2026 is here, so it’s time to look ahead at the games coming across it. From what we already know, there’s going to be a lot of greatness coming. Last year was already great, but this year I feel will easily beat it. For a certain few reasons that include a mix of my cores and other franchises. So continue reading to see a selection of what I’m looking forward to in 2026.

To start with, it has finally happened. A new Star Wars racing game after so many, many years. And this time, there’s more than just podracers. Described as being a runs-based racer, I have to assume Galactic Racer is going to have some roguelike elements to it. Though maybe not, considering there is supposedly a story-driven campaign to the game. I want to see it in action, and then get playing with all the vehicles on offer.

One of my cores with a milestone anniversary is Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds released last year, feeling very much a celebration of the franchise. I can easily see more content being brought to it, further continuing that celebration across this year. But could there be more games coming? A new main series game would be fun to see, and it is about time for a new game to come. Hopefully it expands on what Frontiers started.

The other anniversary is Pokémon. And this one seems obvious. Generation 10. Scarlet and Violet produced a great open world that had a few weaknesses. And launched with some performance issues. I’m hoping that whatever the region of these new games, it has a lot better performance and a much better open world that doesn’t have a giant crater in the middle of it.

Of course, it’s not just Generation 10 coming. A new spin-off is here! And it’s a farm-life sim? Playing as a Ditto in human form? It does look interesting, and I’m sure I’ll be spending quite a bit of time with it. In fact, I’m pretty sure March will be a lot of Pokémon, as I’m pretty certain Colosseum and Gale of Darkness will be added to the GameCube Classics app on Pokémon Day, which I absolutely want to be playing through again.

And yes, the forth of my cores might not have any games confirmed, but I can still hope for something new from Power Rangers. The new TV series is in development, so I can see why holding off on a game might be for the best. I can still wish for one in some cross-media promotion depending on when the series gets released. Celebrate the old and welcome in the new.

One game I feel might be taking up a lot of my time this year is Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. This was the first of the main series Dragon Quests I played on my 3DS. And it was a game that I loved, even if I only completed the first chapter of it. So, with this remake, I have a chance to complete its story, much like I have done with the HD-2D Remakes of I-III that have come across the last few years.

Most of the games on this list are AAA games. But there are a few indies I wanted to highlight. The first being one of my most loved games from Tiny Teams 2025. That being Tanuki: Pon’s Summer. A fun life sim of riding a BMX to make deliveries, while also taking part in many other activities. All while preparing a shrine for a festival. It has such a charm to it that it will be bought on release.

One that has been a few years coming is Mixtape. A coming-of-age story of three friends heading to a last party together, they reminisce about their past memories together. I’ve been waiting for this one simply for the fact it seems like it’ll be a nostalgic experience. I might not have done anything as crazy as what these friends got up to, but I still like to look back on the good times. And Mixtape is sure to bring those memories to the fore.

Stillalive Studios must have enjoyed their time on the Bus Simulator series, as they’re making their own bus-driving game in Bus Bound. Wanting to push a more interactive world, it seems we’ll be the start of a new public transport initiative that will revitalise the city of Emberville. The city will grow as that initiative becomes more popular, seeing less cars on the roads. I’m interested in seeing how it all works. It should be fun to see what the next Bus Simulator offers, too. What with it being developed by Simteract.

IO Interactive are taking a break from Hitman to deliver a 007 experience. First Light is releasing in May, and from what has been shown, it looks to be a grand interactive adventure for a new, much younger Bond. This origin story looks to be drawing on all of what IOI have done for Hitman, along with adding in some vehicular set pieces. While I’ve got no investment in Bond, I trust IOI to deliver something that will be fun to me regardless.

From crazy action to just plain weird, a new Tomodachi Life is coming to Switch 2. I loved the weirdness of the first game, and it looks like that will very much be present in Living the Dream. I’m sure there will be plenty of interactions shared between the Miis of my island. Which I feel is just going to be full of characters from my stories again. But that’s what makes the series so fun. Creating whoever you like to see what relationships form. Which we can now have some influence on.

After The Skywalker Saga, TT Games seemed to again be revising what a LEGO game meant. So that, when LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was announced last year, a large change was speculated on. There are only a few playable characters with this one. Not that such will affect enjoyment of this story spanning Batman’s entire history. A great new experience awaits with this one.

And finally, there’s two open world games with the number 6 in the title. The first being Forza Horizon 6, which was announced at the Tokyo Game Show. A fitting place to announce the game that will recreate Japan for its open world. I always enjoy driving around the worlds Playground Games creates, racing around them with the events on offer. The ultimate sandbox of driving greatness. I just wish for a greater sense of progression this time around.

Then there’s GTA VI. The next Rockstar masterpiece that is bringing Vice City into the modern age. But not just Vice City. This is said to be an entire fictional Florida. From the Keys right up to the border with Georgia. While it won’t be anywhere near the size of the real Florida, Leonida will still be a great one to explore while witnessing the story of Jason and Lucia, and the interactions they share with the residents of the state.

That’s already a lot to be looking forward to. There’s sure to be much more as indie games and a few from the big publishers get announced across this year. There’s also been whisperings of a new Crash racing game, and the potential for a new Spyro, so I’m hoping both of those are real things. Even without those, 2026 is shaping up to be one grand year of games.

Images Taken From:
Pokémon Pokopia – Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025 | Nintendo of America
Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined | Square Enix
Mixtape | Steam
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight | Steam