Every JRPG Announced for 2026 (So Far)

A new year means renewed goals and promises that we'll try - and miserably fail - to keep. One of those goals for me is to reduce my JRPG backlog, which I already know I won't manage, because for every game I finish, two new ones are announced.

Thinking of this, there's no better way to throw a wrench into our backlog than reading a list of every JRPG announced for 2026. There are a lot of JRPG games every year, but even more JRPG wannabes. So, to keep this list concise and interesting, I'm only listing the more well-known titles that have a 2026 confirmed release.

I also won't mention ports, re-releases, or remasters that are basically ports (nothing against you, Tales of Berseria, but you know how it is). The goal here is to showcase beautiful, brand-new JRPGs that will get you excited for the year ahead and help you save up some cash in advance.

11 The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon

Release Date: January 15th

I know The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon has already launched, but it's worth a mention. The game is a direct sequel to The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II, as well as a direct sequel to Trails in the Sky. Yeah, the entire Trails series is one long-running, interconnected story.

Does it mean you can't dive into the series via Trails beyond the Horizon? You can, but you really shouldn't because you'll miss way too much, and the game won't go out of its way to explain anything to you.

However, you'll still experience a wonderful combat system that mixes real-time action with turn-based combat, a great progression system, unprecedented world-building (which has been in the works since the first game), and a colorful cast of amazing characters.

10 Code Vein II

Release Date: January 29th

Code Vein is known as the anime Soulslike. However, in a recent interview, the producer said he prefers the game to be called an action RPG rather than a Soulslike, despite its mechanical similarities to the latter. Therefore, Code Vein II can be categorized as an action JRPG.

With that said, Code Vein II still features some Soulslike staples, such as a stamina system, experience lost upon death, and enemies that respawn after reaching a checkpoint. So you know exactly what to expect from its gameplay, still with its own unique take, where you draw blood from enemies to use as a resource for your own skills.

The plot of Code Vein II revolves around time travel. Your player-created character goes to the past to find clues on how to prevent the world's destruction in the present. This also means there are narrative shifts and different endings, bringing a sense of fresh replayability to the JRPG.

9 Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

Release Date: February 5th

Square Enix is going full throttle on bringing Dragon Quest to modern audiences. The first projects were HD-2D versions of the original trilogy, but now the developer is doing a full-on remake of Dragon Quest VII, titled Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, due to changes in narrative and game design.

In terms of gameplay, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined keeps the series' blueprint. It's a turn-based JRPG where each character has their own skills until the Vocation system is unlocked, expanding customization. The difference is that we have quality-of-life features such as difficulty options, fast-forward in battle, and, for the first time ever in the franchise, a shared inventory.

In Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, your party needs to revisit islands in the past to discover why they were sealed away from the present timeline. With every new island saved, they return to the present, which gradually reveals more about the game's plot.

8 Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

Release Date: March 13th

While Capcom's next turn-based JRPG isn't Breath of Fire, you should still keep an eye on Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, especially if you like befriending monsters. The title allows you to be a Rider and bond with the franchise's iconic monsters to use them as characters in battles featuring a system inspired by rock-paper-scissors.

The story of Monster Hunter Stories 3 begins when a Rathalos egg is found, a species on the brink of extinction. Inside the egg, however, there aren't just one but two Rathalos. The twin baby dragons have scales that recall a civil war from 200 years ago.

With the natural world fast-forwarding toward destruction and many species endangered, players will also have to navigate a war between two continents. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection promises epic scale and heavy-hitting action.

7 Etrange Overlord

Release Date: March 26th

Now and then, NISA introduces a new IP to the world, always maintaining that iconic visual presentation seen in Disgaea. Etrange Overlord puts us in the shoes of a high-society lady who finds herself framed for assassination and condemned to hell. Instead of surrendering to demonic dangers, Lady Étrange von Rosenburg wants to dominate the underworld as the ultimate villainess.

She will do so through a youthful, dynamic action RPG system. The party consists of 4 members, with the ability to recruit up to 15 distinct characters. Besides each member having their own skillset, it's also possible to interact with environmental elements to afflict enemies in a mechanic called the revolving lane.

Being a NISA title, expect a plot full of comedic and sometimes ridiculous story beats, but in a good way. As the saying goes, if you're already in hell, you might as well embrace the devil.

6 SacriFire

Release Date: Q1 2026

SacriFire is a love letter to the JRPGs that hit the spot with their combat in the past. With a mix of Vagrant Story and Valkyrie Profile, we control the young priest Ezekiel Ridan as he strings attacks together to create marvelous combos. Party members will also accompany Ezekiel on his biblical adventure.

Seeing his world threatened by a war between gods and demons, Ezekiel must lean on his shaken faith and navigate moral complexities that promise to stir the player's experience. The subterranean world of Antioch clashes with the paradise of Erebus, just as fantasy elements blend with sci-fi.

To top it all off, the soundtrack for SacriFire was composed by Motoi Sakuraba, a legendary composer who has worked on franchises like Star Ocean, Tales of, Dark Souls, and the aforementioned Valkyrie Profile.

5 Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter

Release Date: Fall 2026

Following the launch of the wonderful Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter in 2025, Falcom surprised and delighted fans in equal measure by announcing that Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter would be released just one year after its predecessor. As the title suggests, this JRPG is a direct sequel to the first.

I'll avoid spoilers, but after the end of 1st Chapter, Estelle faces an organization that was behind everything that went wrong on her Bracer journey. Now, in the company of other friends and as a new Senior Bracer, Estelle must fight this organization while also pursuing an important character.

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter will feature the same mixed battle system introduced in the first game, which starts in real time but can seamlessly transition to turn-based. We'll have new Crafts and S-Crafts for allies, as well as newcomers joining the party. Like any good JRPG, it will also feature minigames like fishing, poker, and cooking.

4 Edge of Memories

Release Date: 2026

Midgar Studio made its debut in 2021 with the JRPG Edge of Eternity. Now, five years later, the developer returns with Edge of Memories, an action RPG set in the same world as its predecessor but on a new continent plagued by the Corrosion.

To try and combat the Corrosion, Eline, an itinerant Soul Whisperer, hacks and slashes away at anything mutated by the plague. After awakening a mysterious but rather ominous power, she becomes the only one capable of ending this apocalypse.

The action in Edge of Memories hinges heavily on party members, whom players must customize to reach their full potential, as well as Eline's ability to transform into a berserker and wreak havoc on anyone who crosses her path.

3 Lost Hellden

Release Date: 2026

In a world where generative AI is being shunned and frowned upon (thank God), works that feature hand-painted art styles have a shortcut to my heart. Lost Hellden is exactly that: a gorgeous JRPG-inspired game with beautiful art direction and a unique battle system.

In Lost Hellden, each battle is split into two phases. We have an action phase, where we are free to go to town on our enemies. When that ends, a reaction phase begins, where we are the prey and need to dodge or even counterattack the opponents' offensives. It's a pretty wild and unusual battle system that I really hope works out.

The premise of Lost Hellden is also intriguing. Everyone living under the religion of Unio is intimately bound to one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Resist it, and your place in paradise is guaranteed; succumb, and death awaits. When twins are born, the binding ritual fails, and the protagonist Cyphel is born without sin, while Leht is bound to all seven. Something fishy is going on, and it's up to the player to find out what it is.

2 The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales

Release Date: 2026

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is Square's first foray into an action RPG using the HD-2D graphical engine. Think of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past made by the team behind Octopath Traveler. You play as the eponymous Elliot alongside his fairy friend Faie as they discover a mysterious ruin.

The combat in The Adventures of Elliot is extremely fluid and nostalgic. Equipping up to two weapons, Elliot fights enemies in real-time while exploring vast fields in search of new treasures or tackling puzzles in varied dungeons, ranging from caves to shrines.

I admit the RPG elements in Elliot are a bit sparse compared to others, mostly boiled down to progression tied to the equipment system and Magicites, which provide extra bonuses. However, I hope it's enough to cheerfully customize our hero at every turn of his adventure.