10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2026

Again a good mix of AAA and indies

It's that time of the year again: time to check what PC games Choicest Games is interested in for the next year! Our list probably differs quite considerably from other lists out there since we're only focused on titles coming to the PC and due to the backgrounds of the judges, we don't necessarily go for the AAA titles with advertising being rammed down your throats, although we don't shy away from them either, if they've got something awesome to offer. Also, as we're older gamers, we do like our retro-inspired and indie titles too. We can already tell you Grand Theft Auto VI isn't at the top of our list (AGAIN) but did it make our list at all? You'll just have to scroll further to find out!

As it's been with previous years, I've again managed to recruit the help of my wife as a judge and as it was the case with last year, I've decided to use Wikipedia Pageview statistics as a third judge.

The Judges

Mark G

Mark founded the blog Choicest Games in 2008 and has been playing PC games since the 1980s. He has an eclectic taste in games but his favourite genres include point 'n' click adventures, First Person Shooters and almost anything to do with sci-fi. He is also leader of the social guild/clan Gamers of Choice.

Lanna

Lanna is Mark G's wife and being the supportive wife that she is has contributed reviews and her input on the running of the blog. Lanna enjoys puzzle games, FPSs and Civilization. She was also at one stage world champion at Everyday Genius Squarelogic.

Wikipedia Pageviews

Wikipedia page view statistics is publicly available data that records how many times a Wikipedia page is viewed over a given time period (the default is the last 20 days).

How the list was made

An arbitrary list of 154 games was compiled (which is less than last year's 210) through a combination of me scouring the Internet for exciting PC titles coming out next year as well as any the contributors could find as well. I used the same scoring as previous years where contributors were given a choice of three potential scores:

0 = Not interested in the game at all
1 = Slightly interested. Keeping my eyes on it and/or will buy it if there's nothing better to get
2 = Must-buy. I will buy it on release or I've already pre-ordered it.

Contributors were asked to assign a 0, 1 or 2 to each of the games on the list. I would then count up the total score and then sort the list by score in descending order.

With respect to Wikipedia Pageview statistics, I drew a line in the sand at 10,000 page views: if a game received 10,000 page views or more it received a score of 2. If it had less than 10,000, it received a score of 1. If it didn't have a Wikipedia page at all, I gave it a score of 0.

There were a couple of games that received the most votes but they only received four votes each, unlike the six that Civ VII received last year. There were also only five games that received three votes which is low compared to last year's eight. Only 12 games were awarded with a score of two points (which is less than the 29 on the 2025 list, the 40 on the 2024 list and the 30 on the 2023 list). Unlike last year, we included everything that received two votes to the Honourable Mentions list, except for the three that had votes from both human judges which were added to complete the Top 10. They are probably not games you'd normally see on a Top 10 list but that's what makes this list unique!

There are a couple of games mentioned on this list that appeared on last year's list so hoping the devs actually finish them so it doesn't look we're fibbing all the time! Also note that despite some pretty choice announcements at the Game Awards (such as Star Wars: The Fate of the Old Republic) we will not be including any games on the list that haven't yet announced 2026 as its release window.

So I present to you the 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2026 as voted by Choicest Games! But before I get into that, here are the Honourable Mentions, those that didn't make the list but were close to being included…

Honourable Mentions

Fable
Grand Theft Auto VI
Halloween
Mouse P.I. For Hire
Resdient Evil Requiem
Squadron 42 (apparently)
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Sudden Strike 5
Transport Fever 3

10. Game Quest: The Backlog Battler

A game where your Pile of Shame can actually hurt you

Okay, this is definitely a joke game but it's one that obviously resonates with me. I've always had a thing for games that can generate levels or enemies based on files off your hard disk, such as Audiosurf which uses MP3 files (remember listening to MP3 files instead of streaming services? The good ol' days).Game Quest crafts a unique experience for you based off your gaming habits: it checks which games you've played extensively in your Steam library and those that you haven't touched at all and then generates enemies to fight based on these criteria: you quite literally fight your own games. Nic Taylor, the developer, also mentions this about dearer games: “the more you paid for them, the more damage they will do to you (just like in real life)". Ouch. I imagine that for those without many games or are the sort to complete games before buying new ones, this is going to be a rather boring game. But for those like me, that have many unplayed games in their Steam library, it's going to be quite a challenge.

While the game hasn't received much press coverage, Lanna and I thought it was an amusing concept enough to receive one vote from each of us.

The game is scheduled for release in Q1 2026.

Score:
2 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Lanna

Release Date:
Q1 2026

[ LINK: Game Quest Steam Page ]

9. Captain Disaster and the Two Worlds of Riskara

That alien's Big Ben sandcastle is pretty impressive

Choicest Games is no stranger to games developed by Dave Seaman which are usually creative forays into what you can make with Adventure Game Studio (AGS): Snow Problem, The Ancient Art of Staying Alive, The Rat Pack are all examples of this. But the game that is probably closest to the intended genre for AGS, is Captain Disaster in: Death Has a Million Stomping Boots. Captain Disaster and the Two Worlds of Riskara is a sequel to the game which sees Captain Disaster (not the sharpest tool in the shed) answering a distress call from a mysterious ship and ultimately uncovering a long hidden secret. This time around, Seaman is joined by artist Lorenzo Boni and composer Eric Galluzzo to bring his vision to life.

I enjoyed the first Captain Disaster game mainly thanks to its humour and Space Quest vibe although I was put off by the inconsistent art style. It seems the production values have been improved for this sequel so I'm all for it. I'm not entirely sure why Lanna picked the game but maybe a new humorous, British sci-fi point 'n' click adventure is what everyone needs more of in their lives.

Two Worlds of Riskara is set for release sometime in 2026.

Score:
2 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Lanna

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: Captain Disaster and the Two Worlds of Riskara Steam Page ]

8. Last Flag

That's some funky flares

Dan Reynolds, of Imagine Dragons fame (you know, the guys behind the song “Radioactive") has always wanted to run his own game studio which is why he and his brother, Mac Reynolds, have created a new one called Night Street Studios. They also both have a passion for the classic game capture the flag which they used to play as kids but now they'd like to bring their own version of it to the computer in 2026. The new game is called Last Flag and it's a cartoony 5v5 shooter, reminiscent of Team Fortress 2 or Overwatch in terms of its style. Each contestant gets special abilities on their quest to capture the flag and the only concern I have with the game is whether it's different enough from the likes of popular hero shooters like TF2, Overwatch or Marvel Rivals. Will it be enough to entice those players to give it a try? Or is the market oversaturated with these types of games? I guess we'll find out come next year.

Both Lanna and I gave Last Flag our vote, probably because a game that is inspired by the classic multiplayer game of Capture the Flag will surely unlock a "core memory" in every one.

The game is scheduled for release in 2026.

Score:
2 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Lanna

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: Official Last Flag website ]

7. Ace Combat 8

F/A-18s seem to be all the rage in Ace Combat 8

Who wouldn't want to get on the Hiiiiighway toooo the Danger Zone? Bandai Namco's Ace Combat series is a pretty big franchise with a whole bunch of arcade-style combat flight sim games dating all the way back to 1995 with Air Combat on the Playstation. Ace Combat 8 is the latest story set in the “Strangereal" universe and you play the role of a pilot in an elite squadron called the Wings of Theve.

This is the first game on the list to hit three votes with strong interest in the Ace Combat series in general according to Wikipedia. I've also thrown in a vote since the Ace Combat series seems to be my kind of game, despite having not played Ace Combat 7 which is still sitting on my Pile of Shame. It does look like a game that would scratch my Strike Commander/Wing Commander itch though…

The game is scheduled for release sometime in 2026.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark and Wikipedia

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: Ace Combat 8 Official Website ]

6. Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra

Cap and Black Panther, fighting each other again

This game still hasn't released huh? Worse, the most recent release date is rather cryptic as it's now “Beyond Early 2026". As mentioned before, there's a lot to be excited about with respect to this game if you're a Marvel or WWII fan as it has both Captain America and Black Panther in it and, as the name implies, is set in 1943. The team making the game is also being led by industry veteran Amy Hennig of Uncharted fame, so it should be in good hands.

The game received one vote from each judge as there is moderate interest in this from the public and both Lanna and myself are Marvel fans (and I do like games based on WWII as well).

The game is set for release sometime in 2026.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Wikipedia

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: Official Marvel 1943 Website ]

5. Hell Let Loose: Vietnam

Better run through the jungle

The developers of Hell Let Loose already have experience in creating historical shooters so they deemed the next logical step was to create yet another, except setting it during the Vietnam War instead of WWII. In Hell Let Loose: Vietnam you'll play as either the US Army or North Vietnamese Army. The game will start with 6 large-scale maps for 50v50 battles and you'll be able to specialise in 17 roles, allowing you to build tunnels, fly choppers or drive patrol boats.

There's moderate interest in this game from the public and Lanna and I do like FPS games (such as Battlefield). I especially like historical FPS games so Hell Let Loose: Vietnam seems to tick the right boxes.

The game is due for release sometime in 2026.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Wikipedia

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: Official Hell Let Loose Vietnam Page ]

4. Star Wars: Zero Company

The combination of a stormtrooper's aim and a turn-based tactics game could be a recipe for disaster

Set during the end of the Clone Wars, this turn-based tactics game promises to have a “gritty" and “authentic" story. You play the role of Hawks who must lead a ragtag group of mercenaries against impossible odds. The group must set aside their differences if they want to work effectively as a team. From the little we have on the game, it does sound like a mix of Jagged Alliance and the more grounded Star Wars franchises like “Andor".

While I'm not terribly good at turn-based tactics games, I do enjoy them. The Jagged Alliance and XCOM series are among my favourites so it's no surprise that I'm keen for one set in the Star Wars universe. There's also moderate interest in this game from the public and I think Lanna just voted it coz Star Wars. Hey, it's a big brand.

The game is due for release sometime in 2026.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Wikipedia

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: Official Star Wars Zero Company Website ]

3. Big Walk

An unassuming game that could potentially be Australia's next hit

Big Walk is a game about exploring a world full of challenges, puzzles and discoveries. You'll have to learn to cooperate with your friends in order to advance and this also involves learning to communicate effectively. It seems to be a very chill sort of game where part of the fun is just hanging out with your friends while channeling a bit of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes whenever it comes to communicating with each other in order to solve puzzles.

Untitled Goose Game (the previous game House House worked on) was a very unassuming game that I ended up liking more than I thought I would. It helps that you're given free reign to create mischief and do so co-operatively with a friend. Consequently, I have faith that House House might be onto something with this game, hence why I voted for it, and I suspect this is the same reason Lanna and the public are interested in this game too.

The game is set to release in 2026.

Score:
3 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Wikipedia

Release Date:
2026

[ LINK: The Big Walk Official Page ]

2. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

I was never into you even when you were Christian Baaaaaale

Ever since 2005 with the release of LEGO Star Wars, Traveller's Tales has become the de facto Lego video game company. Between 2008 and 2014, there released three LEGO Batman games but no mainstream LEGO Batman game since, at least not until next year. The fourth LEGO Batman game, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, is a new open-world Batman game based off the Christopher Nolan "Dark Knight" trilogy, so it should be a hit for those who like LEGO games, Batman, Christopher Nolan or Christian Bale. There's even a reference to Mr Freeze from Batman and Robin, so not quite sure what's up with that, maybe it's more than just the Dark Knight trilogy?

I have nothing against the Lego games but they're usually not my cup of tea. They're great games to play cooperatively with kids though and that's probably part of their enduring appeal. Lanna also enjoys playing the Lego games and this is going to be a must-buy in our household, which means it's two votes from her, making it only one of two games to receive four votes.

The game is set for release on 30 May 2026.

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Lanna and Wikipedia

Release Date:
30 May 2026

[ LINK: LEGO Batman Official Page ]

1. 007: First Light

Wouldn't be a Bond game without a car chase

James Bond games are few and far between. Besides a flurry of activity in the 80s and then some more in the late 90s and 2000s (thanks to the success of 1997's Goldeneye) there hasn't been much activity in the James Bond space. To be fair, the movies aren't pumped out nearly as frequently as the old days either and yet next year we're going to see a new James Bond game called 007 First Light. This game is set to be a reboot, an origin story for James Bond as he earns his licence to kill and be promoted to a 00 agent. It'll not only be based on the films but the original books as well. What is particularly exciting is that the game is being developed by IO Interactive, no stranger to stealth games thanks to the Hitman series. If anyone should know how to make a good spy game, it's going to be them.

There's quite a bit of buzz about this game and both me and Lanna are keeping our eyes on this title, meaning this is the game that takes the top spot for this year.

The game is set for release on 27 May 2026.

Score:
4 out of 6 votes

Voted by:
Mark, Lanna and Wikipedia

Release Date:
27 May 2026

[ LINK: 007 First Light Official Website ]

So what did you think of the list? What are you looking most forward to in 2026 in terms of PC games?

EDIT (24/12/2025): Shortly after posting this, there was an announcement from IO Interactive that the release date would be pushed from 28 Mar 2026 to 27 May 2026. The article has been edited.