Multiplayer games are unique in that they can last for years and years, even decades in some cases, but the excitement of a brand new release cannot be truly matched by DLCs or expansions for existing titles. Luckily, 2026 looks very interesting on the front of new multiplayer games releases. They're also quite varied, offering a variety of settings and gameplay formulas that are likely to entice many players throughout the year. Other Wccftech's Most Anticipated 2026 Games per genre: Role-Playing Games, Indie Games, Platformers, DLC/Expansion, Action, Shooters, Horror, Sports/Racing, Fighting, Adventure Games, Strategy/Simulation Marathon (March 2026 - PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X) […]
British developer Playground Games will be the absolute star of the Xbox Developer Direct 2026, with the first in-depth look at the long-awaited Fable reboot and the proper reveal of Forza Horizon 6, a sequel to a massively successful game that is estimated to have been played by over 50 million users. Sure, there's also Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation and even a rumored 'secret' fourth game, but those two games are going to be the centerpiece of the showcase due to air on January 22. Officially, both Fable and Forza Horizon 6 are only announced for PC and Xbox […]
GameStop, the largest retailer dedicated to videogames, is reportedly shutting down hundreds of stores in the United States. The reports started appearing on social media and were quickly conflated into one very long list on the 'GameStop Closing List' blog, which reckons there are at least 410 GameStop stores confirmed to be closing and another 11 reported but as of yet unconfirmed. This is only the latest round of closures for the retailer headquartered in Grapevine, Texas. In the annual 10-K SEC filing issued in February 2025, the company stated: We have also initiated a comprehensive store portfolio optimization review […]
The award-winning cRPG Baldur's Gate 3 couldn't possibly run on the original Nintendo Switch, as evidenced by a test made with a modded console that featured twice the amount of RAM (8GB instead of 4GB), with the game still bringing this 'Switch on steroids' on its knees. However, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a completely different beast. In some regards, it is even superior to the Xbox Series S, as Studio Wildcard's Lead Programmer just told me in an interview, and the Xbox Series S does run the game, albeit not very well. Additionally, there have been successful Switch ports […]
It's been over two years since Ubisoft Massive confirmed that it would be making The Division 3, and that series creator Julian Gerighty would be at the forefront of the project. Since then, Ubisoft has released major updates and expansions for The Division 2, and at Gamescom 2025, we even got a major reveal of what the company has planned for the franchise, with a new survival extraction game called The Division 2: Survivors and an upcoming mobile MMO title called The Division Resurgence. As for The Division 3? Ubisoft did not mention it at the time, but during yesterday's […]
Hooded Horse, a publisher that made a name for itself when it picked up Manor Lords and has since been known to have a keen eye for strategy and city-building games, has drawn its line in the sand on GenAI tech. In an interview with Kotaku, Hooded Horse's chief executive officer, Tim Bender, made it clear that the publisher will not sign studios that use GenAI. The studio has even gone so far as to add a "no f***ing AI assets" line into its contracts, banning any studios that work with it from using generative AI technology in the process […]
Update 09/01/2026: In response to the publication of this article, a separate user on X (formerly Twitter) dug into the Smarty.cz source code to verify the Steam Machine pricing estimates for themselves, and went a step further to look into Alza, another Czech retailer and one of the country's largest. On Alza's listing for the Steam Machine, user Hajedan also found that it had a similar pricing structure for the Steam Machine, though added that the original post's indication that the actual price will be lower than the conversion estimates is almost definitely correct due to Alza and Smarty.cz including […]
The emulator just got even more simplified, which will make it convenient to run games directly from the ISO files. ISO-Based Disc Loading Comes to RPCS3 Emulator, But Only Decrypted ISOs Are Supported The popular PlayStation 3 emulator, RPCS3, just got a big update. Usually, one would need to extract the contents of the game ISO files to allow RPCS3 to run the game, but the new update just eliminated this step. Contributor Functionable submitted the code, which removes a long-standing inconvenience for users who had to extract the disc images into folders to run the game. This might look […]
When Larian Studios announced Divinity at The Game Awards 2025, it likely did not think what would follow would be swarms of backlash targeted at the studio and its chief executive officer, Swen Vincke. Not because it had announced a new Divinity game, but because Vincke had made it clear that Larian had been experimenting with using GenAI tools in its development process. Those comments came with considerable backlash, to which Vincke responded fairly bluntly before trying a more measured statement, but that did not stop players and other game developers in the industry who are entirely against the use […]
Yesterday, Microsoft officially confirmed that the Xbox Developer Direct 2026 will feature three games: Playground's Fable reboot and Forza Horizon 6, and Game Freak's new Beast of Reincarnation intellectual property. However, out of three Xbox Developer Direct presentations, on two occasions there were also secret announcements that Microsoft held off until the actual show. The very first time, in 2023, there was the reveal and shadow drop of Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush, which was critically acclaimed but still proved insufficient to prevent Microsoft from shutting down the studio just over a year later. Thankfully, the Japanese developer was later resurrected […]
James Cameron's big blue aliens are back in theatres in Avatar: Fire and Ash and Ubisoft is piggybacking on the film with some new Avatar content of their own. Not a full new game this time around, but rather a major expansion, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - From the Ashes. This DLC offers a new campaign that introduces the violent Mangkwan tribe from Cameron's latest movie, although it isn't entirely standalone, as you still need to own the base Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game to play it. The expansion arrived shortly after a major Frontiers of Pandora update, which added […]
Microsoft made a surprise appearance at the New Game+ Showcase yesterday, with Obsidian delivering two announcements, the biggest of which is undoubtedly that Avowed is launching on PlayStation 5 soon. The action roleplaying game is about to celebrate its first anniversary. It launched for PC and Xbox Series S|X on February 18, 2026, and on February 17, the game will be available on Sony's PS5 console, following the established pattern set by Microsoft with its newfound multiplatform policy. Pre-orders are now live on the PlayStation Store, offering two options: a $49.99 Standard Edition and a $59.99 Premium Edition. If you're […]
2025 saw the return of one of the biggest strategy franchises in the genre, a spiritual successor to a series that fans are dying to see make a comeback, and a beloved game get its long-awaited remake. There was plenty to fill our pick of the Best Strategy and Simulation Games of 2025, and if everything on our list below makes it out before the end of 2026, putting together 2026's list of the best strategy games and best simulation games shouldn't be an issue either. Other Wccftech's Most Anticipated 2026 Games per genre: Role-Playing Games, Indie Games, Platformers, DLC/Expansion, Action, Shooters, Horror, Sports/Racing, […]
Polish developer Paradark Studio has released new details about ExeKiller, their upcoming cyber western action-adventure game that puts players in the boots of bounty hunter Denzel Fenix. The three-minute gameplay overview, set to premiere at New Game+ Showcase 2026, promises to showcase the game’s unique blend of survival mechanics, choice-driven narrative, and creative combat approaches.
Set in a hostile wasteland where the powerful Helion Corporation holds sway, ExeKiller tasks players with tracking fugitives and extracting their SOULs, digital implants used to monitor and control the population. The game’s survival elements create constant tension, with limited inventory space, expensive supplies, and environmental hazards like radiation zones, sandstorms, and extreme temperatures all posing threats to players.
Combat in ExeKiller appears to favour creativity over traditional gunplay. Whilst firearms play an important role, the developers encourage experimentation through combining weapons, gadgets, environmental hazards, and special abilities. Players can also avoid combat entirely, with stealth and dialogue offering alternative solutions. Denzel’s cybernetic implants provide enhanced perception abilities, helping players uncover hidden elements and piece together narrative clues without relying on traditional waypoints.
The game’s mission structure emphasises player freedom, with non-linear objectives that can be approached through multiple methods. Whether choosing stealth, conversation, direct combat, or a mixture of approaches, player decisions will influence NPC behaviour, dialogue options, and the overall story, leading to different outcomes and multiple endings. Notably, not every contract needs to end in violence, giving players moral choices about how to complete their bounty hunting assignments.
ExeKiller is currently in development for PC and consoles, though no specific release date has been announced. The gameplay overview will be available to watch online shortly after its New Game+ Showcase premiere.
Swiss developer Urban Games has lifted the lid on Transport Fever 3’s overhauled infrastructure systems in the latest episode of their “First Look” video series. The upcoming transport simulation promises to address many of the community’s most requested features from Transport Fever 2, with a particular focus on improved traffic management and more realistic passenger transport mechanics.
The biggest change comes to the game’s traffic simulation, which now features vehicles that can change lanes, overtake slower traffic, and dynamically choose optimal routes. Supporting this improved AI are completely rebuilt road construction tools that allow players to create intersections at any angle and design complex junctions with realistic road markings. Players will also gain access to full lane controls, movable traffic lights, and pedestrian crossings for fine-tuning traffic flow.
Passenger transport receives significant attention, with citizens now having specific travel time expectations and comfort requirements. If journeys take too long or conditions are poor, passengers become unhappy, directly affecting the player’s reputation and city growth. Stations have been redesigned as modular systems where specialist add-ons can increase capacity, improve comfort, and extend reach. However, expansion comes with consequences, as larger infrastructure generates more noise and pollution.
The rail system now offers three distinct track types, each with unique characteristics for speed, cost, and environmental impact. Rather than having one “best” option, players must strategically choose appropriate tracks for different services and situations. Trams receive a major expansion with dedicated tracks, underground construction options, cargo support, and integration with light rail systems to help reduce road congestion.
Transport Fever 3 is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Urban Games has released the third episode of their development diary series on YouTube, showcasing these new infrastructure features in detail.
Chaos Manufacturing’s debut title SOL Shogunate was unveiled today during PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted, introducing a space-samurai single-player third-person action RPG set across a colonised solar system ruled by a powerful shogunate. This striking alternate future makes the way of the sword law across gleaming lunar metropolises where tradition meets sci-fi warfare.
Ronin Revenge Narrative
Players follow Yuzuki, the shattered heir of a samurai family massacred by a rival clan, now an outlaw ronin carving a bloody vengeance path through Earth’s moon. The lunar settlements feature towering space elevators, bullet trains, and opulent districts where the shogunate elite enjoy Earthlike comforts through artificial gravity and simulated night.
Beneath glittering cities, countless workers serve the shogunate in harsh conditions—their unseen labour powering the regime’s dominance. This class divide creates narrative tension beyond personal revenge, suggesting broader revolutionary implications.
Elemental Combat Systems
Elite-trained Yuzuki wields an arsenal rooted in tradition yet reforged for future battlefields. Players infuse elemental energy into attacks, amplifying swift precise swordplay whilst exploiting enemy weaknesses through multiple weapon types offering unique fighting styles and ranged or melee capabilities.
New abilities and skill combinations unlock progressively, enabling evolving tactics against increasingly formidable opposition. Gene splices provide customisation through bio-ceramic skin, enhanced vision, and additional upgrades transforming Yuzuki into the ultimate weapon transcending flesh and steel limitations.
Dynamically Scored Boss Encounters
Major encounters feature dynamic music scoring where combat and soundtrack rise in unison to heighten intensity. Collaborating with Japanese rock acts including AliA (アリア), each boss fight aims to feel like a dazzlingly violent music video where every strike receives amplification through driving, emotionally charged tracks.
These multiphase cinematic encounters challenge players to identify and exploit weaknesses whilst the evolving soundtrack reflects battle progression and player performance.
Lunar Metropolis Exploration
The moon’s artificial gravity-creating cities each pay homage to revered Japanese historical eras whilst symbolising the SOL Shogunate’s solar system dominion. Astro-feudal biomes enable traversal through gravity assist gear whilst uncovering secrets from a long-forgotten war.
This environmental variety promises distinct visual identities and thematic resonance connecting historical Japanese aesthetics to futuristic colonisation ambitions.
Development Timeline
CEO Guy Costantini explains their vision: “We’re realizing our vision for the first samurai space opera, which brings fluid, spectacle-driven combat to a sci-fi universe that pays homage to the majesty of feudal Japanese tradition. We’re fusing combat, story, and music into an experience that we hope players will find thrilling, emotional, and unforgettable.”
SOL Shogunate remains early in development with release timing dependent on readiness rather than fixed schedules. The Steam wishlist page is available now.
SOL Shogunate targets action RPG enthusiasts seeking spectacle-driven samurai combat with dynamic musical integration.
Kwalee and internal studio Kwalee Labs have unveiled “The Eye Has Opened,” a new atmospheric trailer for Luna Abyss, their upcoming first-person bullet-hell action-adventure launching in 2026 on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The single-player, story-driven experience features fluid platforming and intense combat as players uncover mysteries within a mimic moon’s depths.
Prisoner Protagonist Framework
Players assume the role of Fawkes, a Luna prisoner caught between cryptic prophecy and prison sentence whilst exploring a derelict megastructure sprawling beneath the mimic moon’s surface. The artificial prison guard Aylin oversees every move as Fawkes recovers forgotten technology from within the Abyss and the lost colony it consumed.
This prisoner framework justifies dangerous exploration whilst establishing antagonistic relationship with the overseer AI monitoring progress.
Environmental Storytelling Through Ruins
Centuries-old ruins echo with maddening secrets of once-prosperous Greymont and its terrible fate. The Scourge, All-Father tenets, Collective choir, and Abyss voices whisper strange missives creating layered mythology revealed through exploration rather than expository dialogue.
“Don’t be afraid, little wanderer. You need only go deeper, the better to be seen by us. The slumbering silent one breathes deep and waits. All we need is the key. All we need is you.”
This cryptic communication style suggests cosmic horror influences where complete understanding remains elusive whilst fragments coalesce into disturbing implications about the colony’s downfall and Fawkes’ prophesied role.
Fluid Platforming Through Brutalist Architecture
Sprint, jump, and dash mechanics enable fluid first-person traversal through the brutalist alien megastructure. This movement emphasis distinguishes Luna Abyss from static FPS experiences, requiring spatial awareness and timing precision across forsaken chasms.
The platforming integration creates pacing variety between bullet-hell combat encounters whilst leveraging architectural verticality for environmental puzzle navigation.
Bullet-Hell Combat Design
Corrupted souls and twisted cosmic horrors populate Luna Abyss with weapon-based confrontations demanding mastery, on-the-fly adjustment, and survival through overwhelming projectile patterns. The bullet-hell designation indicates screen-filling attacks requiring precise movement and situational awareness beyond typical FPS gunplay.
Tool mastery suggests weapon variety or ability combinations creating strategic depth through loadout choices appropriate for different enemy types and encounter scenarios.
The demo introduces multiple locations whilst facing corrupted enemies and cosmic horrors, providing hands-on evaluation before the 2026 release. This pre-launch sampling allows assessment of whether the platforming and bullet-hell combination resonates with individual preferences.
Luna Abyss targets FPS enthusiasts seeking atmospheric exploration with challenging combat when it launches next year.
French developer and publisher COWCAT has launched BROK: The Brawl Bar today on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Steam, GOG, Epic Store, and Windows Store (Xbox Play Anywhere) for $9.99/€9.99. This standalone spin-off of the acclaimed BROK the InvestiGator reinvents beat ’em up gameplay through 60+ varied challenges creating constantly changing encounters, earning 96% positive Steam rating.
Challenge-Based Innovation
The Brawl Bar breaks traditional beat ’em up structure through innovative mechanics revolving around over 60 varied challenges making every fight feel fresh. This approach prevents repetitive enemy wave patterns typical of the genre, instead creating unpredictable scenarios requiring adaptability rather than memorised solutions.
The challenge variety presumably includes objective types beyond pure combat—time trials, environmental hazards, specific enemy elimination orders—that transform standard brawling into tactical problem-solving appropriate for the InvestiGator franchise’s puzzle-adventure heritage.
Six-Character Roster
Six playable characters offer distinct abilities, creating playstyle variety across the roster. This diversity accommodates different player preferences whilst encouraging experimentation to discover which character abilities synergise best with specific challenge types.
Players meet friendly (or hostile) faces throughout the bar with overarching story unfolding across the standalone release, maintaining narrative connection to the parent franchise’s dystopian universe where animals have replaced mankind.
Extensive Mode Variety
Beyond the core challenge progression, additional modes include Survival, Versus, Support, Daily and Bonus Challenges alongside Creator mode enabling players to build custom challenges. This content variety extends longevity beyond campaign completion through competitive, cooperative, and creative engagement options.
Local co-op supports up to four players, transforming challenges into coordinated chaos where combined character abilities create synergistic devastation or comedic failures depending on team coordination quality.
Accessibility and Value
Multiple difficulty levels accommodate varying skill ranges, whilst 12-language text localisation ensures broad international accessibility. The $9.99 price point positions The Brawl Bar as budget-friendly standalone experience, with a $24.99 bundle including the original BROK the InvestiGator providing entry to both titles.
The parent game earned overwhelming 97% positive rating from over 900 Steam reviews through its unique blend of point-and-click adventure and beat ’em up gameplay featuring professional voice acting with 23,000+ voice acted lines from Bryan Olson (Streets of Rage 4) and Michael Kovach (The Amazing Digital Circus, Hazbin Hotel).
Platform Compatibility
Native support spans PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, with backwards compatibility enabling Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S play. This comprehensive platform coverage ensures accessibility regardless of console generation or ecosystem preference.
BROK: The Brawl Bar targets beat ’em up enthusiasts seeking innovative challenge variety when it launches across all platforms.
KEMCO has launched Dragon Ruins II today across Xbox consoles (including Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows devices), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch family systems for $14.99. This dungeon crawler RPG from Graverobber Foundation tasks adventurer parties with exploring 15 dungeons whilst accepting quests ranging from goblin extermination to defeating the dragon threatening world destruction.
Quest Variety and Progression
Based in Isigwere’s capital city, players undertake diverse requests from townsfolk alongside the queen’s grand command to eliminate the dragon awakened in underground ruins. This quest structure scales from local pest control to world-saving heroics, providing narrative progression that justifies increasing challenge difficulty.
The replayable run structure suggests roguelike elements or new game plus mechanics where players tackle increasingly powerful foes and bosses across multiple playthroughs with accumulated knowledge and potentially inherited progression benefits.
Party Composition Flexibility
Players construct four-member parties from 21 available classes including Fighter and Ranger archetypes. This roster depth creates substantial team composition possibilities accommodating different strategic approaches and playstyle preferences.
Class variety typically indicates role specialisation where balanced party construction—tank, damage dealer, healer, support—provides tactical advantages over unbalanced compositions focusing solely on offence or defence.
Auto Battle Convenience
Auto battle functionality streamlines combat encounters, particularly beneficial for grinding sessions where manual input becomes tedious. This quality-of-life feature accommodates players seeking progression efficiency without requiring constant tactical engagement across every encounter.
Treasure hunting and power-up mechanics reward thorough dungeon exploration beyond critical path completion, encouraging comprehensive area coverage rather than rushing toward exit points.
Equipment and Skill Systems
New equipment and skill acquisition provides combat advantages whilst facing escalating opposition across the 15 dungeons. Progression systems reward exploration and quest completion with tangible power increases that enable tackling previously insurmountable challenges.
The dungeon crawler genre thrives on satisfying feedback loops where acquired loot immediately enhances capabilities, creating addictive cycles of exploration, acquisition, and empowerment.
Multi-Platform Simultaneous Release
Launching across all major platforms simultaneously ensures no audience fragmentation through staggered releases. The $14.99 price point positions Dragon Ruins II as budget-friendly dungeon crawler appropriate for impulse purchases or genre sampling.
Dragon Ruins II targets dungeon crawler enthusiasts seeking accessible party-based progression when it launches today across all platforms.
