10 Soulslikes Coming in 2026 to Watch Out For

The soulslike is here to stay. That was evidenced enough by the monster success of Elden Ring and only cemented more in the following year with hits like Remnant 2, Lies of P, and Lords of the Fallen taking the stage. We're in for another big year for the soulslike with sequels and original IPs abound.

We're seeing the genre really stretch its wings now, covering multiple genres and even perspectives to deliver that soul-punishing gameplay we know and love.

We're going to check out some upcoming soulslikes that are sure to have you getting good in 2026.

10 The Vernyhorn

Dark and Dreary

The Veryhorn is a very interesting-looking action-adventure game that looks to take Soulslike combat to a more realistic level. The combat here was designed with input from real swordsmen, so every moment in combat is going to be rooted in some form of actual combat that people would use. This lends an authenticity to the proceedings that you don't see in most games in the genre.

You can see some familiar trappings for sure, such as parry mechanics and execution moves, but this game is looking less large-scale than most in the genre. It looks like it's going to tell an intimate and dark story, maybe not something on the world-ending scale, but something that feels more grounded, which would be an awesome thing to add to the genre that feels a bit samey after a while.

We're hoping for this one in late 2026, but there's a chance it could slip further. Either way, this game is mighty intriguing, from its weird name to its striking visuals and setting. It's got our attention to say the least.

9 Vapor World

The Lies of P-like

Vapor World really grabbed me with its impressive demo during this year's Steam Next Fest. It's got this vibe that I can say I've only felt last when playing Lies of P. And that makes sense because when you look at this game, the main character is a spitting image of the main character of Lies of P. The combat is a bit different here, though, as it's a side-scrolling game; however, that parry-focused spirit seems to be embedded here as well.

The combat feels solid for sure, but the environment is what grips me here. It's like steampunk meets sci-fi in a way I haven't really seen before, and the gameplay feels pretty close to what you get in the fantastic and overlooked recent game, Replaced. It's going to have its detractors for the likeness to Lies of P, which, to be fair, they really didn't need. But still, it looks great, and I hope we get our hands on it sooner rather than later.

8 Knight's Path

The Untread Path

Knight's Path is a very intriguing soulslike-looking game. The developers have shown very little so far, but the combat looks based on realism instead of the usual fantasy-adjacent tropes. That means things like parry timing, blocking, and dodging will be much tougher to pull off than what you're used to. The brief combat we've seen reflects that. It looks like a third-person take on what Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 did.

It looks gritty and brutal, and the developers have promised to make no qualms about making this world feel as realistic and rough as possible. That slow, thoughtful combat has evolved back into a full-on, realistic simulation of combat here, and that alone makes this one of the more intriguing games of the year.

7 Vindictus: Defying Fate

Adapting to the Trend

Vindictus has always been a solid series, and with Vindictus: Defying Fate, it looks to take a step into the soulslike genre. I've played a demo of this one, and I have to say, it's looking very promising. The combat is as brutal as the original game is, with some Sekiro-style parry mechanics that keep the combat fast and responsive. The graphics are the biggest surprise, with a huge upgrade from what the series has looked like in the past decade, with impressive lighting and combat effects on display.

What makes this unique is the co-op aspect that the series has always been consistent with, and it feels like you're going to have a mission system that you can jump into with friends, kind of like how Rise of the Ronin did it. The action remains the star of the show here, and everything feels as modern as can be. While the combat isn't doing anything too groundbreaking, Vindictus has always been an incredibly interactive game in regards to the combat, and here, that looks to be the same. We should be seeing this one someday soon, although a true release date isn't yet available.

6 Mistfall Hunter

A New Take on the Genre

Mistfall Hunter is a different kind of soulslike. It's combining genres, with the extraction game coming to infuse the genre with some much-needed variety, giving us a PvPvE experience that has a chance to really become something big. Mistfall Hunters looks like your typical souls-like, but it's within the mechanics that everything gets more interesting. There are multiple classes, the ability to play solo or with a friend, and there is a story happening in the background of all this.

The combat looks slashy as can be and feels a bit more freewheeling than the typical soulslike game, but that melee combat has that soulslike feel that can't be mistaken. How this plays out will be interesting because we saw somewhat of a mixed reception to a game trying to do something similar in Elden Ring: Nightreign, but we'll find out soon how it turns out when it releases in July.

5 Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Samurai Souls

Onimusha created the souls genre. Yes, I know, hot take, but hear me out. The creepy atmosphere, the checkpoints where you level up, and the brutal, but slow-paced combat that focuses on blocking and dodging all came from the first Onimusha game. It's only fitting that the Godfather of the genre returns this year with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It looks to return the series to form in a big way, with excellent-looking combat and some gorgeous visuals that retain the feel of the original series.

Now, the tone of it has been a bit under scrutiny, which I certainly get, as the sort of comedic tone the initial trailers established didn't fit the Onimusha I once knew, but I'm willing to see what the full vision is here. If the combat can hold its own and the story has some cool tricks up its sleeve, I can give a somewhat unserious-feeling protagonist a chance. We don't have a release date yet, but we're going to be getting this one sometime in the near future.

4 Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call

Call of the Past

I get some good feelings about Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's call when I see it in action. It's got soulslike elements, but it also looks a lot like a forgotten classic, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. It's magical looking, with that type of Fable-like quality that we haven't seen in a long time. There is a sort of cartoonish quality to the graphics, but it's charming and feels like a good spin on the fantasy formula that used to be more prevalent but hasn't been part of the gaming world lately.

Forsaken Realms has some great-looking melee combat and magic, which is nothing you haven't seen before, but it's the style, the lighting, the passion that looks like went into this game that makes it intriguing. It's not the best name in the world, for sure, but I think the gameplay here will speak for itself. We don't know too much about the story so far, but it looks like a solid-sized action RPG with good Soulslike combat and a healthy amount of variety. This is one of my sleeper picks for this year, so I've got high hopes here.

3 Fatekeeper

Souls of Might and Magic

Let's keep the first-person theme going here with the ultra-intriguing Fatekeeper, a game that looks breathtaking in motion, and although it's also in first person, it feels like it will be wildly different than the aforementioned Valor Mortis. I think that's because this looks like a resurrection of Dark Messiah, a game that was painfully underrated when it released and has since taken on a cult classic type of appeal.

That same spirit is alive and well in Fatekeeper, with interactive environments, tight block and parry melee combat, and some cool spells on top of that. The vibe I get from the gameplay we've seen here is gritty and desolate. The combat is gory and impactful looking as it gets, and it seems like the melee will have enough variety to keep players invested throughout the playtime with the game.

The environments feel like the world of something like Myst meets the soulslike, which is a combination of genres I can imagine would be very interesting to experience.

2 Mortal Shell 2

The Soulslike Glow Up

Mortal Shell 2 is looking to take the moderate success of the first game and rewrite the book on the series. While the first game was kind of a quiet, Dark Souls 1 feeling type of affair with a unique shell mechanic that let you change your play style, Mortal Shell 2 looks like an almost full-on remake of what the first was trying to do. This looks action-heavy, with incredible-looking visuals, enemy-specific execution moves, and a huge variety in play styles.

There looks to be a ton of weapon types available, and on top of that, a variety of guns as well. Mortal Shell's combat animations this time around look simply incredible, and the enemy-specific execution moves are far more than just a claim; they're fully there, and it will make fighting through the different enemies a huge thrill. This one looks like a serious entry into the soulslike genre, putting this series on the map in the way that Remnant 2 managed to do.

1 Phantom Blade Zero

The New Blood

Phantom Blade Zero is looking to shake up the soulslike genre in a big way. I think this will really be a defining moment in the genre because the action here looks absolutely unreal. Forget the rather deliberate combat soulslikes have been known for, Phantom Blade Zero is changing the game. The main character here moves lightning quick, with incredibly slick-looking animations, amazing-looking combat, and some thrilling bosses to fight.

The sheer speed of the gameplay is just something we haven't seen in this genre or really in gaming in a long time. It has Ninja Gaiden energy in a soulslike package, and it's one of these games I'm going to go out and say is going to be a surefire hit. It looks too damn good not to be, with a bunch of weapon styles, crazy, almost wire-fu looking combat, and challenging bosses that still require a hefty amount of skill to be good at, it feels like a can't-miss title. It's releasing in a crowded window because of you know who coming in November, but it should be a great game.