If there’s a video game genre mostly associated with hundreds of hours of play, it is undoubtedly open-world role-playing games — at least for single-player enthusiasts. Such games typically offer a really immersive, long-lasting journey that unfolds gradually, and at times, only the prologue itself can take as long as 20 hours. Modern open-world RPGs pack sprawling multi-regional maps, epic stories with events that can span several years, an array of optional quests and activities, and much more.
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Even the most sophisticated gamer will be bewildered by the sheer scale of these games. These are the open-world games that take the longest to beat.
There is no shortage of already released open-world RPGs that take 100 and even 200 hours to complete, and their ranks are about to be joined by several more ambitious upcoming games in 2026 and beyond. Today, we are looking specifically at open-world RPGs that promise hundreds of hours of play from day one, meaning just one game can be enough to fill at least one month’s worth of free time for an average player.
Given how rarely the devs reveal exact figures for a game’s length prior to launch, the estimations for RPGs below are mostly based on their scope, as well as previous entries in the series and/or past similar titles by the same studio.
The Witcher 4
Expected to Be Comparable to Its Predecessor in Terms of Map Size and Length
The next big game from CD Projekt RED, The Witcher 4, is expected to set the stage for an entire Ciri-focused trilogy, with the follow-ups releasing on a much tighter schedule, sharing the same technological base powered by UE5. It is no secret that The Witcher 4 is definitely not coming in 2026, though, so fans have to stay patient for now. However, knowing the studio’s pedigree in creating sprawling open-worlds filled to the brim with hand-crafted quests, The Witcher 4 is unlikely to be any different than The Witcher 3 or Cyberpunk 2077, and will be well worth the wait for any RPG enthusiast.
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Previously, the developers stated that they don’t plan to make The Witcher 4 bigger than its predecessor in terms of world size and game length, and there’s probably no good reason to. After all, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt still stands among the biggest and longest open-world RPGs ever, clocking in at around the 150-hour mark for an average player in its fullest version, and many players haven’t even finished the game once. The studio has even said that it shifted towards a shorter main story in its games so that more players will be able to finish them, instead offering even more side content for those who wish to stay in their worlds for longer.
Soulframe
Probably Another Long-Lasting Game for the Warframe Studio and Its Fans
One of the most ambitious and still mysterious upcoming open-world RPGs, many players still don’t understand what Soulframe really is. The game is often positioned as an instance-based MMORPG, but in reality, in its current early state, it’s more of a single-player RPG with optional three-player co-op, largely reminiscent of Elden Ring’s approach. Sure, there are social hubs in Soulframe, where players can meet, but as of now, they’re just kind of there.
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Soulframe is already playable in its early version, but almost every aspect of the game is still under construction and is subject to change. What’s clear, though, is that Soulframe will offer several distinct classes that players can level up, and huge seamless maps to travel around, fight bosses, complete quests, and participate in world events. In its current version, Soulframe is still very light on content, offering 20 to 40 hours of unique gameplay. It could be unwise to compare Soulframe to Warframe in any aspect, yet given how ambitious this new chapter for Digital Extremes is shaping up to be, we can probably safely expect that the final game will have much more content at launch, and will receive plenty of post-launch additions as well, marking another long-lasting journey for the developer and its fans.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 3
Shaping up to Be a Monster — Whatever This Means
Ubisoft has officially announced The Division 3 all the way back in 2023, but so far, there have been almost no new details, aside from the recent statements that the game is finally “shaping up.” While fans are yet to receive the first trailer or a glimpse at The Division 3’s first gameplay, not to mention its release window, some of the recent statements from the developers promise that the game will live up to its predecessors, known for delivering hundreds of hours of exciting open-world exploration, tactical combat, leveling and character building, as well as tweaking players’ gear like armor and guns with unmatched depths.
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Just recently, the game’s ex-boss, Julian Gerighty (before leaving Ubisoft), has stated that The Division 3 is “shaping up to be a monster” that will have “as big an impact” as the original title, which actually was one of the first extraction shooters on the market. While this hype tease doesn’t really reveal anything, there’s little doubt that The Division 3 will be bigger in scope and map size than both The Division and its sequel, both of which easily offered over 100 hours of playtime on launch, and eventually were significantly expanded with free and paid add-ons.
The Blood of Dawnwalker
Unique Time-Based Structure Probably Lends a Hand to Unmatched Replayability
From the looks of it, The Blood of Dawnwalker will be a relatively modest-sized open-world RPG, without too large a map or too long a campaign, which is fair given that it’s a debut project for Rebel Wolves studio, listing several CDPR’s veterans who previously worked on The Witcher games. However, The Blood of Dawnwalker packs a unique twist on its structure, including claims that there’s no exact main story path. Instead, players are free to tackle any missions they wish, but every major quest will move the in-game clock further, rendering players closer to the final quest with each completed task.
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With this concept, it’s natural to expect The Blood of Dawnwalker to offer far more quests in total that can be completed in a single playthrough, granting this RPG potentially unmatched branching and replayability, as players can experiment with how certain quests are resolved, tied to other missions, or possibly even unlock new ones. Given all that, fans who will enjoy The Blood of Dawnwalker will need to play through the game more than twice, so we are cautiously optimistic that this RPG will be worth investing over 100 hours from day one.
Neverness to Everness
Urban Setting Possibly Ensures an Ocean of Possibilities and Activities
Neverness to Everness is one of several ambitious free-to-play MMORPGs coming in 2026, with the entire segment all but associated with at least 100-hour-long playtime, but typically offering many more. For instance, some players have already poured over 170 hours into 2025’s Where Winds Meet, and still can’t have enough of this game. While Neverness to Everness looks much more familiar, with its anime-inspired visuals and gacha system with unlockable characters, there are some promising changes as well, including its urban-style and detailed explorable open-world metropolis called Hethereau, full of dangerous anomalies.
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It’s hard to evaluate Neverness to Everness’ scope and length as of now, but it’s worth pointing out that the studio’s previous game, Tower of Fantasy, which is another open-world MMORPG, easily offers over 150 hours of content. With that in mind, Neverness to Everness will probably be at least comparable to this figure, promising dozens of hours of exploration, discovery, and combat for its players, while dedicated fans aiming to unlock every character or unique weapons will probably spend much more. Not to mention, there are unlockable, customizable cars and other vehicles that players can ride across Hethereau and tackle dedicated activities like races.
The Elder Scrolls 6
Expected to Continue Bethesda’s Trend of Expanding the Scope with Each New Title
Despite being officially announced (so to speak) all the way back in 2018, many years later, any details about The Elder Scrolls 6 are nothing more than speculation. Even with all that, Bethesda fans may rest assured that the upcoming TES 6 will be a classic Bethesda open-world RPG to its core, offering a seamless, vast map, and potentially over a hundred hours of playtime. After all, almost every one of Bethesda’s titles has been gradually expanded in scope and length, and it would be unwise to expect anything less for the studio’s most anticipated project ever.
Just to draw some comparisons, Skyrim offers 100 to 200 hours of playtime in its fullest version, not counting subsequent playthroughs to check other branches and faction quests. The Elder Scrolls 6 is surely still far away, but at the very least, the game will undoubtedly be really, really big, potentially justifying all the long years of waiting.
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