Blade Zero’ blends Wuxia storytelling with fast-paced action combat. Players take control of Soul, a warrior with just 66 days left to live as he hunts assassins and uncovers a conspiracy threatening the world around him. Built around rapid weapon combos, precise parries, and fluid movement, the game aims to deliver a different experience from the slower combat systems common in many modern action RPGs.
Liang reinforced that philosophy when Fenlon asked whether launching near ‘GTA VI’ felt intimidating.
“What matters is how polished the game is,” Liang said. “If we have one or two extra months, we can fix more bugs, do more optimizations, so that we don’t need a huge day one patch.”
6. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered
- Release Date: November 3, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
More than two decades after its original release, ‘Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee’ is making a comeback. Atari and original developer Pipeworks have rebuilt the cult-favorite kaiju fighter for modern platforms, bringing enhanced visuals, gameplay improvements, and online multiplayer to one of the most beloved monster-brawling games ever made.
Players can choose from 12 iconic monsters and battle across eight destructible arenas, including real-world cities, Monster Island, and the alien Mothership. Each creature comes with its own fighting style, complete with melee attacks, energy blasts, and powerful Rage Mode abilities. The environments are just as important as the monsters themselves, allowing players to tear through buildings, weaponize skyscrapers, and use the arena to gain an advantage. With both local and online multiplayer, this remaster is aiming to introduce a new generation of players to one of the genre’s enduring fan favorites.
5. Blighted
- Release Date: Fall 2026
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch 2
DrinkBox Studios, the team behind ‘Guacamelee!’ and ‘Nobody Saves the World’, is taking a darker turn with ‘Blighted’. The action RPG drops players into a surreal Western-inspired world consumed by a deadly corruption known as the Blight. After the villainous Sorcisto destroys an entire village and steals the memories of its people, the lone survivor sets out to reclaim what was lost before suffering the same fate.
Blending Metroidvania exploration with fast-paced combat, ‘Blighted’ revolves around a risk-and-reward system tied to the Blight itself. Players can harness the infection for powerful abilities, but relying on it too heavily comes with consequences. The game can be played solo or in local and online co-op, offering another distinctive experience in a year packed with much larger releases.
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4. Turok Origins
- Release Date: Fall 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
The ‘Turok’ franchise is heading in a new direction with ‘Turok Origins’, a sci-fi action adventure that expands the series beyond its traditional dinosaur-hunting roots. Players will battle their way through hostile worlds filled with dinosaurs, alien creatures, and massive bosses that inhabit jungles, caves, swamps, and ancient ruins.
Combat revolves around a wide arsenal of weapons, ranging from bows and shotguns to plasma rifles and futuristic energy weapons. Along the way, players can extract DNA from defeated enemies to unlock new powers and evolve their suit, gaining abilities that change both their appearance and combat options. With sprawling environments, cooperative play, and a progression system built around adaptation and survival, ‘Turok Origins’ is aiming to bring one of gaming’s classic franchises to a new generation.
3. Forever Ago
- Release Date: October 8, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
‘Forever Ago’ follows Alfred, an elderly man who sets out on a journey north after a tragic turn in his life. The narrative adventure combines exploration, photography, and environmental puzzles as players travel through forests, deserts, and small towns while documenting the world with Alfred’s instant camera.
The road trip also serves as a reflection on Alfred’s past, revisiting memories of his relationship with Audrey and exploring themes of loss, regret, friendship, and hope. Conversations with the people he meets along the way help shape the story, while photographs unlock memories and reveal new details about the places he visits. With its focus on character-driven storytelling and exploration, ‘Forever Ago’ is aiming to deliver one of the more emotionally grounded experiences of 2026.
2. Bluey’s Happy Snaps
- Release Date: Fall 2026
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Bluey and Bingo take center stage in ‘Bluey’s Happy Snaps’, a family-friendly adventure developed by Gameloft Brisbane in collaboration with Ludo Studio and BBC Studios. The game begins when the sisters discover Bandit’s old camera and set off on a journey across Bluey’s world, photographing memorable moments, filling scrapbooks, and uncovering surprises along the way.
Players will be able to explore several locations from the series, including places inspired by episodes such as ‘Ice Cream’, ‘Spy Game’, and ‘The Sign’. Photography sits at the heart of the experience, allowing players to collect stickers, decorations, and keepsakes while documenting Australian wildlife and familiar faces. Designed with younger audiences in mind, the game also features local co-op, letting two players explore together as Bluey and Bingo. Like the show itself, ‘Bluey’s Happy Snaps’ focuses on creativity, curiosity, and family fun rather than competition.
1. Stranger Than Heaven
- Release Date: January 15, 2027
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Technically, ‘Stranger Than Heaven’ won’t release in 2026. Even so, a January 15, 2027 launch still places it firmly within the shadow of ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’, which is expected to dominate gaming conversations well beyond its November debut.
RGG Studio is stepping away from modern-day crime drama for ‘Stranger Than Heaven’, a sprawling historical adventure that follows Makoto Daito across five decades of Japanese history. The story begins in 1915, when the young son of an American father and Japanese mother secretly boards a ship bound for Japan after losing his family and facing discrimination in the United States. What follows is a journey spanning 50 years, five cities, and some of the most turbulent periods in the country’s history.
Players will guide Makoto through locations inspired by real-world Japan, from the industrial foundries of Fukuoka and the naval port of Kure to post-war Atami and the neon-lit streets of Shinjuku. Combat plays a major role, with a dynamic brawling system built around brutal hand-to-hand encounters and a growing arsenal of weapons. At the same time, Makoto’s unexpected talent for entertainment opens another path, allowing players to create musical performances, recruit artists, and stage elaborate productions across the country. Combining historical drama, street-level action, and the character-driven storytelling RGG Studio is known for, ‘Stranger Than Heaven’ could be one of the most intriguing releases of 2026.