May 2026 brings together very different projects: large open worlds, co-op action, narrative adventures and a few more experimental ideas. This selection focuses on the titles that already have a clear identity, or enough concrete details to show why they deserve attention.
Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 leans harder than before into freedom, with rural and urban Japan as its main setting. The game opens with a sequence that moves quickly through hills, mountain roads and city districts, but the point is not just to show off recognizable places: the festival feels embedded in the country rather than imposed on it. The opening also works as an introduction to the game’s structure, because you begin as a festival tourist and have to earn your way into the bigger challenges.
The world unfolds as you drive through it, using a map that opens up gradually and makes the sense of travel more tangible. Races are not separated from the rest of the experience: events and activities are designed to flow together, with road races, time attacks and drag races sitting alongside exploration. There is also an in-car AI guide for players who get stuck, while the fog-of-war map gives each new discovery more weight.
One of the more interesting additions is the aftermarket car system, which lets you find vehicles at reduced prices in specific spots around the world. It is a small detail, but it fits a design that rewards observation and detours rather than sticking to the main route.
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core
Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core takes the series’ setup and pushes it toward a cooperative roguelite where every mission starts almost from scratch. You enter the depths of Hoxxes with only basic gear, then build weapons, upgrades and abilities on the fly, adapting to whatever you manage to find during the run. The setup revolves around the Grayout, which has cut the mines off and left operations unstable.
The formula is heavily team-based: squads are made up of four operatives, and survival depends on coordination as pressure keeps rising. Procedural environments, class customization and build combinations all shape the experience from one mission to the next. Pace matters too, because staying underground for too long increases the danger.
The Reclaimers’ new arsenal, the experimental biomedical enhancements and the Core Spawn as a fresh threat all point in the same direction: this is not just another entry in the series, but a different way of reading its world. It looks designed for players who want improvisation, strong team play and a progression loop built around what the mission gives them.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is one of the more distinctive titles in Nintendo’s upcoming lineup. The game is scheduled to launch on May 21, 2026 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, and its premise revolves around Mr. E, a mysterious talking book that falls onto the island where the Yoshis live. His pages are filled with creatures to rediscover, observe, and learn about, turning Yoshi’s journey into a discovery-driven adventure inside illustrated worlds.
The core of the experience appears to be experimentation. Yoshi can jump into the book’s pages, explore colorful habitats, and interact with creatures using his familiar abilities: jumping on them, eating them, carrying them, throwing eggs, and triggering different reactions. Some creatures make flowers bloom, others create bubbles that help with movement, while others open new paths or reveal additional discoveries. Each interaction helps recover information about the creatures living inside Mr. E’s pages.
What makes Yoshi and the Mysterious Book interesting is the way it seems to push the series toward a more curious, observation-based structure rather than a simple level-clearing platformer. Bowser Jr. and Kamek add a troublemaking presence to the adventure, but the tone remains colorful, playful, and focused on exploration. For anyone following Nintendo’s more creative releases, this could be one of the Switch 2 games to watch in the first half of 2026.
LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of the Dark Knight
LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of the Dark Knight is framed as a narrative action-adventure that follows Bruce Wayne’s path toward becoming Batman. The structure focuses on his relationships with allies and his rise in Gotham City, while the rogues’ gallery includes familiar DC villains such as Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane.
Combat is built around fluid combos, stealth techniques and investigation tools, so it is not limited to the usual light brawler setup. Traversal matters as well: Batmobiles and Batcycles, including the Tumbler, let you move freely through a sizeable Gotham, with grappling, gliding and driving all supporting exploration. Iconic locations such as Arkham Asylum, Ace Chemicals and Wayne Tower help anchor the journey.
The narrative angle seems aimed at tying together Batman’s origins, the growth of his support network and the gradual shaping of his identity as Gotham’s protector. It is the kind of project that depends as much on pacing and character progression as it does on the recognizability of the universe around it.
The Relic: First Guardian
The Relic: First Guardian builds its identity around a world shattered by the fall of the great relic and a progression system based on embodied memories. Arsiltus lies in ruins, and the player takes on the role of the last guardian, collecting and using relics that carry the emotions and desires of those who came before. The setting is not just backdrop: it is tied directly to how character growth and world history connect.
The relics include more than 70 unique passive effects and can reshape ability behavior, combat rhythm and weapon-specific styles. With five weapon types and twelve exclusive skill trees, the system seems built for highly varied combinations. Equipment follows an unusual rule as well, since every weapon and armor piece exists only once in the world and carries its own history.
Combat uses energy for defense and dodges, while attacks themselves do not drain it. That creates a different tempo from many action RPGs and leaves room for a more fluid approach. More than 70 bosses are planned, and they appear to matter both as encounters and as narrative anchors, since each one carries its own tragic story.
Stonemachia
Stonemachia will land on PC on May 26th, and the Steam demo already points to a third-person action game with some Soulslike-inspired design. The idea began during the pandemic and is set around Milan, later transformed into Medhelan, a land marked by the Plague of Angels.
The protagonist is Zefiro, a pawn driven to avenge his king and fight the angels. The setting mixes recognizable Italian landmarks such as the Duomo of Milan, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Rialto Bridge with a fantasy reinterpretation that fits a world of stone and marble. Enemies also echo chess pieces or specific installations found in Italy, which gives the project a very specific visual identity.
On the gameplay side, the demo shows checkpoints, progression through angel feathers and a structure that still feels in development. Not everything looks fully polished yet, especially in the interstitial scenes, but the core idea is clear: a personal action game rooted in a highly specific urban and symbolic imagination.
007 First Light
007 First Light tells the story of a young James Bond, still far from the established icon, through an independent origin tale. After a heroic act, Bond joins the revived Double-0 Program, but a mission gone wrong forces him to work with his reluctant mentor Greenway to stop a conspiracy and prevent an imminent coup.
The structure appears to be built around missions in varied locations, with iconic vehicles and a strong cinematic tone. The game gives players room to choose how they proceed: stealth or direct action, fists or firearms, infiltration gadgets or disguises to slip past guards. The option to replay missions with extra modifiers also suggests a willingness to let players experiment.
This is a Bond that does not simply repeat the familiar formula, but tries to reorganize his origins through a self-contained story. On paper, the result is a spy adventure that values flexibility of approach more than a single fixed style.
