The most noted games of January 2026

21 days ago, by Enzo

With the arrival of the new year, we welcome a new cycle of video games. January 2026 marks the return of studios after the holidays, a precious moment when gamers discover the first major releases of the year and the trends that will shape the coming months. The first stretch of the year has a small batch of ambitious titles and unexpected surprises ahead. Let's take a look at what the first month of 2026 has in store for us.

Our selection begins on January 5 with a small independent cooperative action-adventure game for up to 4 players, where each player takes on the role of a sand pirate: DuneCrawl. Players explore dust storms aboard a giant crab-like mount, armed with cannons and treasure maps. A demo is already available to give you a taste of this fun little project. The next day, StarRupture will be available in early access. Similar to Satisfactory, the game takes the concept of automation and survival even further with waves of alien enemies and regular cataclysms that transform the planet's surface.

The following week, we'll get to enjoy another three small games: Craftlings, a title not unlike Terraria, as well as Pathologic 3 and BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW, both single-player psychological horror thrillers. It also marks the long-awaited arrival of Hytale*, after many twists and turns that risked its early release and its future. This time it's official: the game will be available on January 13 via its own independent launcher. It's high time to return to a cubic universe!

After a first game with an enticing aesthetic, the studio Douze Dixièmes is back with their new project MIO: Memories in Orbit, a metroidvania with a pencil-drawn style. You play as a small, agile robot with extraordinary abilities, lost in a labyrinthine ship overrun with vegetation and out-of-control machines. Sports fans can settle down in front of SEGA FOOTBALL CLUB CHAMPIONS, which comes out on January 22. A few days later, Highguard, developed by the creators of Apex Legends, will be released. It's a competitive first-person hero shooter that promises to be particularly dynamic.

Later this month, we are getting the real-time strategy title Nova Romana will be released, along with The Midnight Walkers, a new PvPvE extraction shooter set in a post-apocalyptic universe. A small indie horror game with an isometric view is also coming soon. It's called I Hate This Place, and features an advanced crafting system, a unique hand-drawn visual style, and a day-night cycle that sets the pace for gameplay. Finally, the last game in our selection is Code Vein II. Highly anticipated by its community, it's a Japanese souls-like action RPG.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting many ports this January 2026. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and Dynasty Warriors Origins will all benefit from a dedicated edition for this new console. That's not all, because at the end of the month, the famous multiple-choice narrative game set in a superhero world, Dispatch, will also be getting a Switch 2 version on January 28, 2026.

January 2026 confirms one thing: the gaming year is off to an interesting start. Between highly anticipated titles and pleasant surprises, this first month already gives a glimpse of the ambitions of studios and the directions that video games could take in the coming months. Whether you've already fallen for one of these games or have your eye on a few, January is just the first month of what promises to be a busy release schedule.