It's almost July, which means we're heading into the second half of the year. The first half featured a lot of really good games, and that trend will continue in the second half, starting with a couple of July releases.
Several major franchises are releasing remakes throughout the month, plus there are several new installments from other established franchises. Of course, the gaming world cannot live only on sequels, spin-offs and remakes, so fortunately, interesting original games will also be released in July. Here are the top titles to watch out for.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag re-synced
Black Flag is widely regarded as one of the best Assassin's Creed games ever. So, naturally, there's a lot of excitement about Resynced, the remake of the 2013 game that's due out on July 9th. For those who haven't played the original, it's an open-world action-adventure title set in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. You play as a pirate, Edward Kenway, who attempts to acquire a great fortune, but gets entangled in much more.
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Resynched promises significant visual improvements and some gameplay changes. These changes are a bit of a concern, and fans of the original hope they don't break something that didn't need to be fixed in the first place. However, there is still hope that this game will live up to the original.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game
There are only a few big fighting games coming out in 2026 and Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is one of them. As the name suggests, this game is based on Avatar: The Last Airbender, which means you play as characters from this popular anime. And the pre-release footage shows them looking just like the show. It helps that both the game and the anime are in 2D.
Also, just like the show, the fights are very fast paced and use a lot of special abilities. It all looks very smooth too, so the game shows a lot of promise. Releases July 23rd.
Splatoon Raiders
The Splatoon series typically focuses on multiplayer, especially PvP. However, Splatoon Raiders is a bit different as it focuses more on single-player gameplay – but there is also a co-op mode. In the single player part of the game, you travel around different islands and get treasures.
Along the way you fight various creatures with your weapon, allies and some gadgets. It's still a third-person shooter, and you still use ink to hurt your opponents. So it's not a complete departure from other games. We will find out on July 23 if it lives up to its predecessors.
A fading echo
Fading Echo is an action adventure game where water is your greatest tool. This is because the character you control can instantly turn into water. As a liquid, you can get through small holes, across bodies of water, and mix with other elements.
Blending in with the elements can help with either combat or crawling, depending on the situation. These combinations are a key part of the adventure. There are also different realities to visit and interesting places to browse. The whole game feels like a unique experience, which is scheduled for release on July 21st.
Echoes Of Aincrad
Sword Art Online is a new series that has spawned several video game adaptations. The latest of these is Echoes of Aincrad, which is an RPG set in a dangerous realm called Aincrad. You control a customizable hero who teams up with some AI partners to complete quests and explore a large world.
Combat seems to be a big part of the game as you fight a lot of different monsters in third person shootouts. You are armed with a sword and also have special abilities. It looks like a fun action RPG and we'll definitely find out when it comes out on July 9th.
Denshattack!
Originally Denshattack! it was supposed to come out in june but was delayed. Its launch is now scheduled for July 15. The game takes place in the near future in Japan. The country has abandoned the railroads, so local gangs have taken them over and now use them to compete against each other in races.
You will also compete in railroad races and events as you control a train throughout the game and race along the tracks at high speed. Naturally, these aren't just normally designed tracks like you'd see in real life. They are the wild and wonderful ones that make you go in all sorts of directions. It feels like you are riding a roller coaster that has many obstacles. It definitely looks like a unique game.
Moonlight Peaks
Moonlight Peaks is a life and farming simulator set in a magical city. Because it is a magical place, it is full of werewolves, witches and other supernatural creatures. You are actually playing as a vampire. You move to a location to take over your family's homestead and try to build it. Along the way, you can talk to other townspeople and form bonds with them.
So this game has a similar feel to Stardew Valley. However, there is a more gothic aesthetic than you usually see in other life and farming sims. However, it still seems to offer plenty of coziness. This unique take on the genre is out on July 7th.
Mistfall Hunter
Mistfall Hunter is a dark fantasy extraction RPG. It takes place in a world that has been taken over by a force known as the Gyldenmist. Since this is an extraction RPG, you have to go in, kill enemies, get loot, and make it out alive.
This is easier said than done because not only do you have to face monsters, but there is also a PvP element so you also have to avoid getting killed by other players. The game doesn't launch until July 30th, but from what we've seen so far, the combat looks enjoyable and the world looks interesting.
Rhythm Heaven Groove
The Rhythm Heaven series has been around for a while now and on July 2nd there will be a new entry called Rhythm Heaven Groove. Even if you haven't played the others, you can probably guess that it's a rhythm game because it has the word “rhythm” in the title.
Technically, though, it's a collection of rhythm games, as you play different mini-games one after the other and complete them by clicking buttons in time with the music. You can play solo or with friends. If it's the latter, you can play competitively or cooperatively. From what's been shown so far, a lot of the minigames look well designed and fun.
Fogpiercer
Fogpiercer looks to be a unique roguelike and deck-building game that releases on July 17th. In the game, you guide a train through a rough fog that also contains even rougher bandits. As you go along the track, you are ambushed by these villains and you have to use different cards to fend them off.
The trains and wagons you have show what cards you have available. So there seems to be a lot of strategy involved. Overall, it's a very different take on the roguelike genre.
