This 2026 RPG Could Be the Spiritual Successor to Dragon Age: Origins Fans Want

For years, RPG fans have been waiting for a game that truly recaptures the tactical, party-driven magic of Dragon Age: Origins, especially as the series departed from what made its beginning so special. The modern industry tends to lean heavily on action-focused combat and flashy set pieces, leaving behind the slower, strategic, real-time-with-pause systems that defined classic Western RPGs. Baldur’s Gate 3 has only proven how strong this switch can be. But one game is aiming to recapture the spirit of Dragon Age: Origins, and it is coming in 2026.

Surprisingly, that successor may not come from BioWare at all. Instead, it may arrive from a studio with a reputation for ambitious ideas, messy charm, and AA-tier passion. GreedFall 2: The Dying World, which will be dropping the 2, has already gathered strong impressions in early access, and the developers are preparing a full launch release date reveal in January. With a major shift in gameplay design, an expanded narrative focus, and the familiar-but-beloved jankiness of AA RPGs, this 2026 release is shaping up to be exactly the kind of RPG that Dragon Age: Origins fans have been waiting for.

Greedfall: The Dying World Shifts Toward Real-Time With Pause Combat

One of the biggest surprises, and the most promising, is the drastic change in how GreedFall: The Dying World plays compared to its predecessor. The first GreedFall leaned heavily toward action-RPG combat: dodge rolls, timed strikes, and quick ability usage. It had its charm, but didn’t quite scratch the tactical itch for players who grew up on RPGs like Dragon Age: Origins, Neverwinter Nights, or Knights of the Old Republic. Not only that, but with such an action-heavy combat, the jank was very noticeable and drove some players away.

The sequel, however, pivots sharply into real-time-with-pause party combat. You can stop the action, plan your team’s next moves, coordinate spells, command companions, and set up tactical combos. It creates that familiar feeling of orchestrating a battlefield rather than simply reacting to it, and longtime BioWare fans are already taking notice. An added benefit of this slower combat is that developer Spiders can fix some of the jank that plagued the first game’s release.

Early access impressions have praised the depth of the combat and how it encourages thoughtful decision-making over button-mashing. If the system continues improving, GreedFall: The Dying World could easily become the closest modern equivalent to Origins’ iconic tactical gameplay, especially as bigger studios continue moving toward action-heavy systems. For players who’ve been waiting more than a decade for this style of RPG to return, this shift alone makes GreedFall 2 one of the most exciting upcoming releases of 2026, especially after the lackluster reception to Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

A Bigger, Deeper, More Character-Driven Narrative

The first GreedFall was celebrated for its worldbuilding and strong sense of political tension. I loved the tonal shift from standard fantasy RPGs, and it made the game stand out all the more for me. GreedFall: The Dying World appears to double down in all the right ways. The developers have emphasized a stronger narrative, richer companion arcs, and a more personal story for the player character. And as it is a prequel, it doesn’t require knowledge of the first game, and may even provide answers to questions left unanswered.

This time, you play as a native of Teer Fradee who has been uprooted and taken to the continent of Gacane: flipping the narrative perspective of the first game. Instead of playing as a colonizer navigating a foreign land, you’re now the displaced outsider struggling to reclaim freedom, identity, and agency in a world where you are seen as lesser. It’s a smart, refreshing approach that allows the player to explore new themes while maintaining the political intrigue that made the first game stand out.

Companions appear to play a far larger role, too. Party characters are more reactive, and personal interactions feel more immersive. Decisions carry weight, reputations evolve, and questlines branch meaningfully. For fans hoping for rich character-driven storytelling, one of Dragon Age: Origins’ defining strengths, this is exactly the direction they wanted to see.

Greedfall: The Dying World Embraces the AA Identity

Spiders has carved out a spot as a reputable AA developer. GreedFall has never been a AAA blockbuster, and Greedfall: The Dying World embraces this. Its smaller budget and smaller team give it bigger ambitions and allow it to take risks, such as completely shifting genres. And yes, that means the games come with quirks. A bit of jank. Some rough animations. Occasional bugs. But for many RPG diehards, that’s part of the charm and doesn’t detract much from the game’s greatest strengths: an engaging narrative, deep characters, and strategic gameplay.

AA RPGs push boundaries in ways bigger studios often can’t. They take risks. They experiment. They focus on systems and storytelling rather than cinematic spectacle, and their imperfections can actually make the experience feel more personal and handcrafted. No example is greater proof of this than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the most awarded game in history. It may be mistaken for an indie game, but it is certainly an AA title.

GreedFall 2 fits neatly into that tradition. The early access build already shows clear improvements in polish, visuals, and combat responsiveness, but it still feels unmistakably like a Spiders game. That’s a good thing, especially in an era where RPGs are increasingly similar. The AA identity gives the game a distinctive flavor that helps it stand out in a crowded market. With 2026 shaping up to be a major year for RPGs, GreedFall: The Dying World doesn’t need to compete with massive AAA titles. Instead, it aims to deliver something that’s been missing: the heart of a classic, tactical, party-based RPG grounded in choice, consequence, and character. Things that make Dragon Age: Origins beloved to this day.

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