Resident Evil Requiem (PR image)
2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in videogame history. That's thanks in large part to the long-overdue release of Grand Theft Auto VI – a game that is guaranteed to shatter sales records and set the world ablaze when it is finally released on November 19. (Surely it won't be delayed again… right?)
But while Scottish/American developer Rockstar Games is set to dominate the charts and the conversation this year, Japan is also cooking up a feast of awesome games. So let's take a look at some of the Japanese games to look forward to in 2026.
Probably the most highly anticipated game is Resident Evil Requiem. The first new mainline "Resi" game in five years and the ninth instalment in the series, Requiem centers on a new protagonist, FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, and returning fan favorite Leon Kennedy – who first appeared way back in 1998's Resident Evil 2. Players will alternate between the two, with Grace's parts presented as old-school survival horror (lots of sneaking around, solving puzzles and conserving ammo) and Leon's missions more of an action fest. Celebrating 30 years of the iconic horror series, the game will be released on February 27.
Resi publisher Capcom has a busy year ahead. It's revisiting the "Onimusha" series after 20 years, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. This is a third-person sword-slashing action game of the type Capcom does so well, and it's due sometime this year. Then there's April 24's Pragmata, a brand new Capcom action-adventure game where players explore a desolate space station accompanied by a child-like android companion, solving puzzles and battling robots to fend off a hostile AI.
Sega's Schedule
Another developer with a lot on their plate this year is Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. On February 12, the team will release Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. That bundle includes a modern remake of 2009's Yakuza 3 alongside a spinoff game that follows series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu's adversary Yoshitaka Mine and his descent into organized crime. The Yakuza series, known in later games as Like a Dragon, is beloved by players around the world thanks to its unusual blend of serious crime drama and offbeat humor. It's exciting that Sega has chosen to not only revisit this classic game but also expand on it with a new story.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is also hard at work on two more games: a brand new Virtua Fighter game, and Stranger Than Heaven, a new action-adventure game that appears to be set in Osaka across various periods of the 20th century, taking in World War I and II as part of its background. Both games have a pending release date, but it's likely we'll get one or both of them this year.
Nintendo's Plans
Nintendo has announced a few games for 2026, including a new entry in its popular RPG series Fire Emblem, subtitled Fortune's Weave, for Switch 2 sometime this year. Other announcements include new Mario Tennis, Yoshi and Tomodachi Life games, and Pocket Monster spinoffs Pokémon Championships and Pokémon Pokopia. It will also co-publish The Duskbloods, a multiplayer action-RPG by Elden Ring developer FromSoftware.
But the Kyoto giant has yet to announce a really huge heavy hitter for this year. With the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie set for April 3, I'd hope for a new 3D Mario game to be announced soon, and the return of a popular series like Animal Crossing would certainly help strengthen the Switch 2's lackluster lineup of exclusives. It seems likely we'll get a Nintendo Direct in February, where hopefully they'll set out their stall for the rest of the year.
Movies and Reboots
Incidentally, Mario is not the only Japanese game to get the big-screen treatment this year. Games like Resident Evil and Street Fighter also have new reboot movies planned, in September and October, respectively, while Return to Silent Hill is currently disappointing fans and critics in theaters across North America.
Bandai Namco's Soulslike action-RPG Code Vein II will be out by the time you read this, and I'm interested to see how this sequel to 2019's Code Vein will be received. It offers a brand new setting and cast of characters, and expectations are certainly high. I'm also keen to see Ace Combat return to the skies with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, the first new game in the high-flying series since 2019.
Another company resurrecting a dormant series is Level5, which will release Professor Layton and the New World of Steam this year – the first mainline Professor Layton game in over a decade. Japanese quiz group QuizKnock is no doubt cooking up hundreds of fiendish puzzles, succeeding the series' original puzzle designer, Akira Tago, who sadly died in 2016. Layton games are usually extremely highly polished, while their cozy settings belie the difficulty of their puzzles, so I can't wait to play this one.
Square Enix will release its highly anticipated remake, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, around the time you read this, on February 5. The game's new visual design approach has been controversial, but fans seem excited about some new gameplay tweaks, such as an overhauled vocation system. It's definitely the biggest confirmed release from Square Enix this year, but a new Life is Strange game set for March will be interesting to see. And we can hope for updates on Dragon Quest XII and Kingdom Hearts IV as well.
Set for Full Release
One of Japan's biggest games in 2024 was Palworld, which defied lazy criticism about its resemblance to Pokémon and a lawsuit from Nintendo to sell some 25 million copies and spawn a mobile version, a card game, farming sim Palworld: Palfarm, and a publishing label releasing games from independent developers, Pocketpair Publishing. But the game that started it all, Palworld, is actually still in early access – and in 2026, it will finally get its 1.0 full release. Developer Pocketpair has promised a ton of new features when the update hits sometime this year.
Personally, I'm excited for Romeo is a Dead Man, the new game from Goichi Suda and his studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, which is essentially a spiritual successor to his excellent No More Heroes series. Expect visceral OTT action, punk music references, and a crazed mishmash of visual styles to overload the senses when the game releases on February 11.
I'm also intrigued by Orbitals, a co-op adventure in the style of It Takes Two but presented with 1980s anime visuals. The game looks gorgeous, and tackles a hugely popular modern genre of two-player teamwork that appeals to me on every level. Orbitals will hit Switch 2 sometime this year.
From Overseas
2026 will also be a great year for games made overseas but set in Japan.
Following a run of games set in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, Forza Horizon 6 will bring its incredible open-world racing to Japan. British developer Playground Games is well known for recreating global locations in authentic detail – even referencing local footage of the skies – and gameplay clips shown during a recent Xbox Developer Direct showcase did not disappoint.
From landmarks like Mount Fuji, winding countryside roads and urban cityscapes, to seasons changing from the fluttering cherry blossom petals of spring to stacked wintertime snow, and even a homage to Japan's legendary car meets, For a Horizon 6's trailer evokes sides of Japan that feel familiar to any of us who live here. The trailer even includes a shot of cars racing through a street close to where I used to live, and I recognized it instantly. Can't wait for May 19.
Meanwhile, Coffee Talk Tokyo brings the barista-based cult hit series to Japan, a country whose culture so inspired the series' developers in Indonesia. In this Tokyo-based edition set for release on May 21, players will make drinks for salarymen and yokai alike, listening to their troubles and soothing them with the perfect coffee.
And then there's Showa American Story, which is set in an alternate 1990s version of the United States that was colonized by Japan. Made by Chinese developer NEKCOM, Showa American Story promises a badass B-movie-style story of zombies, martial arts, guns, katana, superpowers, motorbikes, anime references, and all-out action. Look out for it sometime this year.
TGS Hits 30!
Finally, 2026 heralds the 30th anniversary edition of Tokyo Game Show. On September 17-21, Japan's biggest gaming expo will be bigger than ever, taking advantage of Respect for the Aged Day to add an extra public day. What will be the tentpole games at the show this year? It's too early to say. But with TGS glowing in global significance these past few years, we're surely in for an epic weekend.
I'm looking forward to bringing you highlights from behind the scenes of the gaming world throughout the year!
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Author: Daniel Robson
Daniel Robson is the Executive Producer of IGN Japan. Read his interviews and his series Gamer's World on JAPAN Forward, and find him on X (formerly Twitter).
