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The Biggest New Game Releases Of October 2026
If you thought September was a big month for new releases, then you ain't seen nothing yet. As the days tick down to the November launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, numerous games are looking to avoid being caught in the blast radius of the year's biggest release, which has led to an absolutely stacked October. Between original releases, sequels, and hot indie games, the next couple of weeks are loaded with options across a wide variety of genres and ideas. You can check out our top picks below, and if you want to see what's closing out the year, you can also read through our list of upcoming 2026 games.
We're suckers for a good Dynasty Warriors game, as these one-against-too-damn-many-enemies simulators are perfect for when you want to turn your brain off and revel in being a battlefield badass. There have been many games in the series over the years, and Dynasty Warriors 3 is often considered a high point for the series, as it further refined its musou formula. If you've never played it, you can grab this new remaster, which enhances the original with Unreal Engine 5 graphics, numerous gameplay tweaks, and plenty of cannon-fodder troops to mow down.
Ghost of Yotei fans can look forward to a whole lot of new content for the game--like the new narrative expansion Echoes of Sekigahara and the new combat-survival mode--but if you haven't played it yet, now is a fine time to grab the game's Complete Edition. This $70 version of the game gets you all of that new content, as well as the base game, the online co-op mode Ghost of Yotei Legends, and all of the Digital Deluxe Edition content.
In the mood to take a trip to the danger zone? You can do just that in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, Bandai Namco's long-running aerial-action series. This new entry in the franchise will let you take to the skies to participate in dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through the ranks to earn your wings. Developer Project Aces has done its homework to push the series to new heights with Wings of Theve, and when you're not in the cockpit, there's a first-person story mode to experience.
Aion 2 wants to be the one game where the sky isn't the limit, as Developer NCSoft has made verticality a key part of the MMORPG. Built on Unreal Engine 5 across a world that NCSoft says is up to 36 times bigger than the original Aion, combat is built around seamlessly chaining skills--on or above the ground--adapting to encounters, and using precision timing to triumph. The game also looks visually stunning thanks to its Unreal Engine 5 visuals, and you can expect to dive into over 200 dungeons after you're done spending a few hours in the highly detailed character creator.
After seven years, Gears of War is back and ready to tell the story of humanity's first, disastrous encounter with the Locust. So far, it looks like the campaign will harken back to the horror-inspired roots of the first game as you fight through several days of hell, using an arsenal of classic weapons and completely overhauled gameplay mechanics. Multiplayer is where Gears of War: E-day looks like it'll really shine, as alongside classic PvP, the new Horde Siege mode looks like a playground for creating unique stories as teams fight against the odds to accomplish various objectives and at least one Smash Mouth-inspired Achievement.
We've had several Star Wars racing games in the past, but Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks like it'll stand out from the pack by cribbing a few ideas from successful genres and throwing in some Burnout influences for good measure. Developer Fuse Games is aiming to evolve the racing-game genre by fusing roguelite progression and replayability with high-speed competition, while also showing what the citizens get up to for fun when they're not dealing with warring empires on a daily basis. Just remember: Sebulba did nothing wrong.
In a welcome change of pace, a cult-classic horror franchise from the '80s and '90s is getting a video game adaptation, and it's not an