Upcoming Open World Titles to Keep an Eye on in 2026

Open world games have become some of the most popular and common types of video games released over the years, from story-driven single-player open world titles to ever-changing multiplayer open world games.

Oftentimes, open world games are dedicated RPGs allowing players to create and customize their own character to their liking, while others have players embody specific, pre-established characters and follow their journey to save civilizations or seek vengeance for wrongdoings.

This isn't always the norm, as many modern open world games are focused on other mechanics and tasks such as survival, racing, exploration, and more.

There's an open world game out there for practically every kind of gamer, but there are a few open world titles players should keep a particular eye on that will be launching later this year.

8 Outbound

An All-American Road Trip

Sometimes the best way to explore vast landscapes is to pack up a van and drive long, relaxing road trips together with friends and family across enchanting wildlands, and this is the exact scenario Square Glade Games is attempting to replicate with Outbound.

Outbound is an upcoming first and third-person exploration game set in a utopian future as players forego their boring office work life to go on a road trip adventure across an American west-inspired biomes in their trusty, electric, Volkswagen Bus-inspired van.

During the road trip, players can set up camp at any location and use the van's state-of-the-art modular building system to craft multi-level structures on top of the van which can then be easily folded up when players are ready to continue exploring new biomes.

Up to four people can play together in Outbound online, with players being able to farm crops, create new recipes, build enhanced workstations, customize vehicles, explore iconic landmarks, and more, making this a perfect game for those who always wanted to experience van life for the first time or relive nostalgic road trips.

7 Forza Horizon 6

Tokyo Drift

2026 is looking to be a busy year for Xbox Game Studios' Playground Games as they are not only releasing an ambitious reboot of Fable later this year, but also launching the much anticipated Forza Horizon 6 in May.

The first Forza Horizon game set in Japan, Forza Horizon 6 marks the grand return of the open world racing Forza Horizon series four years after the debut of the Mexico-set Forza Horizon 5.

While the game will launch with over 500 cars to unlock and customize within the Greater Tokyo Area, players will additionally be able to purchase and customize a large estate complete with a garage which can be filled with multiple cars to put on display and be constructed into a large complex to be explored and decorated within.

Players can further customize racetracks and nearby environments from anywhere in Forza Horizon 6's depiction of Japan solo or seamlessly with friends online, making the game one of the most versatile and customizable entries in the whole Forza Horizon series.

6 Subnautica 2

Exploring New Alien Oceans

2018's Subnautica was a breakout indie hit thanks to its expansive and awe-inspiring alien seas of ocean planet 4546B, filled to the brim with adorable and horrifying creatures and alluring mysteries to solve, so it was only a matter of time that Unknown Worlds Entertainment would develop a proper sequel with the upcoming Subnautica 2.

Subnautica 2 is not set on the same oceanic alien world as Subnautica or its spinoff Subnautica: Below Zero. but is rather set on an entirely new aquatic planet that's filled with just as much docile and predatory marine life as 4546B.

For example, Subnautica 2's new planet will be home to the absolutely massive Cthulhu-inspired Collector Leviathan, which can grab players with its giant tentacles and swallow them whole if players encounter it outside the safety of a pod or other vehicles.

This time, however, players won't have to explore alien oceans alone, as Subnautica 2 supports online co-op for up to four players for the first time, allowing players to ride together in vehicles, trade items, craft bases together, and more.

5 LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

A Celebration of All Things Batman

Traveller's Tales is well-known for crafting some of the greatest games for all ages with their countless LEGO titles, which have been the source of fond childhood memories for millions of players, and they may impress kids and adults alike with their most ambitious game yet, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.

Slated to launch in late May, Legacy will be TT's fifth LEGO Batman game developed following 2018's LEGO DC Super-Villains, but unlike the previous LEGO Batman titles, this game will feature a more robust combat system and only allow people to play as seven characters from the Bat-Family.

In a way, the world and gameplay of Legacy will be more similar to Batman: Arkham Knight than any other prior LEGO title, with players being able to freely explore all of Gotham City by Batmobile or gliding while combat features combos similar to the Arkham series.

What makes Legacy all the more intriguing compared to prior LEGO Batman titles is its story, as it's not just an adaptation of prior films or comics but is rather a mix of all Batman media, featuring a Joker inspired by The Dark Knight, a Jim Gordon inspired by The Batman, and access to practically every Batmobile ever made.

4 Fable

The Return of an Xbox Classic

In the early days of Xbox, the brand was primarily defined by three exclusives: Halo, Gears of War, and Fable. In late 2026, just in time for Xbox's 25th anniversary, Fable will make its long-desired comeback with Playground Games' Fable.

A reboot of the Fable RPG series originally created by Lionhead Studios, 2026's Fable will have players return to the fantasy land of Albion as a child destined to become a hero and save their home village of Briar Hill after all the townsfolk, including the player's grandmother, were mysteriously turned into stone.

Much like the classic Fable games, 2026's Fable will feature robust player customization, melee and ranged combat, magical abilities, and, of course, countless British-inspired comedic moments such as briefly turning enemies into chickens and them continuing to act like chickens once they've turned back into humans.

Aside from the combat and story, players will be able to get jobs, purchase property, oversee businesses, get married to NPCs, have kids, and so much more, making 2026's Fable one of the most intricate and replayable RPGs in recent years.

3 Crimson Desert

A Fully Realized Fantasy World

2026's Fable may be building upon the franchise's groundbreaking RPG mechanics, but it will be facing steep competition against another upcoming open world fantasy RPG with Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert, which is scheduled to launch in late March.

The first single-player game developed by the South Korea-based developer, Crimson Desert will have players dive into the war-ravaged continent of Pywel and step into the boots of Kliff, a skilled warrior from the Greymanes who strives to regroup the faction after many of its members were slain and scattered by the ruthless Black Bears faction.

Despite being an entirely new IP, Crimson Desert is already appearing to be one of the most complex and ambitious open world games in years, with its map size being two times larger than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and later allowing gamers to play as two other distinct characters as they progress through the game's story.

Beyond simply exploring Pywel and completing the main questline, players can take part in thorough side missions that seem to be of the same quality of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, use magic to solve puzzles, control steampunk mechs and dragons, or simply fish, to name a few side activities.

2 Grand Theft Auto VI

One of the Most Anticipated Games of All Time

After the monumental critical and financial success of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, the mere concept of Grand Theft Auto VI became one of the most anticipated games of the decade. In November, after numerous delays, players will finally get their hands on the next GTA title.

Set in the fictional state of Leonida, home to the famous Vice City, GTA VI will feature two playable protagonists, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, two lovers striving to make a new life for themselves after troubled pasts only to inevitably get caught up in criminal activity.

Not much of GTA VI's gameplay has been shown, but its few trailers suggest that players will be able to hunt, fish, rob stores, plan heists, go dirt bike racing, and even produce their own music.

Of course, this content only relates to GTA VI's single-player mode, with its suspected revolutionary iteration of Grand Theft Auto Online expected to launch a few weeks or even months after the initial launch of the game.

1 The Blood of Dawnwalker

A Promising Successor to The Witcher

Of all the open world games set to launch in 2026, the one that players should look out for the most is, without a doubt, Rebel Wolves' debut third-person fantasy RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Developed by many former CD Projekt developers, The Blood of Dawnwalker is a brand-new fantasy property set in the fictional mid 14th century valley of Vale Sangora, which quickly becomes conquered and dominated by the ancient Roman vampire Brencis and his cadre of other long-lived vampires.

Here, players will embody the titular Dawnwalker Coen as he uses his new vampiric abilities to defend his family and home from the rising vampire presence within 30 days before succumbing to his vampiric infliction and silver poisoning.

While Dawnwalker is likely still months away from launch, it's already become a highly promising successor to The Witcher thanks to Wolves' constant posts about the game's deep lore and spotlights on its dynamic day-and-night cycle, which greatly alters combat and ways to complete quests.