9 Upcoming PC RPGs Like Gothic & Risen You Can’t Miss (2026)

by Fernando Diaz / Articles, Lists, Upcoming Games / 20 Oct 2025

There is a type of RPG that is a homecoming for the PC player… It has nothing to do with spit-shine gloss or a billion-dollar marketing campaign; it has everything to do with a feeling. It’s the grimy, hopeful, slightly rickety, and extremely fulfilling feeling that drops you in the middle of a harsh world and trusts you to figure it out. Recall the grimy prison colony of Gothic or the devastated coastlines of Risen. This is the “Eurojank” attitude, and for many years, it seemed like a lost art!! But the tide is turning. A tidal wave of developers, inspired by the classics, are building worlds that prioritize player freedom, gritty combat, and real exploration over glowing map pins. 2026 is shaping up to be a banner year for this stunning RPG renaissance. Below are nine upcoming third-person action RPGs that are firmly on our radar.

Of Ash and Steel

What is it? An old-fashioned -> no-holding-your-hand open-world RPG set on a decaying island kingdom…

Why we’re excited: This one’s got all the right pieces… the devs are making it explicitly clear they’re catering to fans of old school RPGs by promising not to patronize you… Biggest hook?? An all-out lack of guided quests and map markers. Of Ash and Steel expects you to learn its unforgiving world by listening to NPCs, reading diaries, and employing your own damn eyes. With lengthy, stance-based combat and the power to build your character from a quick rapier expert to a walking tank, this is the pure, uncut RPG we’ve been craving.

Empire Patron

What is it? A whole-hog, crazy-pants dark fantasy RPG with an interstellar backstory and reincarnation system.

Why we’re psyched: Let’s get this out of the way: this sounds entirely bonkers and we are totally here for it!! The concept starts with an interstellar crash and only gets weirder. The “cycles of multiple lives” mechanic, where you die as a human and are reincarnated as a monster or even a demon; is the kind of unbridled ambition that defines the genre!! It’s a complex tale of evolution, undead armies, & cosmic power struggles. Will it hold together?? Who’s to say. But the raw audacity of Empire Patron makes it one of the most intriguing prospects of 2026.

Asterfel

What is it? A shipwreck RPG with an early 2000s feel, complete with a cursed island and an awakened ancient god.

Why we’re excited: You’re shipwrecked on an island, there’s a curse, an ancient god is awakened, and there are three warring factions trying to claim it. If that doesn’t give you all warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia : you probably aren’t where you’re meant to be. Asterfel is steeped in that dingy, low-fantasy feel that made a certain kind of game so beloved. It’s promising a rich, explorable world in which your choices in the fight for power between factions will have an actual effect on the island’s future. It’s not necessarily innovative, but it looks like high-quality RPG comfort food.

Hermit

What is it? A single-dev, hardcore survival RPG in which your best friend is your donkey.

Why we’re excited: We love an ambitious passion project, and Hermit has all the makings of one. It’s not an RPG per se… it’s a deep simulation set in a huge medieval world!! It’s all about player freedom, with deep crafting, alchemy & tactical combat focused on targeting specific body parts for effects like bleeding and breaking bones. And then there’s your donkey : an important beast for carting loot & surviving the wilderness. It’s a slow-burn, deeply immersive game that promises a living, breathing world.

Tales of Anturia: Farathan

What is it? A politics-focused RPG about an amnesiac prince trying to take back his throne.

Why we’re looking forward to it: While the amnesiac protagonist is an overused trope, Farathan uses it as a springboard for a story of political machinations and self-discovery. Like the others at the top of this list, it doesn’t hand-hold ; you have to delve into its world and characters in order to piece together your history and navigate a brewing civil war. It’s a story-driven experience where observation and conversation are just as useful as your blade mastery. If a story of betrayal and redemption sounds up your alley, this one’s worth watching.

Stormrite

What is it? A dark fantasy adventure with a rich, runic magic system and deep build-crafting.

Why we’re hyped: This one’s for the theory-crafters and build-smiths. Stormrite is putting its magic system front and center, with ancient runes and Focus Crystals allowing deep customization of your abilities. Combine that with branching skill trees for five melee combat forms, ranged combat, and magic, and it’s a tinkerer’s paradise. The promise of an epic quest to save the world from destruction is just the dark fantasy icing on top of a systems-heavy sundae.

Gothic 1 Remake

What it is: A ground-up remake of the original, genre-defining, glorious German jank RPG.

Why we’re hyped: This is it. The king returns. The classic Gothic is sacred ground among PC RPG fans—a masterpiece of world-building and atmosphere that’s only marred by its atrociously clunky combat. The remake’s effort to address that, simplifying the gameplay for contemporary gamers while promising a faithful reproduction of the Valley of Mines and its living, breathing society, has everyone waiting with bated breath. If they can stick the landing and stay true to the essence of the original -> this won’t just be a good game; it’ll be an integral part of PC gaming history reimagined.

Forsaken Realms: Vahrin’s Call

What is it?? The promising start of a new, handcrafted action-RPG franchise.

Why we’re excited about it: In an industry full of sequels and well-known IP, an entirely new, handcrafted fantasy world is always a welcome sight. Vahrin’s Call puts you in the boots of a mercenary in a war-torn city crawling with monsters. The developers promise a continent-sized, well-designed world with a deep and dynamic story. Tough combat & diverse character builds are promised, potentially marking the start of an epic RPG saga…

World of Magic: Rise of Magic

What is it? An ambitious open-world RPG with a focus on a combinable magic system and reactive AI.

Why we’re hyped: World of Magic’s boasts are huge, and that’s why we care. It features a “revolutionary” magic system and, more intriguingly, sophisticated AI where foes adapt to how you fight and major NPCs can be permanently killed, cutting off questlines and relationships forever. We’ve heard this kind of hype before, but if the devs are able to realize even a fraction of this vision of a truly reactive world, it could be a game-changer… it’s worth watching with a healthy dose of skeptical hope.

Best RPGs Like Might and Magic 2026 | Party & Open-World

Fernando Diaz

Fernando is doing what he always did, sharing his honest opinions about games whenever he can. The difference is now he is writing and not talking about it.

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