Quick Guide: Top 5 New Action RPGs in 2026
- Nioh 3 — Released February 6, 2026 (PC, PS5)
- Beast of Reincarnation — Releasing August 4, 2026 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
- The Blood of Dawnwalker — Releasing September 3, 2026 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
- Control Resonant — Releasing September 24, 2026 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
- Phantom Blade Zero — Releasing October 28, 2026 (PC, PS5)
1. Nioh 3
Developed by Team Ninja, Nioh 3 is the most expansive title in the soulslike series to date. Unlike its predecessors, it features open-field areas packed with optional enemy encampments and boss battles, alongside expanded loot and build crafting.
Players can build and switch between two distinct character roles: Samurai and Ninja. Switching between these two styles helps navigate tedious enemy encounters. Nioh 3 launched on February 6, 2026, for PC through Steam and PS5, published by Koei Tecmo, making it the only game on this list currently available to play.
2. Beast of Reincarnation
Created by Pokémon developer Game Freak, Beast of Reincarnation is an action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Japan affected by a mysterious plant corruption. Players control Emma, an amnesic protagonist who can fuse with plants and use her hair for terrain traversal.
Emma travels alongside Koo, a wolf-like dog and dangerous creation known as a malefact. Together, they hunt down other malefacts to cleanse the land. Combat relies heavily on parrying and a command menu to unleash Koo's skills for buffs, debuffs, and devastating attacks. The game arrives on August 4, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere support.
3. The Blood of Dawnwalker
Developed by Rebel Wolves—an independent studio made up of former The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 developers—The Blood of Dawnwalker is a dark fantasy vampire open-world RPG published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game features a unique time-management system that increases the weight of player actions.
Players control Coen, a human by day and a vampire by night, who fights to protect his family and take down vampire lords in 14th-century Europe. Daytime gameplay utilizes melee weapons like swords, while nighttime grants vampiric traversal and combat abilities, plus the power to transform into a wolf. It releases on September 3, 2026, for PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S with Xbox Play Anywhere.
4. Control Resonant
Control Resonant is a standalone sequel to 2019's Control and marks Remedy Entertainment's first entry in the RPG genre, alongside a shift to melee-focused combat akin to Devil My Cry and Bayonetta. Dylan Faden steps in as the protagonist, wielding a shape-shifting melee weapon called The Aberrant.
The game expands outside the brutalist Oldest House into the open-ended, warped streets of Manhattan. Players can expect nuanced buildcrafting, an expansive skill tree, and visually frightening multi-phase boss battles against unique Resonants that unlock new powers for Dylan. Familiar faces like Jesse Faden and Dr. Darling make appearances when the game launches on September 24, 2026, for PC (Steam, Epic Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S with Xbox Play Anywhere.
5. Phantom Blade Zero
Published by S-Game, Phantom Blade Zero delivers fast-paced combat set in a rain-soaked, bleak semi-open world with a kungfupunk Wuxian aesthetic. The story follows Soul, an elite assassin framed for his master's death, who has sixty-six days left to live as he seeks vengeance against former comrades.
Combat focuses on high-speed action, featuring over thirty unique primary weapons (such as long swords and daggers) paired with twenty unconventional secondary Phantom Edges like cannons, axes, and flamethrowers. The game releases on October 28, 2026, for PC via Steam and Epic Store, and PS5.