Following Elden Ring’s huge success, the popularity of the Soulslike genre has remained at an all-time high for several years straight, showing no signs of stopping. More and more players are discovering the appeal of this special action-RPG formula, where constant death is a part of the process, and each victory is hard-earned and very satisfying. 2025 was a stacked year for Soulslike fans, with some of the most notable games including Elden Ring Nightreign, The First Berserker: Khazan, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, AI Limit, Lies of P: Overture, and more. Now, all eyes are on the future, which surely looks promising.
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2026 is already starting strong for Soulslike fans, with highly-anticipated games like Nioh 3 and Code Vein 2 both releasing shortly, promising dozens of hours of exploration, combat, defeats, and triumphs. But that’s just the start for the popular action-RPG subgenre, as several promising Soulslike games are also confirmed for launch later this year, although many still don’t have exact release dates. While nothing is set in stone yet, and delays are always possible, here are the biggest upcoming Soulslikes expected to launch throughout 2026.
Honorable mentions to keep an eye on:
- Code Vein 2 – January 30, 2026
- Nioh 3 – February 6, 2026
- The Relic: First Guardian – May 26, 2026, a small indie Soulslike from Project Cloud Games.
- Phantom Blade Zero – September 9, 2026, described more as an action-RPG than Soulslike; still might interest fans of the genre.
- Ballad of Antara – was expected to be released in 2025, but the team went radio silent with no new updates for quite some time.
The Duskbloods
A New Milestone For The Genre That Many Won’t Play
The Duskbloods is both the most anticipated Soulslike game of 2026, given that it’s Hidetaka Miyazaki’s next project, and a game that many fans will probably skip, given its positioning as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. So far, it’s hard to predict how unique and special The Duskbloods will prove to be. Will it prompt players to get a new console just to play it? We can’t rule this out, as each of FromSoftware’s new titles released in the past few years has been a real event.
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The Duskbloods not only promises a fresh, intriguing, and brand-new steampunk universe, featuring distinct aesthetics and dark vampiric themes; it’s also yet another experimental game by FromSoftware, expected to take cues from Elden Ring Nightreign and to push them to new heights. Upon the announcement, the devs stated that The Duskbloods would be more multiplayer-oriented than their typical Soulslikes, but not in the form of brief, intense sessions like Nightreign, which gives fans more questions than answers at this point. Regardless, judging by its gameplay footage, formidable bosses and unexpected threats are plentiful in The Duskbloods universe, so it’s better to be prepared to die a lot.
Lords Of The Fallen 2
Almost Trying Too Hard To Look Cool
Technically the third game in the series, Lords of the Fallen 2 promises to build on the strengths of its predecessor, which, despite a lackluster launch and a marred first impression, was redeemed through long-term patches and updates, resulting in a solid Soulslike game overall. 2023’s Lords of the Fallen’s biggest strengths were definitely its dark fantasy aesthetics and interconnected world, coupled with unique dual-world mechanics, with players being free to cross between two realms for a unique exploration layer. Now, the upcoming Lords of the Fallen 2 is up for the challenge to retain these strengths while addressing less refined elements, including the first game’s average combat.
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Judging from the first trailers, Lords of the Fallen 2 leans more towards a somewhat “edgy” dark fantasy style, apparent in its “cool” gory factor and hard rock music selection. The devs have repeatedly promised to take fan feedback from the first entry to heart. Among Lords of the Fallen 2’s features are fast-paced combat, epic bosses, rich build variety, and high-fidelity visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5. However, there’s another wrench in the works worth mentioning for PC players: Lords of the Fallen 2 will launch as an Epic Games Store exclusive.
Mortal Shell 2
Let’s Hope That Bigger Means Better
Mortal Shell 2 seemingly shares the very same vibe that Lords of the Fallen 2 is going for, that being edgy metal aesthetics and an overall brutal feel, focusing on bloody, gory dismemberment finishers, cool factor, and a dark, unforgiving world where enemies and bosses won’t play fair. After the modest scope of the original, which still managed to stand out with its world, atmosphere, and some unique ideas, Mortal Shell 2 seemingly goes big, promising a much larger world, more playable shells with distinct abilities and weapons to try out, and a greater variety of challenges to overcome.
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One of Mortal Shell’s distinct mechanics was its “hardening” ability, allowing players to become invulnerable for a short period of time at any given moment. Easy to master and incredibly effective, some fans even believe that “hardening” essentially trivializes boss encounters in Mortal Shell. Interestingly, the devs haven’t shown this mechanic in Mortal Shell 2 so far, and it’s unknown whether it will return at all. If that’s the case, hopefully the team has come up with some similarly unique ways for Mortal Shell 2 to stand out, as dropping one of the best features of the original doesn’t seem too smart a move.
Valor Mortis
Sets Itself Apart In More Ways Than One
Coming from the Ghostrunner developer One More Level, Valor Mortis may pioneer fresh ground for the Soulslike genre, completely changing the perspective from third-person to first-person. If it proves successful, we can expect even more of its kind, but it remains to be seen how suitable such drastic change will prove for the genre’s rather conservative fanbase, and how the combat feels in these unusual conditions. The game’s scope is also unknown at this point, but it’s unlikely that Valor Mortis’ world will be truly huge, especially taking both Ghostrunner titles into consideration.
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However, it’s not just the perspective that sets Valor Mortis apart from other upcoming 2026 Soulslikes. The project also offers an intriguing, fresh, and distinct setting: a 19th-century alternate history take on the Napoleonic wars, complete with gunpowder weapons, supernatural powers, horrifying, plague-ridden abominations, and rising undead. The devs promise a harsh environment where players have to fight for every step, mastering a combat system of parries, dashes, and visceral finishers, and becoming stronger after each death. Of course, Valor Mortis’ unique perspective unlocks a whole new layer of issues to solve, such as combat and enemy movement readability, and avoiding being surrounded while players can’t see what’s happening outside their POV. It would be a shame if most of the deaths in the game were caused by these reasons, so fingers crossed for One More Level to address these early concerns. If the Ghostrunner games are anything to go by, it won't be a problem.
Beast Of Reincarnation
As Intriguing As It Is Concerning
Beast of Reincarnation is a game that could potentially begin a whole new chapter for Game Freak, a studio primarily known for open-world Pokemon titles. It's as intriguing as it is concerning, given the project’s ambition, broader target platforms, and the entirely new genre for a dev that hasn't deviated genres in decades. With new ground to cover, some fans are worried whether Beast of Reincarnation will be able to avoid technical problems associated with many recent Pokemon titles, as without a strong and recognizable brand attached, such issues can make it harder for a new IP to establish itself in the highly competitive genre across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Nevertheless, Beast of Reincarnation is already on many players’ radars, given that the project aims for a sprawling open-world adventure set in post-apocalyptic Japan, crawling with monstrous beings that blend plants and animals together, as well as metal golems representing a futuristic human race that went extinct. It’s worth noting that the devs themselves aren’t calling their game “Soulslike,” which means it’s more of a borderline case of a traditional action game built around demanding combat, somewhat reminiscent of Stellar Blade. Beast of Reincarnation’s other notable feature is its dog companion, Koo, who accompanies players throughout their journey as they bond together, unlocking new powers and abilities. There’s even a slight turn-based layer to Beast of Reincarnation's combat for using Koo’s abilities, as well as some unique traversal mechanics for the main character. The game is expected to launch in summer 2026.
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