Exciting New Games and Gaming Anniversaries Coming in 2026

 There are so many new games coming out throughout this new year, some more anticipated than others. Along with this, there are quite a few milestone anniversaries happening soon. Here are a few of these highly anticipated video game releases and milestones. 

1. Resident Evil Requiem - February 27th

Resident Evil is a survival horror franchise that follows the protagonists battling against various biological monsters. Requiem is the ninth game within the series. The game follows Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent tasked with investigating the ruined remains of Racoon City. Alongside her is the federal agent Leon S. Kennedy, who was the protagonist of both Resident Evil 2 and 4. It comes out on PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and the Switch 2. It will be available for $70 at launch. 

2. Pokemon Pokopia - March 5th 

Pokopia is a new type of Pokémon spin-off game, being a simulation game rather than an adventure. Instead of the combat and collection of Pokémon, you play as a Ditto imitating a human who tends to the land around you. This Ditto can also change into any Pokémon you encounter, which will allow you to swim, climb, and do other activities you couldn’t before. You can befriend Pokémon, craft items with materials you find around you, and have Ditto learn new moves to improve your playthrough. It comes out exclusively on the Switch 2 and will only be available as a game key. This means that you do not actually own the game, and the data is stored in your Switch and not the physical cartridge. It will cost $70 at release and is available to be preordered. 

3. Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary 

The beloved game franchise The Legend of Zelda is turning 40 this year. The first game was released on February 21, 1986, and has had 33 different entries to the series since. There have been many HD remakes of older games, such as Skyward Sword on the Switch and Twilight Princess on the Wii U. Along with this, there have been spin-off games, board games, merchandise, and other paraphernalia released based on the game. 

4. Pokemon’s 30th Anniversary - February 27th

The widely known Pokémon franchise is turning 30 this year. The first three games, Red, Blue, and Yellow, were released in 1996. This franchise is widely beloved by people of all ages, having animated television shows, movies, plushies, and a whole competitive and trading card game. There are 28 core games within the series, which span across nine separate generations and regions, along with many more spin-off games and collaborations. 

5. Devil May Cry’s 25th Anniversary - August 23

DMC is turning 25 this year, with the first game originally being released in 2001. It has had five main games, a reboot with mixed ratings, light novels, manga, and two separate anime. The most recent addition to the franchise is a Netflix Anime going by the same name. The five games are action-focused and primarily follow the protagonist Dante Sparda, a half-demon, half-human, who runs the shop Devil May Cry. 

There are so many different games coming out this year, along with subsequent anniversaries. This year is going to be amazing for gaming.