With 2025 finally in the books and offering another strong year of gaming, it’s time to look to 2026, starting with January. Granted, it doesn’t offer the heftiest triple-A, but there are some promising titles, from psychological horror and a brand-new Trails game to a free-to-play fighter and that one game everyone hated to see close The Game Awards. Without further ado, let’s dive in, starting with…
Pathologic 3
As harrowing as the second game was, Ice-Pick Lodge is upping the stakes even further for the sequel, which launches on January 9th for PC. You’re a genius doctor, Daniil Dankovsky, faced with an impossible task: Saving a town from a plague within 12 days. Examining patients is only part of your job, as you institute quarantines, investigate the townsfolk, and manage your sanity. If you fail – and you will fail – it’s back to the past to try again, but who knows what else could stand in your way? This isn’t the only time-traveling adventure to look forward to in January, but more on that later.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon
Enjoyed your trip into remake land with Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter? Good because it’s time to return to present-day Kiseki, where (checks notes) the world is ending. This time around, Van, Agnes and friends are racing against time, but their paths collide with two other legendary protagonists – Rean Schwarzer and Kevin Graham. Between the space expedition and long-standing mysteries that finally stand to be resolved, there’s a lot to look forward to, including new combat features like Z.O.C. to slow enemies. After being delayed out of Fall 2025, Trails beyond the Horizon launches on January 15th for PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2.
Arknights: Endfield
The stars of the end coalesce, but instead of Terra, it’s on Talos-2, which has seen its fair share of Catastrophes. As a spin-off to Hypergryph’s tower-defense title, this is a full-fledged action RPG where you control the Endministrator and try to bring some semblance of peace back to the moon. Between team optimization, exploration and typical questing, there’s also a full-fledged Satisfactory-style automation and factory-building system for crafting gear and netting resources. Whether it can stand out among the usual gacha fare remains to be seen, but Endfield looks gorgeous, if nothing else. It’s out on January 22nd for iOS, Android, PS5, and PC.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins – Vision of Four Heroes
Zhang Jiao, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, and Lu Bu take center stage in this DLC, launching on January 22nd for PS5, Xbox Series, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. And while the 1 vs 1000 action remains, there are two new weapons – the Rope Dart and Bow – alongside new arts and two new companions – Diaochan and Zhuhe. It’s a notable expansion over the base game, though we’ll see if it justifies the $35 price tag.
Highguard
Did the world really need a new free-to-play PvP shooter? Probably not, but Wildlight Entertainment is trying…something different, as guns and magic coexist in a battle for territory. Your objective as a Warden is simple: Find the Shieldbreaker, assault an enemy’s base and clean house. Within all this are mounts, siege engines, real-time destruction, slick movement and, of course, other players to take out. We’ll find out if it’s a recipe for success when Highguard launches on January 26th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S)
Over five years since it originally launched on PS4, the critically acclaimed, award-winning remake is finally coming to Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 on January 22nd. And while Intergrade offers visual improvements, Photo Mode, and the INTERmission expansion with Yuffie, this launch also features Streamlined Progression for maxing out Materia Levels, acquiring weapon abilities immediately and more.
Cairn
From bullet-hell hack-and-slash, to co-op exploration adventure, to realistic mountain climbing pipeline needs to be studied, but of course, The Game Bakers makes it work. Cairn offers a simple objective – scale Mount Kami – but adds a twist: Every surface is climbable, find your own route and don’t die. Throw in some survival mechanics, harsh weather, and existential dread for about 15 hours, and you’re good to go when it launches on January 29th for PS5 and PC.
Code Vein 2
Contrary to the first game, there’s no post-apocalypse here. The world has ended, and it’s up to you, a Revenant Hunter, to travel back in time and hopefully save it. Meet new companions, team up to battle difficult bosses, drain blood – the usual, all contained in a familiar Souls-like loop (though co-op is sadly missing). Its predecessor surprised us with its world-building and combat, so here’s hoping Code Vein 2 has even more tricks in store when it launches on January 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
2XKO (PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
After launching last year on PC, Riot Games’ long-in-development free-to-play tag fighter is finally hitting consoles in January, and it’s bringing Caitlyn along for the ride. It’s otherwise been a rather eventful release period, from players discovering the magic of its Point and Assist systems to the horror of its microtransaction prices. Nevertheless, for the low price of free, you can experience everything it has to offer, and maybe find your next fighting game obsession in the meantime.
BrokenLore: Unfollow
As bizarre as it sounds, this is one of five upcoming BrokenLore games, set for release on January 16th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Players control Anne as she navigates a horrible nightmare, evading monsters and other trauma. With multiple endings to unlock, it’s vaguely Silent Hill-esque but also an intriguing start to what should be another strong year of horror.
StarRupture (Early Access)
From the makers of Green Hell comes a sci-fi survival title that’s more focused on base-building and co-op. Scour the planet, develop your settlement/factory and face off against hostile bugs with up to four players. It’s almost Factorio-esque in its gameplay loop, but in first-person. Early access kicks off on January 6th for PC, though co-op seemingly won’t be available out of the gate.
Sega Football Club Champions
Even if Football Manager didn’t have the best 2025, its technology is going towards a brand new sports management title: Sega Football Club Champions. The next title in the SakaTsuku series involves building a team, rising through a League (including the J and K Leagues), playing the transfer market, and competing internationally. It’s free-to-play – which isn’t concerning at all – and launches on January 22nd for PS4, PS5, iOS, PC, and Android.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Twelve-player sessions, improved visuals (albeit still at 30 FPS), and mouse controls arrive in the Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons on January 15th. Of course, the bigger star is Update 3.0, which will also be available for Switch 1 players when it goes live on the same day. It offers resort decoration with unique rewards, the Reset Service to clean up parts of your island, Slumber Island, new items (including Lego) and even collaborations with Zelda and Splatoon.
MIO: Memories in Orbit
The developer of Shady Part of Me returns with a new space-faring platforming title, where you control a robot, exploring the massive Vessel. After regaining your memories, it’s a race against time to prevent the ship’s failure, so you’ll need to unlock new abilities, face numerous bosses, and ultimately survive against all odds. MIO: Memories in Orbit arrives on January 20th for PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, and for $20, it could be another underrated classic.
The Midnight Walkers
An extraction title with zombies may not sound like the freshest premise, but The Midnight Walkers, which enters early access on January 29th for PC, also tosses in PvP. While there are firearms, melee weapons are also a big focus, leading to tense encounters against the undead and other players alike. Select one of four classes, ascend Liberty Grand Center, avoid the rapidly approaching poison gas, and extract with everything on hand, or die trying.
