The Next Wave of PC Games Everyone Is Watching
Steam wishlists are a great way to see what the PC community is excited about long before launch day. Over the next couple of years there is a huge range of titles on the horizon, from brutal horror shooters to cozy life sims and over the top strategy games. Whether you are into survival, competitive PvP or chilled out co op, there is probably something here that will end up on your own wishlist.
This overview breaks down the most wishlisted upcoming games on Steam right now, focusing on what kind of experience they offer and why PC players are keeping such a close eye on them.
New Takes on Familiar Worlds and Genres
Several of the most anticipated games are either sequels or reimaginings of beloved series. For long time PC players this is where most of the nostalgia factor kicks in.
Gothic 1 Remake aims to bring back one of the cult classic RPGs from over twenty years ago. Instead of smoothing everything out for mass appeal, the remake leans into what made the original stand out. The developers are promising a complex life simulation system, where NPCs and the world behave in more detailed and reactive ways than usual. A demo is already on Steam, but the full release is planned for early 2026, so expect plenty of time for feedback and tuning.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is designed as a fresh start for the iconic strategy RPG series. It tries to go back to the core ideas that made the 90s entries so beloved, while using modern tech to handle big tactical battles and deep campaign systems. There is a playable demo on Steam and a full release is targeted for 2026. Fans of old school turn based tactics will want to watch this one closely.
Resident Evil Requiem continues Capcom’s run of polished survival horror. Rather than ripping up the formula, it builds on what worked so well in recent entries. Expect a tight mystery, intense combat and plenty of creepy exploration. It is scheduled for February 27, 2026, which gives horror fans a clear date to look forward to.
Slay the Spire 2 is the follow up to one of the most influential deckbuilding roguelikes on PC. The sequel exists partly because the developers literally flipped a coin to decide their next project, but the end result is exactly what card game fans wanted: more creative builds, more enemies and more ways to break the game in satisfying fashion. It is planned for March 2026.
Subnautica 2 returns to the terrifying beauty of alien oceans. The first two games earned a reputation as some of the best survival experiences on PC, thanks to their mix of exploration, crafting and underwater horror. Subnautica 2 is heading into early access on Steam in 2026, giving the devs time to iterate with community feedback again, even as legal drama around the studio plays out in the background.
Fresh Concepts, Big Worlds and Co op Chaos
Not everything on the list is a sequel. Many games are brand new ideas that try to mash genres together or push scale and immersion in different directions.
Vindictus: Defying Fate reimagines the combat driven MMO as a more focused action RPG in a post Elden Ring world. Expect dodges, counters and boss grinding rather than a giant open world. It targets players who enjoy tight, repeatable fights and do not mind the grind, but it does not yet have a firm release date.
Reanimal is a co op horror adventure where a brother and sister fight through hellish scenarios to rescue their missing friends. With the rise of co op story games, it leans into the idea that screaming in voice chat is more fun with a friend. It is planned for February 2026, which gives plenty of time for the developers to polish the scares and puzzles.
Mouse: P I for Hire is instantly eye catching. It combines boomer shooter style gunplay with rubber hose animation reminiscent of early black and white cartoons. Think classic Doom action but with cartoon mice, oversized revolvers, cheese based gadgets and slapstick weapons like chainsaws and TNT. It is due March 19, 2026 and could become a favorite for players who love strong visual identity.
ILL is a grisly horror shooter that pushes body horror and dismemberment to uncomfortable levels. The focus is on tactical firefights and deeply unsettling monsters, from crawling severed fingers to mutated babies. There is no release date yet and no demo, so this one is more of a long term curiosity for horror fans.
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check takes the zombie apocalypse and turns it into a tense base management sim. You are responsible for running a fragile camp where a single unreported bite could doom the entire operation. It leans into ethical gray areas and difficult decisions, with a demo already live on Steam. The full release is nominally set for 2025, but delays would not be surprising.
Witchbrook aims squarely at the cozy gaming crowd. It is a co op life sim set in a seaside town filled with witches, magical school vibes and gorgeous pixel art. You and your friends can attend classes, fly on brooms and build your lives together. It is expected sometime in 2026 and could help fill the gap while fans wait on other big life sims.
Half Sword focuses on realistic, physics driven medieval combat that feels equal parts hilarious and brutal. It already drew a lot of attention with an early tech demo that became one of the most played during a recent Steam event. The game heads into early access in the first quarter of 2026 and should appeal to fans of Chivalry and Mordhau.
Unrecord has generated buzz thanks to its hyper realistic body camera perspective and a promise of intense moral choices. It positions itself as a narrative driven FPS where dialog decisions can shift how gunfights play out. With no release window and this being the studio’s first game, it will likely be a slow burn project to follow.
Ark 2 continues the dinosaur survival crafting saga, complete with an animated show tie in and Vin Diesel riding a dinosaur. After multiple missed release windows, it no longer has a solid date. However, the original Ark community remains large and engaged, so expectations are high for bigger and better systems if the game finally lands.
Blight: Survival mixes co op survival horror with a roguelite extraction loop. You and up to three friends enter a plague ridden medieval landscape full of monsters, fight through Soulslike melee encounters and then decide whether to cash out your loot or push deeper and risk it all. There is no release window yet, so it is one to watch for future tests and demos.
Kingmakers might have the wildest premise on the list. You travel back to medieval England with modern weapons, vehicles and even air support, then help local factions fight massive battles with thousands of units. Pickup trucks slam through knights, tanks shell castles and machine guns shred cavalry lines. The game supports co op and was delayed from an earlier target, so it may be some time before the final version arrives.
Light No Fire is the next big swing from the creators of No Man’s Sky. Instead of a universe of planets, it focuses on one fantasy world that is the size of Earth itself, filled with survival mechanics, exploration and emergent adventures. The game has been in development for around seven years, but there is still no release date, so expect a lot of iteration before it reaches players.
Deadlock stands out because it is already playable for some users in an invite only test. This is Valve’s next big competitive project, a blend of a hero shooter and a MOBA with fast movement, slide jumping and vertical maps stacked with lanes and objectives. While the art and UI are still being refined, early impressions suggest it could become a major fixture in the competitive PC scene when it finally opens up to the public.
Hardware, Ecosystem and The Future of PC Gaming
Alongside all these games sits the Steam Machine, Valve’s upcoming Linux based mini PC for the living room. While it is not a game itself, it has earned a spot on many wishlists because it promises a more seamless way to enjoy PC gaming on a television without hauling a desktop around. The success of the Steam Deck showed how hungry players are for flexible PC hardware. The new Steam Machine is planned for early 2026 and will likely be compared closely to DIY small form factor builds on price and performance.
Looking across the whole list, the big takeaway is that PC gaming is pushing in every direction at once. There are massive survival sandboxes, experimental horror shooters, deep strategy titles and chilled out social sims. Many of these games will spend time in early access, giving players a direct role in shaping balance and features. For PC gamers this is a great time to upgrade your wishlist, keep an eye on demos and betas and maybe think about whether your current rig will be ready for what is coming in 2025 and 2026.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/here-are-the-top-20-most-wishlisted-games-on-steam-as-we-charge-headfirst-into-2026/
