Skip To...
One of the biggest dilemmas a gamer faces nowadays is whether to spend or not to spend, especially during the holidays. Some might be itching to spend their holiday gift cards or Christmas bonuses on some of the current hits. Well, while many titles from 2025 should be on anyone’s to-play list, the truth is that 2026 is already boasting some top-notch games, which is why we decided to make a list with the ones that you should pre-order with your holiday gift cards.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis
One of the most surprising reveals during The Game Awards was Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. However, we’ll be focusing on the first game, as that’s the one launching in 2026. Legacy of Atlantis is a remake of the very first game in the series. The visuals already look stunning, and we can see that iconic gameplay that will have Lara Croft doing flips everywhere while she dodges a few dinosaurs.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis launches in 2026, and you wishlist it through the official website.
Marvel’s Wolverine
After one mind-blowing teaser and then one highly anticipated gameplay showcase, we finally know that Marvel’s Wolverine is coming in 2026, during the fall, to be more precise. Insomniac is once again donning the superhero outfit to bring to life another iconic Marvel hero, and we can’t wait to take the mutant out for a spin.
As you know, Marvel’s Wolverine is coming exclusively to PS5, and you can wishlist it already, and save your gift cards for when pre-orders open, which we hope is soon.
Nioh 3
One of the first games coming in 2026 is Nioh 3, and we’re glad this one is opening the floor to a promising gaming year. The series has grown so much, improving upon its original formula up to the point that Nioh 3 feels like the culmination of everything Team Ninja has done. Contrary to the previous two, this one already has a release date, and it is set to launch on February 5, 2026.
You can pre-order it through its website for PS5 or PC.
Crimson Desert
Many of us thought Crimson Desert would not arrive. We saw a lot of trailers, thought everything looked too good to be true, and at one point thought it would take many years for the game to finally become playable, but thankfully, 2026 is the year when we’ll dive into this open-world adventure. Combining many staples from the action-adventure and open-world genres, this next title by Pearl Abyss promises to be one of the most immersive and fast-paced titles we’ve seen in recent memory, and we can’t wait to try it out on March 19, 2026.
You can pre-order Crimson Desert on its official website.
Resident Evil Requiem
Leon S. Kennedy is back in Resident Evil Requiem, and we couldn’t be happier. While we already knew Grace would be the one taking the helm of this new adventure, the charming special agent will also join her with his iconic kicks and now chainsaw-wielding abilities. Oh yeah, and you won’t have to wait too long to experience it, as it is coming out on February 26, 2026.
You can head to the game’s official site to pre-order it.
Marathon
With the extraction shooter boom, it is time for a new one to join the fray, and we’re glad that Bungie is the one taking control of it, as we already know the shooting part will be superb. Marathon has already had a few playtests, but we know that it is ready to launch sometime during March 2026.
While the game’s price tag is already out, you can only wishlist it right now on the official site.
Control Resonant
We were all hungry to see another Control game, and The Game Awards showed us Control Resonant, which moves away from what we got in its predecessor in favor of a faster-paced and action-adventure-oriented gameplay. In truth, we couldn’t be more excited, as it seems this sequel is going in a whole new direction, with a new protagonist, gameplay systems, and a larger scope.
There isn’t a set date for it, but we know it will arrive in 2026 according to the website.
007 First Light
The bald assassin is gone (for now), and one of the most iconic secret agents of all time is taking the spotlight. 007 First Light will let us play as a very young James Bond in one of IO Interactive’s most ambitious titles to date. From what we’ve seen, this will be a huge game for both fans of the series and those who’ve followed the video game studio for years.
007 First Light launches on March 26, 2026, and pre-orders are up already.
Gears of War: E-Day
We were not expecting a brand-new Gears of War experience to come in 2026, but here we are, and with none other than E-Day, which is the game that will show us the beginning of this long and unforgettable war. While we haven’t seen a lot of details about it yet, we know it will launch in 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Grand Theft Auto 6
You all knew that the last game of this list had to be the most anticipated of 2026. Assuming there are no other delays (knocking on wood right now), we’ll finally have Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 19, 2026. While it was set to launch earlier during the year, at least we know it is definitely coming now, and even without gameplay, we know that it will blow us away, just like GTA 5 did once it launched.
The pre-orders aren’t up yet, but if you want to save your holiday gift cards for something, we recommend saving them for GTA 6; it will be worth the wait.
And there you have it, a promising new year of gaming is upon us, and while we say this every year, 2026 is already looking like one of the best years for gamers out there. Hopefully, we won’t see any delays for these titles because frankly, we can’t wait to play them all.
