Last updated: 8 October 2026. This guide is re-checked against official publisher announcements and store pages. Eight of the nine games below have already launched — only one giant is still ahead of us.
Original illustration created for IGGG Guides. Not a screenshot of any game.
2026 is nearly over — so what actually came out?
Most "most anticipated 2026" lists were written in January. It is now October, and the year has largely delivered. Resident Evil came back, James Bond finally got the stealth game he deserved, Wolverine landed on PS5, and Forza took the Horizon festival to Japan. One enormous release is still sitting on the calendar: Grand Theft Auto VI, on 19 November 2026 — 42 days from the date of this update.
This page is the corrected, dated version of that list: what shipped, when it shipped, what it scored, what platform it is actually on, and whether it is worth your money now. Where a critic score has not been independently verified for this update, we leave it blank rather than guess.
Quick status table — all nine games
| Game | Status | Date | Platforms | Verified score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto VI | Upcoming | 19 Nov 2026 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S | — |
| Resident Evil Requiem | Out now | 27 Feb 2026 | PS5, XSX|S, PC, Switch 2 | — |
| Saros | Out now | 20 Mar 2026 | PS5 exclusive | OpenCritic ~86 |
| Pragmata | Out now | 17 Apr 2026 | PS5, XSX|S, PC, Switch 2 | Metacritic 85 |
| Forza Horizon 6 | Out now | 19 May 2026 | Xbox Series X|S, PC (PS5 later) | — |
| LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight | Out now | 22 May 2026 | PS5, XSX|S, PC, Switch 2 (18 Sep) | — |
| 007 First Light | Out now | 27 May 2026 | PS5, XSX|S, PC (Switch 2 later) | Metacritic ~88 |
| Mina the Hollower | Out now | See note below | Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox, Steam | — |
| Marvel's Wolverine | Out now | 15 Sep 2026 | PS5 / PS5 Pro exclusive | — |
A dash means we have not personally confirmed an aggregate score from Metacritic or OpenCritic at the time of this update. We would rather show nothing than show a number we cannot stand behind.
Still to come: Grand Theft Auto VI — 19 November 2026
Original illustration. Not a screenshot of Grand Theft Auto VI.
This is the only game on the list you still have to wait for, and the wait has been long. GTA VI was first announced for fall 2025, moved to 26 May 2026, and then moved again to 19 November 2026. Pre-orders opened on 25 June 2026, and Rockstar released an extended gameplay look in August 2026.
Two details get misreported constantly, so to be clear:
- It is console-only at launch. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar has not announced a PC version or a PC date. If GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 are any guide, a PC release historically arrives a year or more later — but that is a pattern, not a promise.
- The date is firm, as far as the company is concerned. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reaffirmed 19 November at the September 2026 shareholder meeting and pushed back on the idea of a third delay. The date also appears in Take-Two's financial filings, which raises the cost of moving it again.
What the game is: a return to Vice City with a dual-protagonist story built around Lucia and Jason. If you want the full background — the leaks, the delay history and the setting — read our complete GTA 6 explainer, which we keep updated as Rockstar reveals more. Announcements always land first on the Rockstar Newswire.
Should you buy a console for it?
If GTA VI is your only reason to buy a PS5 or Series X, the honest advice is to wait until mid-November. Console prices in Pakistan tend to climb around a major launch, and waiting also means you avoid buying a machine that sits idle for six weeks. If you are a PC-only player, there is nothing to plan for yet — do not buy hardware on the assumption of a PC port with no announced date.
The horror comeback: Resident Evil Requiem (out 27 February 2026)
Original horror-themed illustration. Not a screenshot of Resident Evil Requiem.
The ninth numbered Resident Evil arrived on 27 February 2026, in the franchise's 30th anniversary year, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and — notably — Switch 2. That last one matters: it is the first time a brand-new numbered Resident Evil has shipped on a Nintendo handheld-hybrid at launch.
The story is set 30 years after the destruction of Raccoon City. You play as Grace Ashcroft, an FBI technical analyst whose surname points squarely at Alyssa Ashcroft from Resident Evil Outbreak, with Leon S. Kennedy as a second playable perspective. Capcom's pitch was a swing back toward slower, scarier, more claustrophobic horror after the action-forward entries.
Enjoyed it and want something equally unsettling? Our write-up on Silent Hill f covers the other major horror revival of this generation.
Bond done right: 007 First Light (out 27 May 2026)
IO Interactive's Bond origin story is, by the numbers, one of the best-reviewed games of the year: roughly 88 on Metacritic and 89 on OpenCritic. It launched on 27 May 2026 at $59.99, two months later than the 27 March date originally announced, with 24-hour early access for pre-orders on 26 May. A Switch 2 version was announced for later.
It is a young, un-polished Bond earning the 00 number, built on the systems IO refined across the Hitman trilogy — large sandbox levels, disguises, multiple routes through an objective — but with a tighter, scripted spine. The campaign runs about 20 hours. Lana Del Rey performs the title song, with David Arnold returning to score.
We covered this one before launch too — see our earlier 007 First Light deep dive for the development background.
The year's best surprise: Pragmata (out 17 April 2026)
Announced in 2020, delayed for years, and then quietly excellent. Capcom pulled the release forward by a week to 17 April 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2 (Japan's Switch 2 edition kept the 24 April date).
You play Hugh Williams, an astronaut stranded on a lunar research station, paired with an android girl named Diana, against a station overrun by machines under a rogue AI called IDUS. The combat is its signature idea: you shoot with one hand while solving a live hacking grid puzzle with the other, so aiming and problem-solving happen at the same time.
Scores: Metacritic 85 overall (Switch 2 89, PC 88, Xbox 87, PS5 85), 96% of OpenCritic critics recommend it, and Steam user reviews sit at "Overwhelmingly Positive" — 97% of over 16,000 reviews. If you only pick one game off this list that you have not already played, this is the one.
Horizon goes to Japan: Forza Horizon 6 (out 19 May 2026)
Original racing illustration. Not a screenshot of Forza Horizon 6.
Playground Games finally gave the series the setting fans asked for since Horizon 3: Japan, with a stylised Tokyo and Mount Fuji anchoring the map. It launched 19 May 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows (Premium edition early access from 15 May), and it is on Game Pass from day one — which makes it the cheapest serious entry point on this entire list.
PlayStation owners are still waiting. As of early October 2026 Microsoft has not officially dated the PS5 version. A widely-cited industry leaker has pointed to 26 January 2027, and reporting in the first week of October suggested an official announcement was close — treat that date as a rumour until Xbox confirms it.
PS5 exclusives: Saros and Marvel's Wolverine
Saros (20 March 2026, PS5, PS5 Pro enhanced) is Housemarque's follow-up to Returnal. You play Arjun, voiced by Rahul Kohli, on the shifting planet Carcosa. The key change from Returnal is the "Second Chance" system plus permanent progression — you keep meaningful upgrades between runs, which makes it far less punishing for players who bounced off Returnal's reset-everything loop. OpenCritic has it around 86, rated "Mighty".
Marvel's Wolverine (15 September 2026, PS5/PS5 Pro, $69.99 standard / $79.99 deluxe) is Insomniac's hard-edged, brutal take on Logan, hunting the cybernetic Reavers. It is confirmed as the first game in a planned X-Men trilogy, and Sony's licensing deal means no other publisher can make X-Men games for its duration. Reviewers singled out its accessibility and difficulty options as unusually thorough. If you liked Insomniac's PlayStation output, our Spider-Man: Miles Morales review is the closest comparison point on this site.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (out 22 May 2026)
TT Games' return to Gotham arrived 22 May 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC — a week earlier than the announced 29 May — and on Switch 2 on 18 September 2026, alongside the "Mayhem Collection" DLC and a free "Absolute" difficulty update for all platforms. It is built as an open-world Gotham drawing on 86 years of Batman history across comics, TV and film, with Batgirl, Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon and Robin recruitable to the Batcave roster. It is the best couch co-op pick on this list — if that is what you are after, our It Takes Two co-op guide covers the other essential two-player game.
Mina the Hollower — out now (date caveat)
Yacht Club Games' Game Boy-inspired action-adventure, from the Shovel Knight studio, is available now on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. The exact launch date is genuinely messy in the public record: the studio announced 31 October 2025, then its own news feed later carried a "launches in Spring 2026" post and published an opening-weekend review round-up on 1 June 2026 describing it as the studio's highest-rated game. Because Yacht Club's own posts conflict, we are not quoting a single date here. What is consistent across coverage: it sold over 300,000 copies in its first three days, and it is a top-down, whip-and-burrow take on classic Zelda design with heavy Castlevania DNA.
Buy, wait or skip — October 2026
| If you… | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Own a PC and want the best-reviewed thing you missed | Buy — Pragmata | 85 Metacritic, 97% positive on Steam, and it is not on any subscription service |
| Have Game Pass and like driving | Play now — Forza Horizon 6 | Included at no extra cost; no reason to pay full price |
| Are on PS5 only | Buy — Wolverine or Saros | Both are exclusives; neither will come to PC or Xbox |
| Want Forza on PlayStation | Wait | No official PS5 date yet; the January 2027 figure is unconfirmed |
| Are a PC player waiting on GTA VI | Wait — and do not buy hardware yet | No PC version has been announced at all |
| Bounced off Returnal's difficulty | Reconsider — Saros | Permanent progression means runs are no longer wiped clean |
Planning your download: time vs connection speed
Modern console releases regularly run 80–150 GB. Before you pre-load anything — especially GTA VI in November — it is worth knowing how long your line will actually take. These are straightforward calculations at a steady, uninterrupted speed; real-world times will be longer.
| Your speed | 50 GB | 100 GB | 150 GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | ~11 hours | ~22 hours | ~33 hours |
| 25 Mbps | ~4.5 hours | ~9 hours | ~13.5 hours |
| 50 Mbps | ~2.2 hours | ~4.5 hours | ~6.7 hours |
| 100 Mbps | ~1.1 hours | ~2.2 hours | ~3.4 hours |
Practical tips for players in Pakistan: start pre-loads overnight when contention is lowest; use a wired Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi for a 100 GB+ download, as a dropped connection on console often restarts a chunk; and if you are on a capped or FUP-limited package, check your allowance before launch night, not during it. On Steam, prices are set per-title by region, so always check the store page in your own account rather than converting the US dollar price — the two frequently differ.
Frequently asked questions
Is GTA 6 still coming out in 2026?
Yes. Rockstar's confirmed date is 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It was delayed twice — from fall 2025, then from 26 May 2026 — but Take-Two reaffirmed the November date publicly in September 2026 and ruled out a further delay.
Is GTA 6 coming to PC?
Not at launch, and no PC version has been announced. Rockstar has released previous GTA and Red Dead titles on PC roughly a year after console, but the company has made no commitment this time. Do not plan a PC build around an unannounced port.
Which 2026 game has the best reviews so far?
Among the games on this list, 007 First Light has the highest verified aggregate at roughly 88 on Metacritic, with Pragmata close behind at 85 and the strongest user sentiment — 97% positive across more than 16,000 Steam reviews.
Is Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes. It launched on 27 February 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2 simultaneously.
When is Forza Horizon 6 coming to PS5?
There is no official date. The Xbox and PC versions launched on 19 May 2026. Industry reporting in early October 2026 pointed to a PS5 release around 26 January 2027, but Microsoft has not confirmed it.
Do I need a PS5 Pro for Saros or Marvel's Wolverine?
No. Both run on a standard PS5 and simply offer enhanced modes on PS5 Pro.
What is still left to look forward to in 2026?
From this list, only Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November. For other upcoming releases on Nintendo's platform, see our Switch 2 release roundup.
Sources
Release dates and platforms verified against publisher announcements and official store listings, including the Rockstar Newswire and Yacht Club Games' news feed. Aggregate scores quoted from Metacritic, OpenCritic and Steam as of 8 October 2026; scores change over time, so check the live page before buying.
Compiled and fact-checked by Hammad Ahmad — IGGG Guides Editorial. Every date and platform above was checked against official publisher sources on 8 October 2026 and will be re-checked after the GTA VI launch.
Editorial note: AI tools assisted with drafting and research for this article. All facts, dates and recommendations were reviewed, verified and edited by a human before publication. Illustrations are original artwork created for IGGG Guides and are not screenshots of any game.