RPG fans have already been treated to so many great games in 2026, from Crimson Desert to Esoteric Ebb, each offering a completely different way to become immersed and transported to a fictional world. But we are only now passing the halfway point, and there are plenty more RPGs waiting to come out in July that could potentially blow everything else out of the water.
7 Open-World RPGs That Are 10/10, No Notes
As the years go by, these open-world RPGs remain the unmatched pinnacle of the genre — and are absolutely worth playing today.
Because of how broad the genre is, it always feels as though there is a constant stream of fresh ideas being released every month, and these games are looking to show that the 2026 creative stream is far from over. Extraction RPGs, action-packed adventures, and mind-blowing new concepts, all ready to grace our screens over the next few weeks.
Echoes of Aincrad
Soulslike Combat Meets JRPG Progression
Details:
- Release Date: July 10, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series
- Several build and skill paths to choose from
- An expanding world with many different settings
Echoes of Aincrad is a next-generation JRPG that aims to bring flair and intensity to an otherwise fairly crowded genre.
You start as a blank canvas, being able to customize your hero however you choose, and from there, the world becomes an ever-growing battleground for you to test out your skills and become a truly unstoppable force.
A big focus for the game is the build diversity, as it doesn’t matter if you want to go for full speed, intelligence, or endurance; every option is viable from start to finish. The level of polish and the intriguing worldbuilding make it particularly interesting for me, and I am really looking forward to spending dozens of hours in yet another SAO universe game.
Mistfall Hunter
No Rifles Or Robots Here
Details:
- Release Date: July 30, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series
- Fantasy extraction game
- PvPvE gameplay loop
Mistfall Hunter is one of the most talked-about names in the extraction space, and for good reason. Rather than running in with a set of guns and meds, you enter the world with a fantastical build from one of six classes, each offering a completely different playstyle throughout a run.
New 10/10 RPGs That Are Rewriting The Rules Of The Genre
RPGs are always evolving, and a few 2026 games are looking to rewrite the rules that have come to define the genre.
You can be a spell-slinging mage or an aggressive assassin, or spec your character in a way that toes the line between classes, with so many possibilities that fundamentally alter how you begin and extract from the world. I have been quite burnt out on other extraction games, but this is for sure a day-one pick-up for me.
Dinoblade
A Tech-Demo That Became A Reality
Details:
- Release Date: July 23, 2026
- Platforms: PC
- Prehistoric world and enemies
- Soulslike combat meets dinosaurs
If you told me that those early videos of Dinoblade would eventually spawn a full-length game, I would have laughed in your face, but here we are, finally with a reptilian adventure unlike any other. In the face of a looming extinction, you, as a young spinosaurus, must battle across an ancient world, dueling other dinosaurs and unleashing combos that look straight out of a blockbuster movie.
Conceptually, it is obviously absurd, yet the gameplay looks surprisingly crisp, giving you a lot of control over each and every swing, and ensuring that skill triumphs over all. If you are a soulslike fan, then you owe it to yourself to give it a try, and if you’re not, when was the last time you got to play as a greatsword-wielding dinosaur?
Skills & Raids
Dungeons And Loot Galore
Details:
- Release Date: July 27, 2026
- Platforms: PC
- Real-time, ability-driven combat
- Extraction loop that drives progress
Skills & Raids has so many different elements working in tandem that it is actually hard to describe it in a single sentence. At its core, it’s a dungeon-crawling extraction game that throws you into increasingly perilous situations, but rather than using cards or pure attacks, you instead have to manage cooldowns and strategically make your way through each fight in order to see the light of day again.
Big Upcoming RPGs That Focus On Player Choices
Freedom to make impactful choices with far-reaching consequences lies at the heart of these upcoming RPGs.
The best part comes from the link between the combat and your progression. After each grueling battle, you get to us that loot to power up your party in various ways, and from there, harder quests become accessible and more terrifying foes become manageable, with the constant loop of loot to combat looking very addictive and satisfying for a dungeon-lover like myself.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok
Taking The Fight Further
Details:
- Release Date: July 9, 2026
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2
- Whole new adventure and locations
- New game modes and ways to play
Endless Ragnarok is bringing even more content to the Relink saga, adding so much additional content in a single package that it actually seems too good to be true. From a story perspective, you will be fighting to prevent the end of times, entering mysterious gateways, and challenging more fearsome foes than ever before in the realm of chaos.
In addition to the narrative content, we will gain access to several new modes and abilities that should shake up both the base game and the DLC. A challenging solo mode, controllable summons, and additional bosses to test the best players out there, all things that I and many others can’t wait to get our hands on.
Is It Actually Worth Replaying A 100-Hour RPG On New Game Plus?
A 100-hour RPG is a bit of an undertaking to get through, so is it even worth your time to jump in for a second NG+ run? Let’s find out.
