Video Game Release Dates for Late 2026: October Packs the Calendar Ahead of GTA 6

The year-end season starts on October 1, 2026 and the first three weeks of October alone bring more than 30 releases. The reason is obvious: GTA 6 is locked for November 19, so nearly every major publisher moved out of November. OtaHub gathers every dated game release from October 2026 to May 2027, day by day, with the releases worth waiting for.

Quick facts

October 2026: the busiest month of the year

The first week already brings Gears of War: E-Day (Oct 6) on Xbox Series and PC, on Game Pass from day one. OtaHub has played it, so read the Gears of War: E-Day review before you decide, and the early access guide if you bought the premium edition.

October 22 is the strangest day of the month: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Final Fantasy Resonance launch together, alongside Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort on Switch 2. Modern Warfare 4 is the first Call of Duty with a Switch 2 version on launch day; OtaHub covered the PC specs and ray tracing in a separate article. The month closes with Phantom Blade 0 (Oct 29, PS5 and PC), S-Game's wuxia action title that drew attention at the August State of Play.

Switch 2 is the busiest platform of the month: Octopath Traveler 1 & 2 (Oct 1), Kingdom Hearts Collection (Oct 8), Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen (Oct 9), It Takes Two (Oct 15), the Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 trio (Oct 16) and Minecraft (Oct 27). Capcom ships three Resident Evil games on the same day, enough for a full Halloween break.

November 2026: everyone clears the way for GTA 6

Grand Theft Auto 6 arrives on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series, with no PC version announced. After November 12 the calendar is almost empty except for GTA 6, exactly as expected once Rockstar locked the date. OtaHub's GTA 6 countdown page gathers everything you need to know before launch.

Before that, Nintendo gets its moment with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remade for Switch 2 (Nov 5), announced at the September Nintendo Direct, and Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition with Dandori Academy (Nov 12). Stellar Blade (Nov 6) and Metaphor: ReFantazio (Nov 12) also reach Switch 2 this month.

December 2026: Monster Hunter Wilds reaches Switch 2

December is lighter but holds a notable date for handheld players: Monster Hunter Wilds lands on Switch 2 on December 4. OtaHub scored the original 9.4 in its Monster Hunter Wilds review; the Switch 2 version arrives before the Ascendance expansion planned for 2027. December 3 brings Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for Switch 2, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 on PC. Path of Exile 2 closes the year with its 1.0 release on December 11.

Early 2027: Metroid, Persona 4 Revival, Fable and FF7 Revelation

2027 opens with Metroid Ravenous (Jan 28, Switch 2) and Until Dawn 2 (Jan 28, PS5). February belongs to RPG fans: Persona 4 Revival (Feb 18) on PS5, Xbox and PC, with the Switch 2 version following three months later (May 20); Fable (Feb 23) after more than two years of silence since its delay; Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (Feb 12). April brings Final Fantasy VII Revelation (Apr 8), the third part of the remake trilogy and the first to launch on Switch 2 and Xbox alongside PS5 and PC. Revisit its Gamescom reveal to see what has changed.

No date yet, but worth watching

The waiting list is long. A few names have a rough window: FromSoftware's The Duskbloods (2026, Switch 2), Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember (early 2027), Lords of the Fallen 2 (Q1 2027), Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Spyro: A Realm Beyond, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, Senua and Tomb Raider: Catalyst (all 2027), and the Switch 2 version of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (2027). Further out, The Witcher 4 is "targeting 2028" and Diablo V is listed for 2029.

The fully undated group includes Kingdom Hearts IV, Persona 6, Okami 2, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Judas, Marvel's Blade, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake and The Wolf Among Us 2. None had any release date announcement as of October 3, 2026.

Where to play

The games in this list are sold on Steam (PC), the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Store and the Nintendo eShop. Gears of War: E-Day is on Game Pass from day one. A shorter, continuously updated schedule lives on OtaHub's game release calendar.

OtaHub's take

The GTA 6 effect is clearer than in any previous year: 34 releases in October, 12 in November and not a single major title willing to stand near November 19. The result is a wallet stretched over three weeks, and mid-sized games such as Valor Mortis, Edge of Memories or Forever Ago will struggle for attention. If OtaHub had to pick two for October, it would be Gears of War: E-Day and Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, then save the rest for November 19.

The second point gets less notice: Switch 2 is collecting ports at a remarkable pace. From October to December alone the console receives close to 20 third-party titles, most of them games that shipped on PS5 and PC between 2024 and 2025. For new owners that is a ready-made library; for players who finished them elsewhere, Switch 2 still offers few fresh reasons this year beyond Metroid Ravenous and Zelda. Finally, the dates above are the announced US dates; in Asia most games unlock in the early hours of the following day, so check the store's unlock time before you stay up.

FAQ

Sources: IGN (release date list updated October 3, 2026), announcements from Rockstar Games, Nintendo, Square Enix and Xbox; previous OtaHub coverage.