10 Most Anticipated Games of Q4 2026 (Beyond Monster Hunter Outlanders)

Q4 2026 is one of the most packed release quarters in recent gaming history — and Monster Hunter Outlanders is just the opening act.

Between October and December 2026, gamers face an embarrassment of riches: a FromSoftware sequel, the long-awaited Hollow Knight follow-up, a major Starfield expansion, Final Fantasy's most ambitious release yet, and six other major titles competing for finite time and money. Here's the full Q4 slate with honest hype assessments based on developer track records and what's been shown publicly.

10 most anticipated games of Q4 2026 — with realistic hype assessments.

The Full Q4 2026 Slate

1. Elden Ring II: Ashen Throne (Nov 7)

FromSoftware's sequel to the best-selling game in their history is the single most anticipated title of Q4 2026. Ashen Throne is a fully standalone sequel set in the same universe as the original Elden Ring but featuring a new protagonist — the Ashen Warden — and a new continent, the Sunken Expanse, that appears to be even larger than the Lands Between. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki has described it as "a story about what remains when the age of gods finally ends for good."

The previews have emphasized faster, more fluid combat compared to the original — wider dodge windows, new parry mechanics, and a mounted combat system that doesn't require Torrent (meaning mounts are optional tools rather than mandatory). The magic system has been rebuilt from scratch. Boss previews show FromSoftware at the peak of their design craft. Hype is fully justified.

2. Hollow Knight: Silksong (Oct 28)

Hollow Knight: Silksong has been the gaming community's longest-running joke about release date announcements — first revealed in 2019, delayed multiple times, and now finally confirmed for October 28, 2026. The original Hollow Knight is one of the best metroidvanias ever made, and Silksong features a completely new protagonist (Hornet), a new kingdom (Pharloom), new mechanics, and a confirmed 150+ new enemies. Team Cherry has said it's larger than the original.

The hype is extreme but also contextually earned — Team Cherry's track record with the original game and its DLC expansions suggests Silksong will deliver. The main risk is that seven years of anticipation creates expectations no game can fully meet. Adjust accordingly, but do not sleep on this release.

3. Final Fantasy XVII (Dec 5)

Final Fantasy XVII is Square Enix's most ambitious project in years — a single-game, non-episodic release (a first for the modern mainline FF series) with a runtime Square has confirmed exceeds 80 hours for completionists. The game uses a new real-time combat system built from the learnings of FFXVI and the FF7 Remake series, and takes the franchise into a science-fantasy setting that returns to the technological-magical world fusion of the classic PS1-era games.

The initial announcement generated significant excitement and the expanded previews have sustained it. The one concern: it's launching on PS5 and Xbox first with a PC port confirmed for Q2 2027 — PC players will need to wait.

4. Hades III (Nov 14)

Supergiant Games has never made a bad game — Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and the original Hades all delivered on their ambitions. Hades III continues the series with a new protagonist (Melinoe, sister of Zagreus), a new setting expanding to the surface world of Greek mythology, and a reworked resource system. The Early Access period (which ended in October 2026) was universally praised.

Hades III is the safest bet on this list: a proven studio, a proven formula applied thoughtfully to new content, and a development process (Early Access with extensive player feedback) that has historically produced excellent results. If you liked the original, this is a must-buy.

5. Starfield: Revelation (Oct 22)

Bethesda's major Starfield expansion arrives October 22 with a promise to address the base game's most criticized elements: procedurally generated planets have been replaced with 12 handcrafted planetary environments, the main quest has been overhauled, and the ship building system has been expanded with 200 new components. Todd Howard has called it "the game Starfield should have shipped as."

Hype here is cautious but real. Bethesda has shown genuine willingness to course-correct, and the preview content looks substantially better than the base game. The risk is that the fundamental engine and design philosophy remain unchanged — which limits how much even excellent additional content can transform the experience. Approach with tempered expectations but genuine interest.

The Rest of the Slate

Returnal 2 (Dec 12, PS5 exclusive) is the most exciting Sony first-party title of Q4 — Housemarque proved with the original that they understand roguelite design at a high level, and the sequel expanding to a larger narrative structure is intriguing. Forza Horizon 7 (Nov 21) is the most reliable franchise in racing games — Playground Games has never shipped a bad Horizon entry, and the new South American open world looks extraordinary.

Midnight Archipelago (Oct 31) is the riskiest bet as a new IP from developer Lighthouse Studio — previews have been compelling but there's no track record to anchor expectations. Project Nightfall (Dec TBC) is the biggest mystery of Q4: an action-stealth game from a developer who hasn't been publicly named, with gameplay shown only at closed press events. Whatever it is, the footage has been impressive.

What to Buy First

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