The holiday season is already stacked. Between Gears of War: E-Day kicking off October, Konami bringing back Castlevania for its 40th anniversary, and Grand Theft Auto VI landing on November 19, the next eight weeks contain more blockbusters than the entire first half of the year.

Gears of War: E-Day key art
Gears of War: E-Day (The Coalition / Xbox Game Studios) — launches October 6, 2026, day one on Game Pass. Image via Steam.

September Already Delivered

Before the fall rush begins, a look at what has shipped this month:

  • Marvel’s Wolverine — September 15, PS5 only (Insomniac Games / Sony)
  • CONTROL Resonant — September 24 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Remedy, co-financed by Annapurna); early access opened September 22 for Digital Deluxe buyers
  • Valheim — left Early Access on September 9 with its full 1.0 launch
  • The Blood of Dawnwalker — September 3 (Bandai Namco)
  • Minecraft Dungeons II — September 29

October: The Busiest Month of 2026

DateGamePlatforms
Oct 1Rayman Legends RetoldPC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2
Oct 1End of AbyssPC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Oct 2Ace Combat 8: Wings of ThevePC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Oct 6Gears of War: E-DayPC, Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass day one)
Oct 6Star Wars: Galactic RacerPC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Oct 8KingmakersPC
Oct 13Planet Zoo 2PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Oct 13Valor MortisPC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Oct 14Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Oct 15Castlevania: Belmont’s CursePC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Oct 23Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2
Oct 29Phantom Blade 0PC, PS5

The three dates worth blocking out

October 6 — Gears of War: E-Day. The Coalition rewinds the clock 14 years to Emergence Day, with a campaign built around Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. It is an Xbox console exclusive that also ships on PC, and it arrives day one on Game Pass Ultimate. Premium Edition pre-orders start early on October 1.

October 15 — Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. Konami, Evil Empire and Motion Twin deliver a 2D action-exploration game set 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, following Rose Belmont through a burning 1499 Paris. Konami confirmed the Nintendo Switch version launches the same day as PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

October 29 — Phantom Blade 0. S-Game’s wuxia action RPG moved from September 9 after a 50-day delay, and stays a PlayStation console exclusive for at least 12 months.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse — Oct 15
Phantom Blade Zero
Phantom Blade 0 — Oct 29
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — Oct 23
Rayman Legends Retold
Rayman Legends Retold — Oct 1
Planet Zoo 2
Planet Zoo 2 — Oct 13
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 — Oct 14

November: GTA 6 Week

DateGamePlatforms
Nov 4CrymelightPC, PS5, Switch 2
Nov 19Grand Theft Auto VIPS5, Xbox Series X|S

Rockstar locked in Thursday, November 19, 2026 for GTA VI, after moving the game out of an earlier window in November 2025. Pre-orders opened June 25, digital pre-load begins November 12, and — unusually for a system-seller — the game ships without a disc: retail copies contain a download code.

Editor’s note: Nothing else has a firm date in the November 19 slot yet. Expect publishers to either dodge that weekend or pile in behind Rockstar’s launch.

Also on the Radar

  • Star Wars: Galactic Racer — October 6, a runs-based racing game from Fuse Games/Secret Mode
  • Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — October 2, Bandai Namco’s return to the skies
  • Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 — October 14, playable as Malum Caedo or Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath
  • Rayman Legends Retold — October 1, a reimagining of the 2013 platformer with four-player couch co-op

How to Plan Your Wallet

With four major launches in October alone, the sensible move is to pick two full-price titles and wishlist the rest. Gears of War: E-Day is effectively free on Game Pass if you are already subscribed, Phantom Blade 0 and Modern Warfare 4 both hold their value longest for core players, and Castlevania is the one most likely to be discounted by Black Friday.

Sources