There have been a lot of announcements over the last couple of weeks, what with PlayStation's State of Play for June 2026, the Xbox Games Showcase, and, most recently, Nintendo's Direct for June 2026. You know, someone should put all of these together, maybe over the course of a weekend in a large exposition hall when they do their announcements. That would be helpful and entertaining rather than having to scour multiple places to find all your information, all in one place.
I wasn't initially planning on doing a write-up for all of the showcases, but the more I looked at what was announced from the big three, I thought that it should be something to do rather than just focus on Nintendo. And to show that we're not showing one platform favoritism over the others, we're just going to list the games in alphabetical order, so let's get to it, because there are a lot of games to cover.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve (PS5,Win,XB S/X) 10/2/2026
Coming off of Ace Combat 7: Unnown Skies, I'm pretty excited to play a new Ace Combat game that looks like a souped-up version of AC7, and not an attempt to reinvent the wheel like AC: Assault Horizon.
Bad Magpie (Win,XB S/X) 2026
I am 100% eager to play another game like Untitled Goose Game.
Big Walk (PS5,Win,NS2) 8/4/2026
Speaking of House House, who developed Untitled Goose Game, I'm moderately intrigued by Big Walk, but I have a couple of questions. Is there crossplay available? I can think of a couple of people with whom I would play this, but one friend doesn't have a Switch 2, and Dr. Potts has a PS5. So could someone on Switch 2 play concurrently with someone else on a PS5, and on Steam?
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse (PS5,XB S/X,Win,NS 1/2) 10/15/2026
Hell yeah! That's it.
Control: Resonant (PS5,Win,XB S/X,mac) 9/24/2026
I've played the demo for Control, and then when I heard that Control takes place in the same universe as Alan Wake and Max Payne, I tried to play the first two games in the Max Payne series, but you can read all about that if you Google "Max Payne jpeg crash." Anyway, kind of tangentially excited about this one.
DK Challenge (NS 1/2) 6/9/2026 - 9/1/2026
I have mixed feelings about this and the semi-related Super Mario Bros. Collaboration DLC crossover event. And I say "event" because both the DK Challenge and the SMB Collab are time-limited, with, at the moment, hard cut-off dates. At first, I liked the idea of there being smaller versions of ReMix (like the Ultimate NES ReMix that came out on the 3DS and Wii U) tied to a singular franchise across different games and systems, but I don't like how it's a timed event. And I really don't like that there's DLC for Donkey Kong Bananza that will cease to exist after September 1st; yes, it's DLC for the DLC, so if you don't have the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC, you can't play this DLC.
DOOM: The Dark Ages / Revelations (PS5,Win,XB S/X) 7/27/2026
Speaking of DLC, at first I didn't realize that this was DLC to DOOM: The Dark Ages, and that it was a new entry in the new DOOM trilogy. I still haven't played DOOM: Eternal, let alone DOOM: The Dark Ages. I should eventually get on that.
Dragons Dogma II: Dark Arisen (PS5,Win,XB S/X,NS2) 10/9/2026
I have the first game, and I did play about an hour, but I didn't really feel the character I had created, so I stopped. That being said, I really liked everything I heard about DDII, and I'm excited to see how the game performs on the Switch 2, considering I read/heard about it having a lot of issues on both the Steam Deck and the Rog Ally X when the game came out in 2024.
The Duskbloods (NS2) Summer 2026
I'm more intrigued than actually excited about this game. The first trailer felt like a conglomeration of different styles and settings, and I couldn't quite get a grasp on what the game was supposed to be about, apart from there being vampires. With the recent trailer during this month's Direct, I couldn't tell you anything more about the game apart from it's coming out on the Switch 2 sometime this summer. And it takes place at night time.
Fable (XB S/X,Win) 2/23/2027
I've had Fable: The Lost Chapters on Steam now for over 12 years, and I've only played for about 30 minutes, but like another game on this list, I feel obligated to be excited for it. I like the tongue-in-cheek humor from the couple of trailers that came out over the last year or two, and I do like the fantasy, storybook setting. We'll see, I guess.
Final Fantasy Resonance (PS5,Win,XB S/X,NS 1/2) 10/22/2026
Yeah, I'm a sucker for Final Fantasy. And then I thought I recognized the wavy sword, and that's when I realized I had already played a portion of this game in Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, gacha mechanics and all. Although the devs have said that this is not a port or remake of Brave Exvius, so I guess we'll see.
Fire Emblem: Fortunes Weave (NS2) 9/17/2026
Fire Emblem is a strange franchise for me. Ever since I played Shadows of Valentia on the 3DS, I've been a fan of the games, although I've only finished two of the five games that I've played; I am still occasionally playing Awakening at work, but I don't feel driven, and I think I'm around 75% of the way through the Virtual Console version of Blazing Blade on the Wii U. I think I'm just not as excited about the relationship building aspect of the game that seems to be one of the key mechanics.
God of War: Laufey (PS5) 2027
I haven't actually played any of the last two God of War games, and Sony's recent statements about single-player games on anything but the PS5 all but guarantee I'll likely never play this, but the two that I've played on the PSP have an amazing flair for cinematic spectacle that I can get behind. I am also morbidly excited to see all of the choads get all butt hurt because Kratos is not the main character (or playable), and if you think people were vocal about Zelda being the main character in Echoes of Wisdom, this is going to be on a whole other level, and I've got 33oz of Flavacol in my cupboard.
I haven't actually played any of the last two God of War games, and Sony's recent statements about single-player games on anything but the PS5 all but guarantee I'll likely never play this, but the two that I've played on the PSP have an amazing flair for cinematic spectacle that I can get behind. I am also morbidly excited to see all of the choads get all butt hurt because Kratos is not the main character (or playable), and if you think people were vocal about Zelda being the main character in Echoes of Wisdom, this is going to be on a whole other level, and I've got 33oz of Flavacol in my cupboard.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake (NS2) 2026
I know I was recently, as recently as a few months ago, annoyed with the idea of Ocarina of Time being remade, and I still feel that way for the most part. After watching the trailer, though, and seeing the visual direction Nintendo is taking this remake, I am significantly more intrigued. So much so that I thought, "Wow, it's coming out in 2026!? That's quite surprising. I guess I'll be playing it later this year."
Metaphor: ReFantazio (PS 4/5,Win,XB S/X,NS2) 11/12/2026
Yes, I know this game came out about two years ago, but it was featured during the Direct, and I was excited for the game reaching new audiences. If/Whenever I do buy the game, it will likely be on the Steam Deck, unless the Switch 2 version is significantly cheaper and there haven't been significant cuts to the quality of the game.
Yes, I know this game came out about two years ago, but it was featured during the Direct, and I was excited for the game reaching new audiences. If/Whenever I do buy the game, it will likely be on the Steam Deck, unless the Switch 2 version is significantly cheaper and there haven't been significant cuts to the quality of the game.
Metro 2039 (PS5,Win,XB S/X) 02/2027
I've only played the ReDux version of the original Metro 2033 and really enjoyed it for what it was. Maybe not as scary as I had been hoping and less interesting when you were fighting your way through groups of Nazis and Communists, but the gunplay was still felt really good. I'd also still like to read the original novel at some point now that I have a different e-reader than the one I'm 99% sure I left at my previous job.
I've only played the ReDux version of the original Metro 2033 and really enjoyed it for what it was. Maybe not as scary as I had been hoping and less interesting when you were fighting your way through groups of Nazis and Communists, but the gunplay was still felt really good. I'd also still like to read the original novel at some point now that I have a different e-reader than the one I'm 99% sure I left at my previous job.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort (NS2) 10/22/2026
When I was watching the trailer, I was thinking that this would be a fun game to play with The Squire. I hadn't previously been interested in Nintendo Switch Sports, partly because of how the game was released piecemeal. But there was just something about this trailer that made me go, "Yeah, that would be a fun game to play." I'll let y'all know in late October, early November.
When I was watching the trailer, I was thinking that this would be a fun game to play with The Squire. I hadn't previously been interested in Nintendo Switch Sports, partly because of how the game was released piecemeal. But there was just something about this trailer that made me go, "Yeah, that would be a fun game to play." I'll let y'all know in late October, early November.
Orbitals (PS5,Win,XB S/X,NS2) 9/3/2026
I'm not entirely sure why I'm listing this game here because the co-op aspect, being one of the main mechanics, doesn't really interest me. I love the art and look of the game, though, so that's probably why I'm mentioning it. If you know of other games that use a look that's nearly identical to 1980s anime (moderately bad dubbing, film grain, and all), I might be more interested.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm listing this game here because the co-op aspect, being one of the main mechanics, doesn't really interest me. I love the art and look of the game, though, so that's probably why I'm mentioning it. If you know of other games that use a look that's nearly identical to 1980s anime (moderately bad dubbing, film grain, and all), I might be more interested.
Senua (XB S/X,Win) 2027
I loved the first game and had been on the fence since I heard that Senua's Saga didn't play very well on the Steam Deck, but it might be time to try it out if there's a sale come the Steam Summer Sale next week.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (PS5,Win,XB S/X,NS2) 2/12/2027
I've only played through one Tomb Raider game, and I really enjoyed that one, and my impression is that this reboot will be closer in gameplay style to that 2013 reboot. The only "ugh" thing about this is that it's another media referencing a city that never existed, and that a certain segment of the population is convinced that all knowledge is being hidden away from the public by a cabal of evil archeologists.
I've only played through one Tomb Raider game, and I really enjoyed that one, and my impression is that this reboot will be closer in gameplay style to that 2013 reboot. The only "ugh" thing about this is that it's another media referencing a city that never existed, and that a certain segment of the population is convinced that all knowledge is being hidden away from the public by a cabal of evil archeologists.
Until Dawn 2 (PS5) 2027
I really liked the idea of the first Until Dawn and the general look of the game, but I've still never played it, even after it was ported to Steam in 2024. It's also not currently supported on the Steam Deck, and despite being an 11-year-old game, Sony is still asking $59.99 for it. Anyway, Until Dawn 2 is likely another game, like God of War Laufey, that I'll never be playing.
I really liked the idea of the first Until Dawn and the general look of the game, but I've still never played it, even after it was ported to Steam in 2024. It's also not currently supported on the Steam Deck, and despite being an 11-year-old game, Sony is still asking $59.99 for it. Anyway, Until Dawn 2 is likely another game, like God of War Laufey, that I'll never be playing.
And that's it for the game announcements. There was a fair amount of talk after the Xbox Games Showcase about another round of Xbox console price increases, as well as speculation that the next-gen Xbox might cost upwards of $1,000, which is absolutely bat-shit bonkers. I know the CEO of Xbox has also been pretty vocal about taking the Sony PlayStation route and making more games exclusive to Xbox after their failed 'everything is an Xbox' campaign. I don't have anything additional to add to this, as I did about Sony's poor Steam sales reports, but it's 100% worth mentioning.
~JWfW/JDub/The Faceplantman/Jaconian
