GTA 6 and every little thing else: What to glean in video video games in 2026

The video video games industry is unpredictable.

If you would suggested us this time last 300 and sixty five days that a previously unknown French studio would screech game of the 300 and sixty five days, Battlefield 6 would knock Name of Duty off the high of the annual charts and that Saudi Arabia would elevate gaming wide Digital Arts (EA) we may well seemingly glean been… sceptical.

So you would must be very certain of yourself – or very silly – to strive to predict what’s going to occur within the 300 and sixty five days forward.

Fortunately, we’re not within the crystal ball industry right here at BBC Newsbeat, however there are a pair of issues we may well even be confident video game fans must aid an survey on in 2026.

Whether it’s wide releases, wide moves or wide concerns – right here’s a rundown of one of the most attention-grabbing issues to survey out for.

“A cultural moment, a day hundreds of thousands of gamers glean been ready for for a truly, very prolonged time.”

Sound familiar? It must. It be what we wrote about Immense Theft Auto 6 this time last 300 and sixty five days.

Two delays and one unique trailer later, and we’re extra or less the assign we were 300 and sixty five days ago.

Assuming it comes out, as deliberate, on 19 November, this may well practically surely smash recordsdata.

And you may well seemingly wager other publishers will wish to launch their very hang 2026 video games as some distance some distance from it as that you just may well seemingly take into consideration.

However the wide demand remains: “Will it ranking delayed all all over again?”

Creator Recall Two says or not it’s confident the unique date may well seemingly support, however it completely remains to be considered whether developer Rockstar’s most up-to-date sacking of 31 staff – which included skilled team participants – will have an effect on the game.

Be taught extra:

• ‘We were fired for making an attempt to unionise’
• Why does GTA 6 support getting delayed?

Fancy this 300 and sixty five days, when publishers manoeuvered around GTA 6’s current “tiring 2025” launch date, 2026 is entrance-loaded with major releases.

Japanese wide Capcom unleashes Resident Fallacious Requiem, the ninth main entry in its blockbuster fear series, in February, followed by sci-fi motion adventure Pragmata in April.

Sony is also planning to fall PlayStation outlandish Saros, a apply-as much as 2021’s widely-praised Returnal, in April.

While Wolverine, the following superhero smash from Spider-Man studio Insomniac – one other in-dwelling Sony developer – is made up our minds to device within the autumn.

Can even will look the advent of 007 First Light – the celeb-stuffed James Bond adventure from Hitman developer IO Interactive.

Nintendo will be making an attempt to aid the momentum of its characterize-breaking Switch 2 launch this 300 and sixty five days.

Ones to glean comprise Pokopia – a at ease use on Pokémon – and online multiplayer The Duskbloods from Elden Ring maker FromSoftware.

Fans glean complained about the dearth of a effect unique Mario or Zelda game and, as issues stand, neither has been launched but. However the corporate’s bought carry out for asserting wide unique video games mere months earlier than they launch.

Microsoft currently teased wide unearths for its January 2026 Developer Notify showcase and, until we’re suggested in any other case, is as a result of launch Fantasy – its reboot of the very British fantasy RPG series – and Gears of Warfare: E-Day someday accurate through the 300 and sixty five days.

Marking 25 years of its Xbox effect may well give the corporate of endeavor to elevate wait on fans after backlashes over studio closures, designate rises to its Sport Fade subscription provider and its decision to launch flagship series on rival consoles.

And that’s the reason merely the most necessary publishers. Assign a question to extra indie surprises to use centre stage next 300 and sixty five days.

Our one-to-detect is Raccoin – a salvage assault game impressed by arcade coin-pusher machines.

Be taught extra:

• Xbox Sport Fade designate lengthen angers gamers
• 007 First Light delayed to Can even 2026

Random-ranking accurate of entry to reminiscence, or RAM, is a truly necessary ingredient in hundreds of thousands of digital devices alongside with smartphones, Agreeable-making an attempt TVs, clinical tools and even autos.

It be also been getting actually, actually expensive.

Demand from Synthetic Intelligence (AI) knowledge centre projects has been blamed, with one of the field’s finest RAM manufacturers pivoting in direction of supplying request of from wide tech companies.

Micron, owner of the Wanted effect bought in many online and high aspect toll road retail outlets, currently launched it used to be ceasing its user industry to level of curiosity on request of from AI corporations.

All of which has created a shortage that, in line with some analysts, may well at last push up costs of electronics, with video game consoles high on the record of doable casualties.

Trade net page Bloomberg reported that production charges for Nintendo’s Switch 2 may well upward thrust and there are also concerns that Valve’s upcoming PC-console hybrid Steam Machine may well be delayed, or extra expensive, as a outcomes of the scenario.

To this level, no video game corporations glean commented.

Be taught extra:

• Why your devices may well ranking pricier in 2026

In the video games industry, which has confronted thousands of layoffs in most up-to-date years, discussions about generative AI (GenAI) and its affect on jobs are especially fierce.

Lawful this month Swen Vincke, the boss of multi-award-successful Baldur’s Gate three maker Larian Studios, confronted a backlash when he suggested interviewers the corporate had explored using GenAI for coming up with solutions and early prototypes.

He talked about no AI express would appear in its performed video games nor substitute human staff however, in a apply-up response, talked about it could possibly possibly seemingly be “irresponsible” not to assess unique applied sciences.

Despite early claims that GenAI may well allow folks to invent video games extra rapidly at a fraction of the most modern charges, or not it’s unclear how exceptional of an affect or not it’s actually had.

Builders who’ve spoken to BBC Newsbeat snort or not it’s not the least bit times widely former in performed merchandise because of the a combination of ethical, appropriate and intellectual concerns, however a great deal of corporations glean on the least tried using it for pre-production work.

Some smaller corporations proudly whisper that they don’t use the tools at any stage of style.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty over the prolonged-timeframe intention forward for GenAI, it remains to be considered how some distance its use will unfold.

But or not it’s a topic topic that fosters solid emotions from gamers and staff accurate through the industry, so request extra controversies because the 300 and sixty five days ploughs on.

Be taught extra:

• Can Arc Raiders elevate a Bafta game award?
• How AI is fuelling uncertainty for game developers

Digital Arts (EA), the publisher of Battlefield 6, EA FC and The Sims, is practical one of the field’s finest video game corporations, to blame for titles that on a frequent foundation high bestseller charts.

The announcement it had current a characterize-breaking $55bn (£41bn) state from a Saudi Arabia-led funding community came as a shock.

It be the nation’s most up-to-date wide creep into gaming, which it says is half of wider efforts to invent its economy less reliant on oil.

But critics take into consideration or not it’s a carry out of “sportswashing” – investing in leisure in an strive to soften its worldwide reputation because of the its anti-LGBT criminal pointers and human rights characterize.

The nation’s conservative cultural values glean precipitated concerns over the affect the deal can glean on certain EA series.

The Sims, which has a wide LGBT fanbase, confronted a rebellion from some of its finest-identified express creators when some gash kindly ties in order against the buyout.

EA replied with an announcement asserting the game would “repeatedly be a assign the assign you may well seemingly explicit your official self”.

There are also concerns that the deal may well end result in extra lay-offs at EA, which has taken on $20bn of debt to finance the use.

If all goes to assign, the deal must be carried out by the summer, when there must be extra readability on the intention in which forward for some of gaming’s preferred series.

Be taught extra:

• Why Saudi Arabia spent $55bn on EA