What will be the next big open-world RPG? 2026 is still young, and there hasn’t been that one game that has exploded in popularity in any genre. For open-world games, Nioh 3 is probably the biggest success story, and that wasn’t even a fully open-world game. This list won’t strictly focus on new games, though, because there are already plenty of good previews of upcoming open-world games.
Related
7 Big Nintendo Switch 2 Sequels You Didn’t Know Were Coming In 2026
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to have a big 2026, and these sequels should go a long way in making that happen.
Instead, here we will be looking at six games that you should really play this year—three new ones and three old ones that are worth playing specifically in 2026 for various reasons. There will be something for everyone in the following games.
Find all 10 pairs
Start
Restart
Back
Find all 10 pairs
Start
RestartBack
Crimson Desert
The Biggest Open-World Of 2026
Crimson Desert is not strictly an RPG; it’s more like an action-adventure game with RPG elements. That said, the size, scope, and number of activities players can get into look unreal. There are different character types to play as, from sword wielders to gunslingers, changing the focus of combat based on the player’s chosen build. There are also various mounts to acquire, from dragons to horses, and carriages can also be stolen, Grand Theft Auto-style.
This isn’t just a fantasy world, either, as players will fight things out of sci-fi like robots, too. There are mini-games, including arm wrestling, fishing, and flute playing. Surfaces like buildings and trees can be climbed, towers can be destroyed, and the list goes on. Fans will not have to wait much longer, as Crimson Desert is set to release at the end of March. This could be a Game of the Year contender.
Neverness To Everness
Your Free-To-Play Option
Neverness to Everness, or NTE, is one of several free-to-play games presumably dropping in 2026, and some fans were recently allowed to check out a closed beta. The gameplay is very similar to games like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves. Players have control of several characters at a time that they can unlock in the story or through randomized gacha-based mechanics. During combat, they can switch between them to activate a special, which can have several effects, like interrupting an enemy’s more powerful attack.
Related
Biggest Triple-A Games That Will Be Released In 2026
These titles have the potential to be top video games in the year of 2026, and it’s not just because of their big budgets.
Players will explore a city that contains several shops, NPCs, and quests to take on. Dungeons are separate from the city. They will send players to instanced areas where they will have to contain an anomaly by shrinking down to size, akin to Alice in Wonderland, or jumping inside a painting, akin to Super Mario 64. Players are part of a special crime-fighting unit that will be looking into these anomalies, almost like an episodic anime. The game will launch in April for PC, mobile devices, and exclusively on the PS5 for home consoles, so if players want to look forward to one big open free-to-play game in 2026, NTE may as well be it.
Fable
Will The Reboot Arrive At Long Last?
Fable fans have been itching for a proper new game since Fable 3 dropped in 2010 for the Xbox 360. The upcoming reboot looks more open than past titles, although previews so far are still light on how large the world will actually be and how it will be segmented. In the Xbox showcase back in January 2026, the game focused largely on the action combat and the village life players can have. For example, players can become real estate agents, essentially, and buy up property all over town to make money from rent, which can even lead to evictions.
Depending on how players treat their fellow villagers, they will be treated differently in return. An evicted man, for example, will hate the hero and for good reason. For RPG fans who love good life-sim or city-builder mechanics, Fable seems like it will be offering a lot. For RPG fans who love choice, Fable will presumably have a lot of interactive opportunities as well. One big example, literally, depends on how players treat a man who becomes a giant. If they slay him, his corpse will be on a nearby mountain and become part of the landscape, which is an interesting idea that can make one player’s campaign different from their friend’s playthrough.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Continuing The Remake Journey
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is both an older game to get excited about and an upcoming game. Released first in 2024 for the PS5, it is now coming to the Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S in June 2026. Switch 2 fans who have previously engaged with its predecessor,Final Fantasy 7 Remake, this year are more than excited about this sequel. Even PS5 fans have a reason to return to it, as the older version will get patched with the new port’s features, like an easier mode wherein characters do more damage.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open-world design is segmented into zones like the Kalm or Junon area, but all zones are filled with monsters to fight, treasures to find, and side quests to take on. It’s also filled with Easter Eggs from the original PS1 version of Final Fantasy 7, so old-school fans will be thrilled. More so than the open-world design, this game also boasts some of the best combat in any open-world game, and there are countless mini-games to get into, from battling with cards to hopping around like a frog. Square Enix has also been dropping a lot of hints about the third and final game in the Remake trilogy, which could release in 2026 or at least early 2027, so now is a great time to get caught up.
Cyberpunk 2077
Getting Ready For Edgerunners
Cyberpunk 2077 debuted in 2020 with a rough launch, but after numerous patches, the 2022 next-gen versions, and The Phantom Liberty DLC in 2023, not to mention the astoundingly great Switch 2 port in 2025, this game is now one of the best open-world RPG shooters of all time. Anyone who missed the updates, DLC, or ports because of the rough launch may be willing to take a look at the game now. Also, there is a bigger reason to play it in 2026 because the second season of the anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, could be right around the corner.
Related
Biggest FPS Games That Will Be Released In 2026
Stock up on ammo, these shooters will be blasting your mind with high-octane action very soon in 2026.
The first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners came out in 2022, with season two teased in 2025. No release date has been given yet, but 2026 could be the year. A good way to get hyped, besides watching (or rewatching) the anime, is to get immersed in Cyberpunk 2077. Explore Night City or the desert outside, and build the protagonist, V, into various forms, from a hardcore soldier with tons of hardware to a stealthy hacker who can break anything from minds to computers. The open-ended structure of missions allows players to tackle the game their way.
Fallout: New Vegas
The Best Game For Fans Of The Amazon Series
Sales of Fallout games went up following the first season of Amazon’s TV adaptation, even though it was not based on any one game. Season two was very different because it takes place in the same area as Fallout: New Vegas. It’s not a direct adaptation of the game, but since the show visits several locations, from motels to New Vegas itself, now is the time to check out this Obsidian Entertainment classic. Season two has now wrapped up, so the best advice is to blast through season two, then pick up the game on either Steam or an Xbox, as the Xbox 360 version is backwards compatible.
Players can then explore the areas from the show that they want more details about. Regardless of the show’s quality, Fallout: New Vegas may be the fan favorite entry because it has so many great features. The karma system lets players be good or evil, which changes how NPCs behave. There are dozens of factions to befriend, and the large number of weapons makes combat engaging, from laser rifles to six-shooters. The seamless open-world design also lets players go at their own pace wherever they feel like exploring.
More
10 Incredible Nintendo Games Turning 10 Years Old In 2026
Take a trip down memory lane with these unforgettable Nintendo games that are turning 10 years old in 2026.
