If there is a gaming industry trend I have loved for a long time, it is the resurgence of RPGs. I am not talking about franchises or genres that borrow RPG mechanics, such as levels or skill trees, but rather fully-fledged roleplaying games where we create a character, make bad decisions, save-scum our rolls, and then reset the game entirely.
Not all RPGs, affectionately known as CRPGs, follow this tabletop format. JRPGs, for example, don’t give the player much agency and prefer to tell a more streamlined narrative. On the other hand, we also have WRPGs, which usually feature more dynamic gameplay that is a far cry from turn-based systems, while still featuring branching narratives.
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Today’s list is about RPGs that closely mimic tabletop rules. If you are a fan of experiences that allow you to create a character (or a party of them) in your own image, having playthroughs that are poles apart and twists and turns at every corner, then you should pay close attention to these upcoming RPG titles for 2026.
8
GreedFall: The Dying World
March 10
GreedFall: The Dying World has been in early access since September 2024 and has received mixed reactions from Steam players in the meantime. The game will leave Early Access on March 10 and officially launch on consoles on the 12th. The title serves as a prequel to the first GreedFall and is still being produced by Spiders, but this time around, it will be published by Nacon (the first was published by Focus Entertainment).
As a prequel, GreedFall: The Dying World takes place in a 17th-century-inspired Europe. Players are back in the land of Gacane, and here, your agency calls the shots on everything, from the robust character creation system to all the narrative choices that will provide distinct outcomes for every single playthrough. Another highlight is that in the first GreedFall we played as a sort of colonizer, while in this one, we are one of the natives.
Another change, which was met with mixed responses from players, was the shift from action combat to something more tactical, very much reminiscent of the CRPG era with real-time with pause. In the heat of battle, it is possible to pause the game and choose new actions or strategies, adapting to each situation. The player can choose to control only the protagonist or both the protagonist and their companions, making the most of every move.
7
Solasta II
March 12
Solasta: Crown of the Magister was Tactical Adventures’ first foray into the CRPG world, inspired by 5e D&D. For a debut indie game, it won over a loyal fanbase and can hold its own alongside other giants. With Solasta II, the developer intends to go the extra mile. The mentioned release date is for Early Access, but I still believe it deserves a shout-out.
Solasta II takes place 70 years after its predecessor but on a different continent, so it isn’t exactly a direct sequel. Players will be able to customize all four characters in their party, from their ancestry to their class and personalities. Then, you can go to town with everything you can expect from a TTRPG-based game.
All the staples of a CRPG are here: choices dictating your narrative, freedom of exploration, and immense tactical maneuvers. One feature Solasta II is highlighting is an improvement to the Ready Action, which delays an action until a specific trigger. In Early Access, the developers said that Ready Action will mostly cover single-target spells and actions, but it will eventually expand to AoE. If it works as intended, expect a lot of planning and strategy in every battle.
6
Aether & Iron
March 31
In 2019, Disco Elysium took the gaming industry by storm. Now, some years later, we are starting to see many developers inspired by that RPG. Aether & Iron is one of these: a decopunk narrative game set in an alternative New York in the 1930s. After the discovery of ether, anti-gravitational technology was developed and used not only for flying cars but also for a whole flying city.
We play as Gia, a smuggler who gets involved with the underworld (is it right to call it an underworld if we are in a flying city?) and will need to have her wits about her to deal with crime syndicates, nefarious politicians, and alliances that can break at any moment. Aether & Iron has a heavy narrative focus where every choice can totally alter your destiny.
The battles are centered on turn-based vehicular combat, and it will be possible to tune our fleet with ether, whether by loading up on more weapons or armor. We also have a party system, and each member brings their unique talent to the fray, enhancing all the strategic layers of the gameplay.
5
Crimson Desert
March 19
To start, I know the game isn’t labeled as an RPG, with the developer saying they were hesitant to call it that because Crimson Desert lacks deep, meaningful RPG elements. However, it still has some, like equipment with basic stats and a robust crafting system that hinges more on simulation than simply progression-based RPGs.
Still, it would be remiss to leave this one off the list, because the ambition, the promises, and the sheer size of Crimson Desert are being lauded by many. Understandably, some are taking it with a grain of salt. After all, Pearl Abyss is not just showcasing more and more features and mechanics in Crimson Desert with each gameplay video, but they also said the in-game engine will allow the game to run at uncapped frame rates.
I have seen games with less hype suffer major backlash, but I have also seen word of mouth take unknown games to new heights. If Crimson Desert manages to deliver even half of what it is promising and appeals to a portion of the fanbase, it could easily become one of 2026’s greatest games.
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4
Gothic 1 Remake
June 5
When I wrote a list of JRPGs we would love to see remastered or remade, I thought it was common industry practice. However, to my surprise, we have very few Western RPGs that have wandered through the valley of remakes. Among these, one of the most recent is Gothic 1 Remake, a reconstruction of the RPG of the same name released in 2001. While the original was developed by Piranha Bytes, the remake is being handled by Alkimia Interactive, a new studio.
Gothic 1 Remake will take players back to the Valley of the Mines, where a magical disaster turned a penal colony into a brutal and lawless kingdom dominated by rival factions. There is no character creation here because we play as the Nameless Hero, who is comedically cut off in dialogue whenever they try to say who they are.
The remake will bring, in addition to revamped visuals, new questlines, more NPC routines and reactions, and fully modernized third-person action gameplay. As with any good RPG, the game will feature a branching story that not only impacts the narrative but also your skills and playstyle. A demo is already available on Steam for those interested in the game.
3
Phantom Blade Zero
September 9
Phantom Blade Zero is another Chinese production promising to go all out. Since its announcement, it has already captured players’ attention, and as previews and new gameplay trailers arrived, the hype only grew. The game blends Wuxia storytelling, a Chinese martial arts genre, with frenetic action.
We will take on the role of Soul, who has only 66 days to live (or until you see the game over screen). The warrior was accused of his master’s death and now needs to find out what is going on behind the scenes that condemned him, in a race against time before his mystical heart stops working. To do this, he will employ all the techniques he learned while he was an assassin for The Order.
Any trailer for Phantom Blade Zero will show you just how energetic and fast-paced the action is. Soul can use primary and secondary weapons. The primaries are blades, which make up the basic attack, while the secondaries, called Phantom Edges, range from hammers and axes to cannons. The intention of the game is to bring a style called Kungfupunk, where martial arts clash with steel machinery.
2
The Blood of Dawnwalker
TBA
dawnwalkergame.com
I avoided including too many RPGs with a date to be announced because they might still be pushed back. Still, The Blood of Dawnwalker has become very well-known, and a delay would be a major blow for Rebel Wolves, a studio composed of veterans from CD Projekt Red.
The Blood of Dawnwalker has us playing as Coen, who roams 14th-century Europe as a human by day and a vampire by night. With that said, the RPG naturally presents two gameplay loops: one by day, where Coen’s human side is more diplomatic and can resort to peaceful means (or take up the sword), and another by night, when his vampire powers come to the fore, and he can tear his enemies apart, at the cost of needing to feed on blood.
Rebel Wolves has been saying for ages that player agency is the mantra of The Blood of Dawnwalker. Coen has 30 days to save his family and numerous branching paths to do so. Every quest and every person saved moves the clock forward, decreasing the odds that his family will be saved. On the other hand, prioritizing his loved ones means turning a blind eye to those who need help. In short, it will be a morally gray RPG where doing good for everyone isn’t possible, and we will face choices that tug at our heartstrings.
1
Fable
Autumn
I remember playing the first Fable back in the day. I made a heroic character who stood tall, walking like an angel while civilians loved me. Meanwhile, my brother was a total jerk, and his hero looked more like a hellspawn than anything else. It was a blast because it was the first time we played such a reactive game.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the latest gameplay trailer for the upcoming Fable, where every single NPC will have a name, a routine, and will react differently to the smallest action we take. That is highly ambitious and, though I am trying to manage my expectations, I still believe that Playground Games will pull it off somehow.
This new Fable is being called a reboot, and we play as a first-generation hero. As the game says, reputation is everything in this immersive RPG, so it’s up to us to create an identity in Albion, maybe as an unrelenting warrior, a master blacksmith, or even as a hopeless womanizer with dozens of children.
Oh yeah, the plot that kicks off our adventure involves a stranger who turns our grandmother and our whole village into stone. But okay, who cares about saving loved ones when we can kill giants, become a ruthless landlord, and kick chickens all day long? Fable cannot come soon enough.
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