Best New Upcoming Open World Games of 2026

Can you believe that 2026 is almost here? We can’t! But that’s part of the point. New games will be filling up 2026 in one form or another, and many that we know about are open-world titles. So, here are the ones to keep your eyes on!

#19 – Subnautica 2

Platform: PC XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

So, um, we’re going to start out with Subnautica 2 for the very simple reason that…we have no idea what’s happening with this game.

Don’t get us wrong, the original game and its ice-filled expansion were incredible games and showed how open-world titles can have their perceptions altered in fun ways by changing up the setting. However, the sequel has been going through a LOT behind the scenes, including the developer and publisher of it going to war in a lawsuit that we’ll have to wait and see what happens with.

The game was apparently supposed to be out by now, but “things happened,” and now it’s coming next year? Maybe? Let’s just move on.

#18 The CUBE

Platform: PC TBA

Release Date: TBA 2026

Believe it or not,  The CUBE is part of a certain universe that we’ll talk about later on. In this “RPG Shooter,” you’ll take on a mysterious structure that is continuously growing, evolving, and adapting to what others are doing.

That’s right, you won’t be there alone, as this game is also an MMO, meaning that teams of players will be taking on this “cube” from all sides, trying to figure out what in the world is going on with it. There will be plenty of enemies to face and weapons to use, and each “turn” will show you something new.

Think you’re up to the task?

#17 Big Walk

Platform: PC

Release Date: TBA 2026

If you’re familiar with a certain goose game, you’ll feel right at home with Big Walk. The title is all about communication and teamwork. The problem is that you won’t be able to talk in the game, which means you’ll have to get creative to make things work and get certain tasks done.

As you explore this unique world, you’ll come across various tasks, challenges, puzzles, and more for you to handle with your friends. Or, you know, you can just screw with them and make them question why they bought you into the game in the first place. Your call!

#16 Agefield High: Rock the School

Platform: PC

Release Date: TBA 2026

Do you remember your time at high school? Do you wish you could do things differently? Well, Agefield High: Rock the School might be your catharsis to do just that. You’ll go to a new school, and then have three months to make your legend known to all within it before you’re done with it forever!

You’ve got some friends who want to help make this plan happen, but you’ll need to work smart, hard, and play by your own rules to get it all done! Plus, there’s a new town for you to explore and see what happens within it! So go back to school, and do things “better” this time around!

#15 Sacred 2 Remaster

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

Who doesn’t love a good remaster? The Sacred 2 Remaster will bring you back to the realm of Ancaria and put you in the role of one of six heroes. Each one is different, and they have a unique fate awaiting them as they attempt to save the world from the thing it once relied on.

When it comes to this open world, it’s filled with things for you to do, including all manner of quests to try out and test yourself on.

Thanks to this remaster, you’ll not only get a better-looking version of the game, but also be able to partake in all the DLC and expansions that happened within it.

#14 Chronicles: Medieval

Platform: PC

Release Date: TBA 2026

In the times long past, in the age we refer to as “Medieval,” valor and worth were proven on the battlefield and with the deeds that you did upon it. In Chronicles: Medieval, that’s exactly what you’ll partake in.

The game sets you in Europe during the Middle Ages, and has you work your way up to prominence by surviving intense battles and taking on all manner of foes.

You won’t be able to do it alone, though, so you’ll need to play your cards right, recruit allies, and show that you are worthy of the titles they bestow upon you. Think you’re up to the task?

#13 BlackFrost: The Long Dark 2

Platform: PC

Release Date: TBA 2026

The original game pushed players to new limits as they attempted to survive “The Long Dark” on their own with nothing but wilderness around them. Now, BlackFrost: The Long Dark 2 will add a new wrinkle to things: humanity.

A year has passed since the events of the first game, and you come across people who are still coping with the fact that all the technology that made their lives easier, is gone.

How will you survive in this world, when there’s so much within it that is useless, and the other part of it is deadly? Will you work with these people to get by? Or, will you try to take everything on yourself again? This vibrant and dangerous world will test you, so be ready.

#12 Beast of Reincarnation

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

When the world is doomed and only you can save it, how far will you go to make it happen? In Beast of Reincarnation, you’ll play Emma, an unlikely hero in this fallen world, due to how she was labeled an “outcast” by other people. However, within her lies a power that can save the world and take down the monstrous entities that live within it.

The good news is that she’s not technically alone, as she has a loyal dog at her beck and call, and they have a unique set of skills to unleash when they’re together.

Travel the world and see what must be done to save it!

#11 Of Peaks and Tides

Platform: PC

Release Date: 2026

What if you could change your entire world with a touch? How far would you go to see what you could do, and what truths would be uncovered through it? Of Peaks and Tides brings players to a unique land where a literal “spark of life” permeates almost everything around you.

With you and your friends, you can touch the land and see it react to numerous things that you do, including how you’ll fight against threats in this world. What is the truth behind what happened to the land? How will your choices bring back the world, or destroy it where it stands? Play the game and find out!

#10 Cinder City

Platform: PC PS5 

Release Date: TBA 2026

The term “open world” can mean more than just “a large land, realm, or world to explore.” Sometimes, it just means an incredibly detailed cityscape that you can explore on foot and see everything that lies within it. In the MMO shooter Cinder City, NCSoft aims to give you that very experience, while also giving you plenty of action to enjoy.

The team has noted that when the game launches, you’ll be able to see every inch of the cities of Seoul and Pangyo.

Oh, and did we mention there are zombies there that you’ll need to fight off and kill? We probably should’ve told you that earlier.

#9 Polyaris

Platform: PC

Release Date: Q1 2026

Imagine being in one of the toughest places to survive in the world at the very moment when the world seems to end. That will be your challenge in Polyaris. You’re stuck in the northern parts of the world when a massive nuclear event happens. When you try to reach out to those outside the outpost you’re in, no one answers.

The Arctic is not exactly the easiest place to survive in, so you’ll need to take things step by step and get the resources you require to survive.

Leave no stone unturned and do what you must to find out the truth and live long enough to get answers.

#8 Last Sentinel

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

Have you ever noticed how a lot of sci-fi games love to take you to a world where everything is bad and the future isn’t something that’s desired? Last Sentinel will show you yet another version of that! In the game, you’ll play Hiromi, who is an agent of a group that has one job: keep the peace.

The problem is that peace isn’t exactly what it seems in this dystopian version of Tokyo. Various things have led to its state, and humanity isn’t exactly “aching to live.” What will you uncover as you wander its streets? You’ll have to wait until next year to find out.

#7 Outbound

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

Have you ever wanted to just live out of your vehicle and take a journey out into the world? If you still want to scratch that itch, you might want to check out Outbound. The game is as simple as it is fun, as you’ll be in a world that is begging to be explored, and you just so happen to have a brand new camper to explore it in.

As you go around this world, you’ll be able to grow your camper into whatever you want it to be. Plus, you can do the whole journey solo, or bring in some of your friends to share in the experience!

#6 Mortal shell 2

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

You’ll notice that there are plenty of sequels on this list, and we still have a few more to share, including with Mortal Shell 2. The game follows up on the action-packed premise of the original, including the ability to find the remains of past warriors and take them as your own, unlocking new powers and abilities as a result!

The game offers even more this time around, including more weapons, abilities, and enemies for you to kill. Wander the land and see what awaits you, and be ready for a fight at any moment, as you never know what you might have to face next!

#5 ArcheAge Chronicles

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

Who doesn’t love going on an adventure? And ArcheAge Chronicles aims to take that adventure to new heights, while also expanding what MMORPGs can do. In the game, you’ll be someone who hears that a legendary location has been rediscovered, which means that there are untold wonders to be found in this place.

You’ll set off on a journey that’ll be shaped by the decisions you make, including how your character looks, fights, and evolves over time. What you do on your journey is truly up to you, including how you interact with others. What legends will you discover, or create, as you go on your quest to this mystical land?

#4 Atomic Heart 2

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

If you were a fan of the original, then you’ll want to take notice of Atomic Heart 2 when it drops next year. One of the biggest upgrades of this title is the fact that it’s going from one country to an entire world this time around. Oh, but it’s the same world as before. You’ll just see more of it now and be witness to all the various groups and entities that live within it.

The game promises another rich narrative, while also giving players plenty of options on how to handle themselves in combat. Are you ready for what this alternate world has to offer?

#3 Dune: Awakening

Platform: PS5 XSX|S

Release Date: TBA 2026

Now, hold on, hold on!!! We know that Dune: Awakening is out right now. However, it’s only out on PC. Next year, it’ll drop on consoles, and it could get some potential improvements through that.

If you don’t know about the game, the title takes place on the planet of Arakkis, and you’ll be able to craft your own legend there and do what you feel is best to survive and make your name known. You can go it alone and attempt to take on the world, or you can join with others, including official characters from the series, and become an unstoppable faction.

The world is yours if you can withstand all that is within it.

#2 Ghost of Yotei: Legends

Platform: PS5

Release Date: 2026

Our No.2 entry is a bit more curious overall, as we still don’t know how much Ghost of Yotei: Legends will be open-world and how much it’ll just be a co-op adventure.

The content itself isn’t a new game, but free DLC that players can get that’ll take them on an all-new journey. You’ll play as protagonists who have to deal with supernatural threats in different ways. You can do story missions with one friend, or team up with three other players to do survival missions against these threats!

We do know it’s coming out in 2026, and with the main game likely to be a big hit later this year, the DLC will have plenty of people to play it.

#1 Grand Theft Auto VI 

Platform: PS5 XSX|S – Release Date: May 26, 2026

Platform: PC – Release Date: TBA

Come on! You KNEW that Grand Theft Auto VI would be in the top spot! After all, it’s the most anticipated game of 2026, and we say that knowing that nothing, not even something that could be another huge system seller for the Nintendo Switch 2, will top it.

This open-world title will take you back to Vice City, but in the modern day, and have you going up and down the state to save the two protagonists from a conspiracy they get wrapped up in. Trust us, this game will be huge, and that’s why Rockstar Games is taking its time to polish it up before release.