Last year was another one for the history books, but going into 2026, we're excited to see how the next 365 days shape up. Of course, we're counting down the days until GTA 6 launches in November, but until then, there's still a lot to look forward to. Typically, January is one of the slower months on the calendar, with a lighter schedule of releases and few high-profile games choosing to launch in the wake of a busy Q4 from the previous year.
That doesn't mean that there aren't several interesting games to check out, and the focus on smaller titles can lead to unexpected hits. This month, some of the interesting games include a sequel to Code Vein, perceptive reality in Cassette Boy, and a look at a city-builder that takes you back to the time of kings, knights, and peasants desiring to run ananarcho-syndicalist commune. For a broader look at the rest of the year, you can check out GameSpot's2026 upcoming games schedule.
BrokenLore: Unfollow
- Release date: January 16
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Planning a social detox as one of your New Year's resolutions? Then you should check out BrokenLore: Unfollow, a first-person psychological-horror game that explores the impact social media has on mental health. As Anne, players will find themselves trapped inside of a surreal nightmare and surrounded by all manner of sinister creatures.
StarRupture
- Release date: January 6
- Platforms: PC
We've only just wrapped up our look at the best co-op games of 2025, but headed into 2026, StarRupture looks like an interesting sci-fi survival game that might be best experienced with friends. Whether you're playing alone or with others, the goal is the same: Beam down to a strange new world, extract resources, and create a complex industrial system that you'll need to defend from the local wildlife.
Streetdog BMX
- Release date: January 14
- Platforms: PC
Last year saw the release of multiple skateboarding games, but for anyone who prefers to grab air while pedaling to the max, there's Streetdog BMX. As you'd expect, this take on the extreme sport is all about landing massive tricks, racking up even bigger high scores, and completing various challenges within the game's six levels.
Fairy Tail: Dungeons
- Release date: January 7
- Platforms: PC, Switch
There are several constants in life, and one of them is that you can count on a roguelike deckbuilder to appear in the list of new video game releases. This month, Fairy Tail jumps into that space, and the game features several popular characters from the manga and anime series as they explore the mysterious catacombs beneath their guild.
Code Violet
- Release date: January 10
- Platforms: PS5
Finally, a spiritual successor to Dino Crisis is out this month. Developed by TeamKill Media, Code Violet is a third-person action-horror game in the same vein as Capcom's cult-classic series, in which you carefully manage your inventory and fight to survive against overwhelming odds in the 25th century. For now, it's exclusive to PS5 because the developersdon't want to see PC modders turn it into a gooner game.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition
- Release date: January 15
- Platforms: Switch 2
The horizons are indeed expanding on Switch 2, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a Switch 2 Edition with upgraded performance and new content. Like several other Switch games that have been updated for Switch 2, you can expect an enhanced resolution and faster loading times. This version of the game will also offer support for mouse controls, CameraPlay, GameChat, and a few new gameplay features. If you already own Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the upgrade will set you back $5.
Cassette Boy
- Release date: January 15
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
After some time off during the festive season, you should start greasing your brain-gears up for the next year of activity, and that's where a game like Cassette Boy comes into play. The puzzle-RPG features a delightful pixel-art aesthetic, and it's up to you to find out why the moon has vanished and why reality only exists when you directly observe it.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon
- Release date: January 15
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Switch 2, Switch
RPG fans can prepare for yet another Trails game, as the next chapter in the seemingly eternal RPG series arrives early this year. An entire continent is at stake, and it's up to three protagonists to master the power of friendship--and over-the-top attacks--to save the day and uncover ancient secrets. An interesting twist this year is that players can take part in both the action-packed Field and turn-based Command Battles, swapping between the two to find their groove.
Pathologic 3
- Release date: January 9
- Platforms: PC
Get ready for a fresh entry in the horror-RPG Pathologic series, as players will have to investigate a deadly contagion and the nature of death in this threequel. There are patients to see to and lies to see through, and every minute counts in Pathologic 3.
Arknights: Endfield
- Release date: January 22
- Platforms: PC, PS5, iOS, Android
The follow-up to 2019's Arknights, Arknights: Endfield is a free-to-play tower-defense and action-RPG headed to PC, PS5, and mobile devices. Like the original, it’s full of high-stakes combat and anime characters rocking a very cool collection of cyberpunk outfits.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
- Release date: January 22
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2
The first chapter in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga is coming to new platforms, so get ready for a heck of a good-looking remake featuring Cloud Strife and all his Avalanche pals. The game runs surprisingly well on Switch 2 thanks to some optimization work by Square Enix, and you can grab a demo for it right now to experience the opening act for yourself.
Dynasty Warriors Origins: Visions of Four Heroes
- Release date: January 22
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2
A brand-new expansion for Dynasty Warriors Origins, Visions of Four Heroes is precisely what you think it is: a hack-and-slash game where one warrior takes on hundreds of cannon-fodder soldiers, whittling them down to zero with a barrage of new weapons, skills, and companions.
Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven
- Release date: January 22
- Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
Cult of the Lamb continues to be a delightfully sadistic game about running your own sect,and the Woolhaven expansion adds even more content to the experience. Billed as the biggest paid content update since the original game launched, Woolhaven shakes up the gameplay with several new mechanics and adds new dungeons, buildings, weapons, characters, and quests. There's also a brand-new ranching system that will let you raise deadly beasts as mounts--or as food, in case things go south.
Escape From Ever After
- Release date: January 23
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Heavily inspired by Nintendo's Paper Mario games, Escape from Ever After combines a fantasy storybook setting with turn-based combat. When a greedy megacorporation starts exploiting fairy tales for cheap labor, it's up to one hero to climb the corporate ladder and save the kingdom.
Highguard
- Release date: January 26
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
The big PvP-shooter game from former Respawn Interactive devs who previously worked on Titanfall and Apex Legends, Highguard switches things up from sci-fi to fantasy.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin
- Release date: January 28
- Platforms: PC, PS5, iOS, Android
Based on the popular manga and anime series, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origins follows Prince Tristan as he sets off on a grand adventure in the fantasy kingdom of Britannia. With the world in chaos and time broken, it's up to the young prince to build a team of heroes and save the day in this open-world action-RPG.
Steel Century Groove
- Release date: January 28
- Platforms: PC
Combining two of humanity's greatest inventions--giant robots and synchronized dance routines--Steel Century Groove is a rhythm-combat game where you pilot mecha and compete to be crowned the champion of dance-offs.
Cairn
- Release date: January 29
- Platforms: PC, PS5
From the creators of Furi and Haven, Cairn is a realistic climbing game where each wall feels like a boss fight. A game about finding the right holds to place your hands and feet, adapting your posture, and maintaining your balance, players can choose their own path as they climb up the dangerous Mount Kami.
City Tales: Medieval Era
- Release date: January 29
- Platforms: PC
City-building games usually focus on modern-day metropolises, but City Tales: Medieval Era dials back the clock to ye olden times. You'll get to shape a quaint village into a bustling kingdom, evolving cities to organically blend in with nature while you tackle feudal problems that arise in each district.
The Midnight Walkers
- Release date: January 29
- Platforms: PC via Early Access
Billed as a hardcover PvPvE FPS zombie-extraction game--that's a lot of genres--The Midnight Walkers pits players against zombies, survivors, and a poison-gas system that forces you to ascend to new floors of the giant mega-complex you find yourself stuck in. Scavenge for loot, avoid all kinds of threats, and extract with all of the valuable gear you found to come back stronger for a fresh run when this game goes live in early access.
Don't Stop, Girlypop!
- Release date: January 29
- Platforms: PC
What happens when the boomer-shooter energy of a run-and-gun game collides at full speed with Y2K aesthetics? You get Don't Stop, Girlypop!, a very pink and energetic shooter where standing still is not an option. Imagine Ultrakill if it went all-in on a vibe that can only be described as peak-2000s Britney Spears, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect.
I Hate This Place
- Release date: January 29
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Based on the popular comic books of the same name, I Hate This Place is an isometric survival-horror game full of '80s-thriller themes and scavenging gameplay mechanics. As the protagonist Elena, you'll find yourself transported to a world full of nightmarish entities that aren't too friendly, and you'll need to scavenge supplies to stay a step ahead of them. Just make sure that you do so quietly, as making too much noise will draw the creatures to your position, and you definitely don't want that to happen.
Code Vein 2
- Release date: January 30
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Can you believe that it has been six years since the anime-inspired souls-like Code Vein was first released? The first game showed plenty of promise, and this month, you can sink your teeth into a sequel that dives further into a world of vampires, monsters, and challenging action. Bandai Namco is aiming to introduce a slicker and sleeker sequel--try saying that five times fast--but the most considerable improvement in Code Vein 2 will be a badass motorcycle that you can use to explore the land.
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