The 5 Biggest Games to Watch in October 2026

October 2026 is shaping up to be one of the year's busiest months for new games. The schedule is filled with major franchise returns, ambitious action games, competitive multiplayer prospects, and at least one long-awaited original adventure that has been on players' radar for years. With so much arriving in a short span, choosing where to put time and money could be difficult.

The crowded release slate also lands just ahead of November's planned launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, giving publishers a clear reason to secure attention before one of the industry's most anticipated releases dominates the conversation. That does not mean October is merely a holding pattern, however. Its leading games cover aerial combat, third-person shooting, racing, military action, and dark action-RPG combat.

These are the five standouts worth keeping close watch on throughout the month. Some arrive with the weight of beloved legacy series behind them, while others have the opportunity to establish a new place in their respective genres. As always, launch plans and game details can evolve, but the current lineup makes October look like a particularly strong month for players on PC and current-generation consoles.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve -- October 2

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

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Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve opens October with a familiar but reliably thrilling fantasy: climbing into the cockpit of a high-performance fighter jet and becoming the star of an escalating aerial war story. The series has long occupied a distinctive space between accessible arcade flight action and dramatic military-fiction storytelling, and the eighth numbered installment looks set to continue that tradition.

The core appeal is in the dogfights. Wings of Theve places players in the role of an elite pilot, with missions built around high-speed engagements, enemy formations, and the kind of explosive spectacle that makes every successful missile lock feel decisive. Rather than pursuing strict simulation, the game embraces the cinematic side of air combat. Players can expect action designed to sell the sensation of incredible speed, sharp turns, close calls, and overwhelming odds.

Its presentation is a major part of that identity. The campaign combines intense aerial battles with a forceful soundtrack and a story that has been described as stronger than the series' knowingly heightened premise might suggest. That combination is important for Ace Combat: the best entries are not just collections of missions, but full-scale action melodramas in which the player's aircraft becomes central to a geopolitical crisis.

There appears to be some room for improvement in the online component, and the opening stretch reportedly takes time to reach its full momentum. Still, the overall outlook is positive. For players wanting a polished single-player action game with a different perspective from the usual ground-based shooters, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is an especially compelling early-month choice.

Gears of War: E-Day -- October 6

Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S

Gears of War: E-Day returns to one of Xbox's defining series by looking backward. The game is a prequel to 2006's original Gears of War, centered on Emergence Day: the catastrophic point when the Locust Horde launched its assault on humanity. It is a setting with huge importance for longtime fans, since the event established the fear, destruction, and hard-edged tone that shaped the entire franchise.

Prequels always face a balancing act. Players know broad elements of where the story ultimately leads, so the strength of the experience depends on making familiar history feel immediate and personal. E-Day appears positioned to do that through scenes focused on humanity's shock and desperation as the Locust threat becomes undeniable. The premise offers a chance to see a world before the long war had fully hardened its heroes into the battle-worn soldiers known from later games.

The game's trailers have emphasized the series' essential qualities: heavy weaponry, brutal close-quarters combat, monstrous enemies, blood, gore, and a cast of tough voices confronting an impossible situation. That is exactly what many players want from a new mainline Gears installment. The franchise's cover-based shooting remains a benchmark for its particular style of third-person action, and the emotional stakes of its earliest conflict could give this entry added weight.

For Xbox and PC players, Gears of War: E-Day is more than a nostalgia project. It is an opportunity to revisit the foundations of the series while exploring a pivotal moment that has previously existed largely in background lore. If the campaign can match its dramatic premise with satisfying combat encounters, it could be one of October's biggest action releases.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer -- October 6

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

October 6 is also bringing a very different kind of conflict to the galaxy far, far away. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is built around high-speed racing, with pod-racing energy at the center of a game that aims to serve solo players and competitive groups alike. Racing has always been a natural fit for Star Wars, a universe full of exotic vehicles, chaotic worlds, strange alien characters, and locations that lend themselves to dangerous, visually spectacular tracks.

What makes Galactic Racer stand out is its combination of modes. Alongside online multiplayer for up to 12 players, the game includes a single-player roguelite campaign. That structure could make it more than a straightforward sequence of races. Roguelite progression often gives repeated attempts their own strategic rhythm, asking players to adapt to runs, unlock possibilities, and make decisions that affect how a campaign unfolds.

The multiplayer side will naturally be crucial. A 12-player field has the potential to create the busy, unpredictable races that suit the setting, especially if tracks and vehicle options encourage both clever driving and all-out risk-taking. At the same time, the single-player campaign may be the feature that helps it appeal beyond established online racing communities.

There is plenty of affection for the odd corners of the Star Wars universe, including its deep roster of memorable and obscure characters. That spirit could work beautifully in a racer, where personality can emerge through vehicles, pilots, environments, and presentation as much as plot. Star Wars: Galactic Racer has the ingredients for a fast, accessible alternative to October's heavier shooters and action games.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 -- October 23

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S

No October release calendar would feel complete without a major first-person shooter, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 brings one of gaming's most enduring names back into the spotlight. The Modern Warfare branch has produced some of the franchise's most recognized campaigns and multiplayer experiences, so expectations will be high for this new entry.

The campaign is set to move across a range of international locations and includes the return of Captain Price. Its central conflict focuses on an invasion of the Korean Peninsula, while a new protagonist, Private Park, is introduced as part of the story. That setup suggests a campaign intended to blend familiar series figures with a fresh point of view, potentially giving the conflict a more personal perspective amid the large-scale military scenario.

Of course, tight, responsive gunplay remains the foundation of any Call of Duty release. Players can expect both a single-player campaign and player-versus-player modes, making this the broadest package among October's highlighted releases in terms of potential play styles. Campaign-focused players will be watching to see how the new setting and characters develop, while multiplayer regulars will be eager to learn how its competitive systems take shape.

The platform list is notable too. Alongside PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled for Switch 2. That gives the game a presence across all modern console ecosystems and makes it one of the month's most widely accessible blockbuster releases.

Phantom Blade Zero -- October 29

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5

Closing out the month is Phantom Blade Zero, an action-RPG that has generated attention through its striking visual mix and its promise of stylish, demanding combat. First revealed in 2023, the game had originally been expected in 2025 before moving to its October 29, 2026 launch date. That long wait has only increased interest in what could become one of the most distinctive action games of the year.

Players take control of Soul, a warrior who has only 66 days left to live. That ticking-clock premise gives the story an immediate sense of urgency, while its setting draws from Wuxia storytelling and dark fantasy. The game's visual identity also combines kung fu, steampunk, and cyberpunk influences, producing a look that separates it from more conventional medieval fantasy action-RPGs.

Combat is a major reason to watch it. Phantom Blade Zero is positioned as an action-RPG with qualities that should appeal to players seeking another challenging soulslike-style experience. The appeal is not simply difficulty, though. Its martial-arts inspiration suggests that movement, weapon choreography, timing, and dramatic encounters will be central to the game's identity.

The final days of October are an ideal time for a game with such dark, stylized atmosphere. Whether it ultimately lands closer to a traditional action game, a soulslike, or something that occupies its own space between the two remains part of the intrigue. What is already clear is that Phantom Blade Zero has the potential to end the month on an ambitious note.

An unusually crowded month

These five games only cover a portion of October's release schedule, but they demonstrate just how varied the month will be. Players can take to the skies in Ace Combat 8, witness the beginning of humanity's war in Gears of War: E-Day, race through the Star Wars universe, return to the battlefield in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, or enter the visually distinctive world of Phantom Blade Zero.

There is no single genre dominating the month, which is good news for players who want something beyond the usual annual blockbuster cycle. The real challenge will be finding enough time for all of it before November arrives. For now, October 2026 looks like a month where nearly every kind of action-game fan has a major release to anticipate.