Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026
October 2026 has got the be the most densely stacked month for video game releases ever. There are tried and true modern franchises represented, and there are old franchises getting resurrected. We have three runners-up this month. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is a FPS where the player can explore the depths of the Hellraiser universe’s version of Hell. Tales of Eternia Remastered is the first time a classic JRPG has been available since the PS1. Phantom Blade Zero is a Chinese-developed third person action game starring Donnie Yen. All of these games, and others coming out this month, would have easily made the Top 5 any other month, so prepare yourself for some heavy hitters. Without further ado, here are the Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026:
5. Final Fantasy: Resonance – October 22
Final Fantasy: Resonance is the first 2D turn-based Final Fantasy JRPG since Final Fantasy VI for the Super Nintendo in 1995! That statement comes with a few caveats. Though it has a pixelated art style, it’s actually Square Enix’s HD-2D style. It’s also not a wholly original game, rather it’s a console version of the mobile game Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, But Square Enix has track record of taking mobile gatcha games, and turning them into amazing console experiences. Octopath Traveler 0 and Fantasian Neo Dimension are both proof. Any other month and Final Fantasy: Resonance would have been a contender for the #1 spot on a list like the Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026. It will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, both Switches, and PC.
4. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse – October 15
There’s a brand-new Castlevania game coming out this month! The last mainline Castlevania game was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which came out in 2014, two console generations ago! Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is also sticking to the series’ bread-and-butter Metroidvania action platformer 2D plane. It’s not another doomed attempt at 3D (note: this writer loves Lament of Innocence, Curse of Darkness, and the first Lords of Shadow). Belmont’s Curse’s developer is Evil Empire, who created Dead Cells. Hopefully they’re able to please fans of both franchises. Normally a new entry in a classic series that’s had a 12-year gap would be an obvious contender for #1 on a list like the Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026, but this month is so crazy! Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 1, and PC.
3. Gears of War: E-Day – October 8
Gears of War: E-Day might be Xbox Seres biggest exclusive. The last entry, in the third person cover shooter series, was Gears 5 in 2019. Back then, the series was starting to feel tired. E-Day really feels like it’s going to be a ground-up evolution of the games, and not just an annual cash-in. Sometimes it seems like Microsoft doesn’t have any exclusives, and if it wasn’t for Game Pass most players with a PC or PS5 wouldn’t miss much. Their whole marketing machine is banking on Gears of War: E-Day being a huge success. But it’s still not the #1 entry on the Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026. It will be available for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
2. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort – October 22
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is a collection of motion-controlled sports games. It’s the sequel to Nintendo Switch Sports, in the same way Wii Sports Resort was the sequel to Wii Sports. It’s hard to deny that Wii Sports was one of the most popular video games of all time. Nintendo usually only releases one first-party game a month, so they have major confidence in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort to release it in mega-stacked October. Nintendo Switch Sports only had 8 sports, whereas the sequel has 12. The original is also one of the only Switch games not playable with Switch 2 joycons. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is another game that could’ve easily been #1 on the Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026. It’s a Switch 2 exclusive.
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – October 23
When you’ve got a 5-way-tie for the #1 game on the Top 5 Upcoming Video Games October 2026, you have to go with the game you know is going to sell the most copies. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is this year’s entry in the most popular FPS franchise in the world. Its biggest feature is the return of the DMZ extraction mode. The campaign has two protagonists, and takes place in Korea. While it’s not the long-awaited sequel to a classic franchise, like all our other entries are, it’s still going to be the top seller. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC.
Do you agree with our choices? Which game from October 2026 are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.
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