July’s release schedule includes a remake of a fan favourite Assassin’s Creed, a couple of new Nintendo exclusives, and the debut of Halo on PlayStation 5.
Believe it or not, we’re halfway through 2026 now, although in video game terms that’s not so exciting, because it also means we’re in the middle of the usual summer games drought.
June might have been filled with multiple gaming showcases, and saw the opening of GTA 6 pre-orders, but there weren’t many big name game releases, and it’s not much different in July.
Even so, there are still some intriguing new video games worth saving your money and time for, including two new Nintendo titles, the long awaited remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, and a PlayStation 5 release that would’ve seemed completely impossible a decade or so ago.
Rhythm Paradise Groove
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Nintendo Switch
Not only is Rhythm Paradise Groove the first new entry in the Rhythm Paradise series in over a decade, but it’s also Nintendo’s final first party exclusive for the original Nintendo Switch… at least that we know of, as the company has suggested it still intends to support the console alongside the Switch 2.
Regardless, Rhythm Paradise Groove promises to be the biggest entry in the series so far, after spending much of its life in the shadow of WarioWare. Aside from offering 80 rhythm minigames to master, there’ll be a neat side mode that emulates turn based role-playing games and some very entertaining multiplayer modes.
There’s a free demo that covers five of the single-player minigames and while we don’t expect this to be a heavy hitter come launch, it’s oddball eccentricities might earn it some new fans, especially those who enjoyed the humour of Tomodachi Life.
Release date: July 2
Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
This is only an expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages (and it won’t be the only one, according to Bethesda) but it does promise to be a sizable piece of DLC.
Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations continues the plot of the base game and while we’re not a fan of Doomguy losing his helmet, he does get a fancy new spear weapon for a batch of new levels set in an icy purgatory he must escape from.
While this is paid DLC, a free update to the game’s Ripatorium arena mode will arrive on the same day, that adds further customisation options and, for anyone who clears the Revelations DLC, new maps, weapons, and demon enemies.
Release date: July 7
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Easily one of the worst kept secrets of all time, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has been rumoured for years and is a full remake of the original Black Flag from 2013, which has always been one of the more popular and well-regarded entries in Ubisoft’s flagship series.
Aside from a graphical glow-up, Ubisoft promises new and improved gameplay while remaining faithful to the original, so don’t expect this to be a role-playing game like modern entries such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
The story is unchanged too, but there’ll be additional missions focused on characters like Blackbeard, and it sounds like the modern day subplot will be downplayed this time.
Release date: July 9
Palworld 1.0
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC
Palworld made a huge splash when it launched in early access at the beginning of 2024, thanks to its Pokémon-with-guns premise, which unsurprisingly had some people deeming it a potential Pokémon killer despite being more of a survival game than a role-player.
It is utterly bereft of original ideas – so much so that Nintendo is suing developer Pocketpair over potential patent infringement – but Palworld has chugged along with numerous updates and is now poised to exit early access.
So far, developer Pocketpair has promised new pals to capture, new areas to explore, and a wing pack that allows you to fly through the air as part of the 1.0 update – as well as new story content involving the mysterious World Tree.
In case you’re wondering if Nintendo’s lawsuit threatens to stifle any of Palworld’s plans, it’s been suggested by IP expert Florian Mueller that even if Nintendo wins, all it may get out of it is $30,000 (about £22,700) in ‘chump change.’
Release date: July 10
D-Topia
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Billed as a ‘gentle paced puzzle adventure,’ D-Topia comes from indie game publisher Annapurna Interactive (Mixtape, Wanderstop) and is developed by a small Japanese studio called Marumittu Games.
Set in a world where AI is used to ‘maximise happiness,’ you play as a Facilitator whose job is to ensure the titular D-Topia facility runs as intended and its residents are kept happy by solving a variety of logic puzzles.
It’s unclear whether this will have any biting satire on the current state of AI technology, but the trailers do hint at something sinister brewing beneath the chill vibes and presentation.
There’s a free demo available already, although it’s only on PC, via Steam, despite D-Topia launching for consoles too.
Release date: July 14
Denshattack!
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Wait, didn’t we already include Denshattack! on our most anticipated games of June list? Yes, but just a week after that went live, developer Undercoders announced it was delaying the game until July.
Everything we said before still stands, though. Denshattack!’s unique premise of high-speed train driving while doing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater style flips and tricks is enjoyably over-the-top and it shares similar vibes with Sega’s Jet Set Radio games, thanks to its graphics and art style.
Speaking of Jet Set Radio, Denshattack! has landed one of that game’s composers, Richard Jacques, to work on the soundtrack alongside the likes of Persona series composer Shoji Meguro and Daytona USA’s Takenobu Mitsuyoshi (this guy),
They even snagged Nintendo’s Ryo Nagamastu, whose credits include the soundtracks for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 3. So, if nothing else, Denshattack!’s music promises to be amazing.
Release date: July 15
Moss: The Forgotten Relic
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Moss and its sequel are among the best PlayStation VR games out there, as they’re incredibly charming, full of inventive puzzles, and make fantastic use of the VR technology.
The decline in VR support, though, is what no doubt prompted developer Polyarc to remaster both games and bundle them together in a non-VR package.
Without the barrier of needing an expensive VR headset, Moss: The Forgotten Relic does stand to reach a wider audience (there’s also a free Steam demo) although we worry it will lack a lot of the original games’ charm without the VR elements.
Polyarc’s decision makes sense though, considering the team had to cancel an unspecified ‘major project’ a couple of months ago and, after failing to secure funding, laid off a significant number of staff.
Release date: July 16
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Even if you don’t care for Netflix’s live action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender (season two having recently dropped), fans of the franchise will be eating well for the rest of the year.
A new animated movie (officially) comes out in October but before that, a dedicated fighting game launches in July that brings characters from both The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra to duke it out, while replicating the animation and art style of the cartoons.
Its roster is only 12 characters but it’s pretty affordable at only £24.99 and it already has plans to add a further five fighters as DLC. In fact, anyone who pre-orders the game gets to cast their vote on who one of the DLC characters will be, from a list of fan favourites.
Release date: July 23
Splatoon Raiders
Nintendo Switch 2
Rather than Splatoon 4, Splatoon’s Switch 2 debut is a spin-off that eschews competitive multiplayer entirely and focuses on being more of a single-player experience.
Despite this shift, it seems to retain Splatoon’s excellent core shooting and traversal mechanics, as you explore the Spirhalite Islands in search of treasure, assisted by the idol trio Deep Cut from Splatoon 3.
Multiplayer isn’t completely absent, though, as up to four players will be able to play through the game in co-op. Plus, a new amiibo pack for the three members of Deep Cut in their Splatoon Raiders outfits will launch the exact same day as the game.
Release date: July 23
Halo: Campaign Evolved
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Easily the most important release of the month, Halo: Campaign Evolved isn’t just an attempt to appeal to the nostalgia of Xbox fans but a ploy to introduce Halo to a new audience and help revitalise the franchise.
Halo was once the Xbox’s key exclusive but after losing so much of its lustre over the years, it’s going multiplatform and debuting on PlayStation 5; an act that would have been unthinkable during the franchise’s prime.
Weirdly, this remake is omitting the original game’s multiplayer, despite it being one of the main reasons Halo became so popular in the first place, but it thankfully brings back local co-op and includes a few new story missions.
Presumably, this will lead to future Halo games on PlayStation 5, although Xbox’s weird pivot back to exclusives makes that less certain, especially when Xbox’s own logic for what is and isn’t an exclusive doesn’t make much sense.
Release date: July 28
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo not only announced a new Xenoblade game during its June Direct but also Switch 2 upgrades for all three numbered Xenoblade Chronicles games, which not only bump up the performance but add brand new content to boot.
The upgrade for Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is already out, with Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s upgrade scheduled to arrive right at the end of the month.
Aside from 4K resolution support and an improved frame rate of 60fps, the Switch 2 version adds a new battle mode where you can take direct control of your Blades, a new sidequest, and new costumes for Pyra and Mythra.
In case you’re wondering, the original game’s DLC expansion, Torna – The Golden Country, will benefit from the performance upgrade too and, so long as you already own it on Switch 1, is included with the Switch 2 upgrade pack, which costs £7.99.
Release date: July 30
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