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5 RPGs Releasing In 2026 That Could Have GOTY Potential

2026 RPG Outlook: From Phantom Blade Zero to Beast of Reincarnation, we break down the top Game of the Year contenders from the RPG genre.

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2026 is already off to a strong start with gamers devouring Resident Evil Requiem and other early year hits across genres. RPG fans had a chance to enjoy Dragon Quest VII Reimagined early this year as well, but there are still a ton of additional highly-anticipated RPGs coming throughout the spring, summer, and autumn that have game of the year potential.

2026’s RPGs with the Most Potential

After watching Expedition 33 dominate the 2025 award season, it’s very interesting to look at the year ahead and try to predict which 2026 RPGs might have similar potential to break through to a wider audience and capture the attention of the industry.

Although there may still be some surprise drops that haven’t even been announced yet, there are a handful of known quantities worth mentioning that definitely have game of the year potential.

Phantom Blade Zero is an upcoming wuxia action role-playing game developed and published by S-GAME. The title is inspired by the Golden Age of Hong Kong action films and releases in September 2026. The footage we’ve seen so far reveals a moody and atmospheric setting and a sneak peek at some pretty compelling combat systems.

The game’s combo-chain style twist on combat should help it stand out from the crowd if the team at S-GAME manage to make it feel compelling, challenging, and as dramatic as the action films that inspired the system.

Beast of Reincarnation

Beast of Reincarnation is by far the most high-profile and ambitious non-Pokemon title that Game Freak has developed. The game arrives in late summer and the “one-person, one dog” systems seem like a great fit for Game Freak’s skillset, but still plenty different from the world of Pokemon that fans are used to seeing from them.

Fable is an early clear front runner for the biggest RPG of 2026 (assuming it successfully hits its projected autumn release date). The return to the Fable franchise is poised to be a huge moment for the Xbox brand and the latest deep dive into the gameplay seems to suggest some really deep and interesting RPG systems.

A big selling point of the Playground Games title is that each and every decision players make will impact the world around them. If that manages to play out in entertaining, exciting, and funny ways, then there’s a very real possibility that Fable will capture a massive audience in the later half of 2026.

At the moment, Crimson Desert looks like it might be the biggest open-world game with RPG elements on the radar for 2026. There is a bit of debate about whether this title is actually enough of an RPG to make the list, but it seems worth including for consideration. We haven’t been hands-on with the title yet to know how much it leans into the RPG side of things versus something more akin to a Rockstar open-world action-adventure game.

Mewgenics is definitely a long-shot for Game of the Year buzz, but it’s worth giving this super unique indie RPG a shoutout on the list. The game definitely leans into edgelord humor, but it’s hard to deny its charm and the nonstop fun of its gameplay loop.

Honorable Mentions and Other Considerations

Although this list only includes five games, there are lots of other RPGs that could easily have broken into the list. A few of these have already released and didn’t seem to get quite the necessary level of critical and consumer hype to make the cut for most game of the year lists, but are still well-worth checking out.

A few of the others would be major contenders of they release in 2026 (The Witcher 4 and Elder Scrolls 6), but those games actually arriving this calendar year seems highly unlikely based on what we know at this point.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (very well received at launch, but doesn’t seem like it broke through to a mainstream audience quite enough to reach game of the year consideration at this point)

The Witcher 4 (no release date confirmed)

Elder Scrolls 6 (no release date confirmed)

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Nioh 3 (launch reception didn’t seem to quite meet game of the year consideration hype)

As the rest of the year plays out, it will be very exciting to see which of these games become breakout hits and which do not. There are also sure to be many other RPGs that didn’t make the list or that haven’t been revealed yet that end up making some game of the year shortlists.

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