Upcoming July 13, 2026, by Mark Sammut: We have added two more new RPGs: Guild Wars 3 and Soulframe.
Role-playing games have been a staple of the gaming industry for more than three decades. Each month, the genre tends to welcome a couple of noteworthy titles, be it high-profile releases such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Silksong, Lies of P, Hogwarts Legacy, Octopath Traveler 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3, or more niche projects like Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society and 8-Bit Adventures 2. There are always new RPGs on the horizon.
Due to the ambitious nature of AAA projects in the genre, they are often announced years in advance, a practice that can lead to extremely high expectations. Once the hype train gets moving, stopping it can be impossible and a wreck inevitable. However, when a game lives up to its potential, it is a thing of beauty.
Which upcoming 2026 RPGs are you most looking forward to?
Beast of Reincarnation
Game Freak’s First AAA Action RPG That Isn’t Pokemon
Weird times we live in. Game Freak is releasing a new RPG that isn’t Pokemon AND will not be available on a Nintendo console. Beast of Reincarnation is a dark fantasy action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, a descriptor that is already exciting enough on its own. However, the icing on the cake is that the protagonist, Emma, is accompanied throughout the adventure by a dog named Koo. The combat system combines the two: the human is not only a capable fighter in her own right but can also give orders to her pet.
Beast of Reincarnation is not only getting attention due to Game Freak’s involvement, even though that is a factor, but it also just looks great, at least from the snippets that have been revealed so far. The creature designs are creative, the gameplay seems fast-paced and fluid, and the world will hopefully have enough personality to set it apart from the crowd.
Beast of Reincarnation comes to Game Pass on day one.
The Blood of Dawnwalker
An Upcoming Action RPG That Lets You Be A Vampire
There will never come a time when vampires are not at least somewhat cool, and The Blood of Dawnwalker throws nightwalkers into a medieval dark fantasy setting that really embraces the “dark” part of that equation. Blending 14th-century European history with supernatural fiction, the open-world RPG will drop players into a world ravaged by the Black Death. To make matters infinitely worse, the weakened populace also has to worry about vampires, who are striving to use this moment to gain their freedom.
You play as Coen, human by day and vampire by night, fighting to save your family in a story shaped by your actions and the secrets you uncover.
Coen, the protagonist, is half-human, half-vampire, which means he can walk during the day and become a bloodsucker at night. Driven by desperation as he tries to save his family, Coen will have to decide whether he is willing to rely on his monster side or if he will try to preserve his humanity. Along with a plot influenced by player choice, The Blood of Dawnwalker will also feature two combat systems for the day and night sections.
Phantom Blade Zero
A Wuxia RPG
One of the most highly anticipated action RPGs of the last few years, Phantom Blade Zero has looked ridiculously awesome in every showcase. Developed and published by S-GAME, the game is inspired by Wuxia, a genre that focuses on Chinese martial arts and has been gaining traction on an international stage, courtesy of donghua and a slow influx of games.
You play as Soul, a warrior with only sixty-six days left to live. Fend off assassins, unravel world-ending conspiracies, and defend your values with your life.
Specifically, Phantom Blade Zero is set in an alternate reality known as the Phantom World, a setting that should blend genres such as steampunk and horror. Players will get to control an assassin who is framed for the murder of his organization’s head, forcing him to try and clear his name before he dies in roughly two months. The story seems interesting, but Phantom Blade Zero has primarily attracted attention for its fast-paced combat, which looks incredible in the footage. Based on the available information, the game will not have Souls-like combat, which is kind of refreshing.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter
The Best 2026 JRPG Most People Won’t Notice
Trails is one of the most decorated JRPG franchises of all time, but it seems destined to always exist a step away from the mainstream. Nearly every entry is great, and they come out frequently enough to keep players perpetually busy; however, the games don’t typically explode and garner a lot of attention outside the franchise’s fanbase. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter will probably be the same, meaning it could be the best RPGs of 2026 that most people won’t play.
A remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, 2nd Chapter gives the original a substantial makeover, beyond just the new graphics. The combat system has been tweaked to present more options, and new side content has been added to provide more ways to spend time beyond the main story. The latter continues directly from 1st Chapter, and newcomers should really start with that before jumping into the upcoming game.
Valor Mortis
A First-Person Soulslike RPG
Revealed during Gamescom 2025, Valor Mortis looks set to shift the Soulslike RPG genre into first-person territory, a concept that has arguably yet to produce a really great game. One More Level is primarily known for the Ghostrunner games, both of which have satisfying combat that prioritizes quick thinking and one-hit kills. Valor Mortis will likely have longer battles than that, but the developer has already more than proven their ability to craft intense, smooth first-person combat.
Valor Mortis has a pretty fascinating setting, with the story taking place during Napoleon’s reign. As a soldier who dies in battle, you awaken in hell on Earth, as corruption has spread and left the world filled with all sorts of entities that should not exist. Sounds like a brilliant concept for a dark fantasy RPG.
Persona 4 Revival
The Next Persona Masterpiece (Is A Remake Of An Old Persona Masterpiece)
A new Persona game is always a cause for celebration, even when it is a remake. As shown by Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Revival has every chance of becoming the definitive version of one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. The remake will keep the story intact, since there’s no point in messing with perfection, while bringing everything else up to current-day standards so it can sit alongside its predecessor’s remake and its successor.
So far, we know quite a bit about Persona 4 Revival, and the most important reveal is that the TV World dungeon will feature different settings rather than just a single level repeated forever. P3R added plenty of quality-of-life improvements to Tartarus, so the safe bet is to expect something similar in the upcoming remake. P4R should be incredible.
Persona 6 is also confirmed! I didn’t want to double down on the franchise, but P6 is one of the most highly anticipated JRPGs of the 2020s.
Fable
A Return Of A Beloved Action RPG Franchise
Fable has been dormant for roughly a decade by this point, and the last mainline, numbered entry was the divisive Fable 3. Lionhead Studios’ sad closure did not suggest the franchise’s future was bright (or even that it had one), but the series is set to return with a brand-new developer. Playground Games is handling the upcoming Fable, a reboot that will hopefully mark the start of a new era for an IP that once seemed full of promise.
Known for Forza Horizon, Playground is certainly a peculiar choice for a large-scale action RPG, but the studio definitely knows a thing or two about crafting gorgeous open-worlds. Obviously, Fable‘s Albion will share little in common with the team’s previous outings, but everything we have seen so far suggests that Playground might be crafting something special. Player choice and exploration seem to be the main focus.
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Guild Wars 3
The Most Hyped Up MMORPG
Apart from maybe The Witcher 4 and The Elder Scrolls 6, Guild Wars 3 is arguably the most highly anticipated upcoming RPG, as long as you are into the multiplayer side of things. A prequel set more than a thousand years before the original game, GW3 presents Orr before the Cataclysm or corruption, taking players back to a time of lush greens and tropical wilderness.
While not everyone has received the “prequel” news with open arms, the game will explore a largely mysterious part of history, and it could shed deeper light on some of the more fascinating aspects of the lore. Guild Wars 3 should mark a return to skill collecting and build-crafting, while providing a more action-style combat system that prioritizes positioning and movement.
Here are some other things to know that ArenaNet explicitly confirmed:
- Buy-to-play game; no subscription
- No pay-to-win elements
- It won’t aim to replicate the large-scale gameplay pillars of GW2, instead opting to be somewhere in the middle between its two predecessors
Soulframe
Digital Extremes’ Next Free Action RPG
Free-to-play RPGs often sound too good to be true, but if there’s one developer that deserves the benefit of the doubt, it’s Digital Extremes. For all its highs and lows, Warframe spent the best part of a decade as a cornerstone of the free market, cementing itself as the prime example of how to do this model right (for a while). Soulframe represents the next chapter for the team, and it’s trading sci-fi for fantasy.
Just to be clear, Digital Extremes isn’t doing a fantasy Warframe, despite the upcoming game’s title suggesting otherwise. Soulframe seems to focus on slower, more tactical combat that incorporates dodging, positioning, and parrying. The team specifically cited Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke as an inspiration for the art style, resulting in a vibrant world that emphasizes nature.
While the project is likely still a bit away, Soulframe‘s Preludes pre-alpha went over pretty well, so the signs are promising.
Outward 2
A Sequel That Could Build On A Strong Foundation
Outward might not be brilliant, but it has a unique identity and scratches an itch that few action RPGs reach. Known for being hard-as-nails and anti-hand-holding, Nine Dots’ original game dropped players in a city and told them to head out and act as adventurers. There is no big looming threat that you must overcome or beacons to reach; no, it is up to you to craft your own story. As exciting as the concept was, Outward‘s rough combat and punishing early hours made it an acquired taste that is best recommended to a relatively small audience.
Outward 2 seems set to maintain its predecessor’s approach to difficulty and blend of genres, with survival elements still being part of the equation. Like before, you will leave your hometown in search of adventure, and you decide where to go, what to risk, and how to prepare. The latter is extremely important too, as a lack of planning is a death sentence.
Pokemon Winds and Waves
Pokemon’s 10th Generation Starts In 2027
Like clockwork, every 3 or 4 years, a new Pokemon generation debuts. Scarlet and Violet launched in 2022 and produced DLC throughout the next 18 months. In 2025, Legends: Z-A hit store shelves, effectively bringing the 9th generation to a close. Consequently, it was only a matter of time before the next era was revealed, and Pokemon Winds and Waves were finally announced in March 2026.
For now, we only know a few things about the upcoming game. We know Winds and Waves‘ starter Pokemon, and we know that the region will be divided into islands and will come with a Southeast Asian flavor. We also know that The Pokemon Company is targeting a 2027 release, which we can assume will happen towards the end of the year. Not a lot to go off, but a new Pokemon is always a big deal.
Light No Fire
An Ambitious Fantasy Open-World RPG From The Makers Of No Man’s Sky
The rehabilitation of Hello Games’ reputation has been so extraordinary that, in 2026, “from the creators of No Man’s Sky” inspires unbridled excitement. Light No Fire is the developer’s next effort, although its release is likely still a few years away. While seemingly incorporating elements from their previous (and current) masterpiece, the upcoming release will 100% fall within the RPG genre, all the while offering a vast open-world that demands exploration and experimentation. Rather than give you the universe, Hello Games is focusing on just one planet, which happens to be the size of Earth (but isn’t Earth).
In its marketing, Light No Fire is specifically cited to be about “adventure, building, survival, and exploration together,” the latter of which emphasizes online co-op as a central feature. “Survival” suggests a specific type of experience, although it remains to be seen whether the game goes down the hardcore route or opts for a more accessible approach.
The Witcher 4
Action & Open-World (Presumably)
CD Projekt Red has been working on a new The Witcher project for a few years, but the developer did not confirm that it would be the next mainline entry in the saga until The Game Awards 2024. The Witcher 4 is on the horizon, and it is an exciting time to be a fan of open-world RPGs or just games in general. While Cyberpunk 2077‘s debut state reduced CD Projekt Red’s public goodwill, the developer’s post-launch commitment helped right a few of those initial wrongs, and the game is nowadays in good shape. More importantly, The Witcher 3 is still largely regarded as one of the greatest Western RPGs of all time, and time has done very little to dull its shine.
As the previous entry’s DLC nicely completed Geralt’s story, it had long been speculated that The Witcher 4 would feature a new protagonist, and Ciri has always been the most obvious pick. Well, The Game Awards’ trailer largely confirmed that rumor, with the powerful character being front and center. At this point, almost nothing is known about the sequel’s direction, except for Ciri seeming to be a few years older than in Wild Hunt. Also, Geralt will likely make an appearance in The Witcher 4.
Open-World (Presumably)
It was only a matter of time before The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed, although that is essentially all that Bethesda has done. Except for some minor details that can be surmised from the few seconds of footage that have been released so far, the game is still largely a mystery; however, TES 6 is one of those upcoming RPGs that only needs to exist to generate hype.
Realistically, Bethesda’s sequel is still a few years away from a debut, and the publisher’s recent track record has been a touch hit and miss. Nevertheless, it would be shocking if TES 6 does not wind up as one of the best-selling games of all time.
