It’s hard to believe that 2025 is finally coming to a close. Open-world RPG fans had plenty of games to enjoy from a wide array of genres and gameplay setups. Borderlands 4 was a fun first-person shooter that could be enjoyed with friends or alone. Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally brought the series to Japan to focus on ninjas and samurai. While not completely an RPG, there was also Ghost of Yotei, which was also about samurai.
Upcoming Open-World Games That Will Let You Do Anything
These upcoming open-world games are packed with a ton of activities and gameplay features for players to enjoy.
So, what do open-world RPG fans have to look forward to in 2026? While most of these games don’t have exact dates, they are expected to release sometime in 2026. They may be talked about because of how good they are due to various reasons, or they could be so disastrous that it’s hard not to talk about their train wreck-like launches. Either way, these should be some of the biggest open-world RPG experiences of 2026.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Turn-Based Monster Hunting
- Planned Release Date: 3/13/26
- Planned Systems: PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S
The main Monster Hunter games are action RPGs about players partying up with others to take down massive beasts for crafting purposes. The Monster Hunter Stories spinoff series, which started on the 3DS in Japan in 2016, are turn-based RPGs. The latest entry, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, looks like it will be more of the same but with the added bonus of launching on multiple consoles at once.
With their hunter, players can explore an open-world, which may be segmented off. They can hatch monsters to become party members, along with recruiting fellow hunters to join up with their monsters too. It could be the biggest entry in the series to date, thanks to the multiple platforms and the fact that turn-based RPGs are back in a big way, thanks to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Crimson Desert
2026’s First Big Open-World RPG
- Planned Release Date: 3/19/26
- Planned Systems: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
Crimson Desert looks like it could be the biggest open-world action RPG of 2026, or at least in the first quarter of the year. It’s a follow-up to Black Desert Online, which was an MMO that launched in South Korea in 2015 and in North America in 2016. The options in this next entry look absolutely bonkers in terms of what players can do and see, and the more freedom players have, the more they will want to check it out.
Upcoming RPGs That Let You Build Parties
If you’re a fan of RPGs where you put together a party of diverse characters and lead them into battle, these upcoming games belong on your radar.
There are rideable dragons, robotic constructs in a fantasy world, parts of the environment can be torn up and used as weapons, there are areas that can be climbed, and more. Beyond that, there are more down-to-earth features like arm wrestling, fishing, flute playing, and plenty of animals to pet. Based on footage shown so far, the hype for this game couldn’t be higher if it does indeed launch in March, right after Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.
The Blood Of Dawnwalker
A Vampiric Witcher
- Planned Release Date: 2026
- Planned Systems: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
The Blood of Dawnwalker is being developed by a new studio, Rebel Wolves, which is comprised of former CD Projekt Red members who worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Since that is a well-beloved game and The Witcher 4 may be years or even a decade away, The Blood of Dawnwalker might be the next best thing, which is why the hype could be big. Also, no one has been able to make a truly great open-world vampire RPG yet.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 tried, but the reviews were mixed. Based on the known footage, it looks like players will have different mechanics during the day and night as they explore a rich fantasy world, from growing claws to climbing walls. Vampire games need a big return as fans of the genre have been itching for something new to help innovate in the open-world landscape.
Sea Of Remnants
2026’s Clair Obscur?
- Planned Release Date: 2026
- Planned Systems: PC and PS5
Sea of Remnants is being developed by a new studio too, Joker Studio, but it is associated with NetEase Games, which some may know from Marvel Rivals and Destiny: Rising. Like those examples, Sea of Remnants will be a free-to-play game, and as a pirate adventurer, players can sail around to islands looking for the next big haul.
With the stylized turn-based combat, it could be 2026’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Based on the few trailers out there, how everything will work remains under wraps, but the colorful display of the world, the puppet-like characters, and the soundtrack already make it a promising free-to-play game if it indeed manages to launch in 2026.
Neverness To Everness
Anime GTA
- Planned Release Date: 2026
- Planned Systems: PC and PS5
Neverness to Everness is a weird name that ranks up there next to Infinite Undiscovery, or Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, but the game itself looks good. It would be a good idea for the developer, Hotta Studio, to release it before Grand Theft Auto 6 launches in November, since the two share a lot in common, minus the anime aesthetics. Players can explore a futuristic city brimming with neon lights, participate in action combat, and drive cars around.
As a free-to-play game that looks visually like Genshin Impact, there are probably some character drops hidden behind a paywall, which could be an issue. If the game manages to find the right balance between what is free and what isn’t, then Neverness to Everness could indeed be the next Genshin Impact, or even the next best thing to Grand Theft Auto 6. After all, it’s not a guarantee that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be good.
Fable
A Long Time Coming
- Planned Release Date: 2026
- Planned Systems: PC and Xbox Series X
Good or bad, the next Fable game will be the talk of 2026, if it finally manages to release. The franchise started in 2004 as an original Xbox exclusive. The Fable trilogy is beloved, and the spinoffs that came after have a mixed reputation. The last game in the franchise was a card game, Fable Fortune, which launched its full version in 2018 for PC and Xbox One, and it didn’t quite scratch that Fable itch.
Upcoming Video Games Sequels We Never Thought Would Happen
Some game sequels that take so long to release that fans give up hope. That’s exactly the case with these games, except they’re set to launch soon.
There were plans to release a dungeon crawler called Fable Legends, which did launch to an exclusive player base, but the full game was canceled in 2016, along with Microsoft closing down the studio that created Fable, along with many other franchises: Lionhead Studios. So, with all of this in mind, the Fable reboot has a lot of baggage and a reputation to live up to. Can a Fable game in 2026 reinvent the RPG wheel as it did in 2004, or will it be a big flop? Either way, curious Game Pass subscribers will have to check it out.
Decapolice
Anime Judgment
- Planned Release Date: 2026
- Planned Systems: PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch
Decapolice was announced in 2023, and it keeps getting delayed. This happens with Level-5 games as they tend to let them cook. A big hit from 2025, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, was a long time coming too, and it launched to great success. Decapolice will be a turn-based RPG starring a cop who can go around fighting crime and arresting criminals in a cityscape, the size of which has yet to be determined.
Not much of the game overall has been shown yet beyond one big trailer, so there is a lot of mystery. If it’s half as good as Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, then a small crowd will at least be talking about it throughout 2026. As masters of RPGs, Level-5 should never be discounted.
10 Nintendo Switch 2 Games That Are Confirmed (But Don’t Have A Release Date Yet)
Will these Switch 2 games be released in 2026, or will they be delayed?
