While 2025 was perhaps the best year for RPGs in quite some time, 2026 already seems set to be an amazing year for its not-so-distant cousin, the humble JRPG. While the genre has been flourishing over the past few years, its place in the mainstream is becoming ever-more prominent, with the likes of Persona 5, Xenoblade Chronicles, Fire Emblem, and, naturally, Final Fantasy, propelling it to new heights. Even the efforts of the beloved yet occasionally (within JRPG circles) divisive Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have done a phenomenal job of getting the genre to such a great place.
Fortunately, if you’ve already made your way through 2025’s pretty spectacular offerings and all the classic JRPGs you absolutely must play, then there are a plethora of amazing-looking games on the horizon. These upcoming JRPGs range from indies to AAA giants and all promise to deliver the high-octane action, huge world-ending stakes, and emotional narrative beats that the genre is so well-known for. So, JRPG fans, strap in, as you’re in for an indulgent year of games that could end up becoming true classics of the genre.
5. Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok (July 2026)
Image Courtesy of Cygames
So, technically, Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok is not a full-blown new JRPG. Yes, I’m cheating a little here, but the sheer amount of new content it is adding to the game, in addition to the fact that I’m convinced not nearly enough people played this criminally underrated game in the first place, absolutely warrants it a place on this list. The huge update (which is launching on July 9, 2026, alongside the Switch 2 port) is adding new characters, quests, a brand-new endgame mode, and so much more.
I really think that Granblue Fantasy: Relink was slept on when it released all the way back in 2024, largely because it came out around the same time as Persona 3’s highly-anticipated remake and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. It did not stand a chance against those behemoths, despite the fact that it features a 20+ character roster, all of whom feel and play completely differently to one another, alongside incredibly satisfying and flashy combat, a great story, and a legendarily epic soundtrack. If you missed this the first time around, then July will be the best time to play Granblue Fantasy: Relink, both because of the Endless Ragnarok update and thanks to the many other updates it has received throughout the years.
4. Echoes Of Aincrad (July 2026)
Image Courtesy of Bandai Namco
You wouldn’t know that Echoes of Aincrad is a Sword Art Online game, as Bandai Namco has done a pretty good job of scrubbing the anime’s name from any of the promotional material, despite it clearly being set during the series’ early arc. If you have no idea what Sword Art Online is, or have never engaged with it, don’t worry: this is the game for you. Echoes of Aincrad is set around the start of the show and features an entirely new cast of characters as well as your own custom protagonist.
You won’t be playing as the series’ main character, Kirito, much to the joy of even long-term fans, although he is sure to make an appearance. This looks to be the most visually impressive game in the series, and while I certainly have problems with Echoes of Aincrad, I cannot deny that this could easily be one of the best JRPGs of the year. It’s incredible combat, a fresh new story, gorgeous visuals, and a deluge of content are setting it up to be an enjoyable experience at the very least. Everyone from SAO enthusiasts to JRPG lovers should absolutely keep their eyes on this one.
3. Beast Of Reincarnation (August 2026)
Image courtesy of Game Freak and Fictions
Game Freak has once again been given the day off making Pokémon to go and create its passion project, and this time it is the legitimately great-looking Beast of Reincarnation. Okay, so this is technically more of an action RPG, but it is coming from one of the most prominent JRPG perveyors, and its combat utilizes turn-based mechanics, so I reckon it counts. Regardless, Beast of Reincarnation looks as if it could very well be Game Freak’s magnum opus.
If you’re a fan of films like Princess Mononoke, or just like the idea of travelling across a post-apocalyptic world with your adorable dog companion while fighting giant bosses in flashy combat, then Beast of Reincarnation is absolutely for you. I haven’t been so impressed by an announcement trailer in quite some time, not simply because it looks leagues better than what Game Freak has been able to deliver with its Pokémon games, but because of the obvious passion poured into every facet of it. I’m in love with its themes of impermanence, loneliness, and the beauty of companionship, so I will absolutely be there on day one, and I hope you’ll join me.
2. Edge Of Memories (2026)
Image Courtesy of Midgar Studio
Edge of Memories is the follow-up game from developer Midgar Studio, the same folks who made the criminally underrated JRPG, Edge of Eternity. Much like its previous game, Midgar has lofty ambitions for Edge of Memories. It features gorgeous sprawling environments that change as the narrative progresses, flashy real-time combat, an epic narrative that promises absolutely no filler, and a soundtrack by the legendary Cédric Menendez featuring vocals from NieR: Automata’s own Emi Evans, and a final theme from the endlessly talented Xenoblade Chronicles collaborator, Yasunori Mitsuda (who also did music for Edge of Eternity that may be some of his best work).
Edge of Memories may be my personal most-anticipated JRPG of the year, if only because of how ambitious Midgar is as a studio. It always punches above its weight, and Edge of Eternity proved to be a masterfully crafted experience as a result. Memories seems to be the culmination of everything the studio learned while developing Eternity, and that has me extremely excited. If you haven’t played Edge of Eternity, I strongly suggest you do as you await the release of its spiritual successor.
1. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Image Courtesy of Nintendo
Of course, one of the Nintendo Switch 2’s few actually announced exclusives for 2026, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, had to be on this list. Technically serving as a sequel to one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fortune’s Weave looks set to be a pretty great extension of all the mechanics we’ve come to know and love. While I’m still unsure about its overly clean aesthetic, I am very eager to see how its narrative plays out and see the numerous new characters it is introducing. I also can’t help but get excited to indulge in more of Fire Emblem’s best-in-class turn-based tactics gameplay.
Sure, Fire Emblem: Engage was a little disappointing narratively, but its combat was perhaps the best in the series, and that gives me a lot of hope that Fortune’s Weave will be just as good mechanically. If it can combine the best elements of Three Houses and Engage, then it may just end up being the greatest game in the series, and that would be a huge win for fans like myself. Of course, it all remains to be seen, but I strongly suggest looking out for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave when it launches later this year.
Which 2026 JRPGs are you looking forward to? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
