The video game release schedule for August 2026 is spectacularly busy. The crowded nature seemingly stems from publisher fleeing September, a month that is itself a refuge for games that are also trying to get away from Grand Theft Auto 6’s November release date. Rockstar Games’ epic open-world game has had massive rippling effects.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Regardless of the reasons, the August 2026 slate of games is stacked, and there’s plenty to look forward to for players of all sorts. Here are some of the biggest games of the month and a brief explainer on each.
7) Beast of Reincarnation
Release Date: August 4th
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (launching on Game Pass)
Beast of Reincarnation is one of developer Game Freak’s rare detours from its lucrative Pokemon games. This action RPG takes place 2,000 years into the future in the ruins of humanity and stars Emma, a mysterious woman who can take down plant-based enemies called Nushi. It is more of a Soulslite, drawing inspiration from games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice without some of the more hardcore elements that define the subgenre like corpse runs and unforgiving checkpoints.
Combat is reliant on parries and the various attacks of Koo, the player’s giant dog companion. He can attack freely and even whip stunned enemies in the air for aerial combos, but most of his utility comes from his special abilities. Players can pause time and unleash his flashier attacks that can have various effects on the battlefield and enemies. His meter is also dictated by successful parries, which encourages players to thoroughly use both systems. It appears to be a bold step, but Game Freak hasn’t seen much success outside of the monster-collecting RPG series it develops for Nintendo, so it might be better to exercise a little caution with this one.
6) Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls
Release Date: August 6th
Platforms: PS5 and PC
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls seems to be somewhat picking up the baton from Marvel vs. Capcom, which has been missing in action since Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite dropped the ball in 2017. Tokon is a four-on-four tag game, which is quite a step up from other tag games that usually have only two to three fighters per team, and will launch with 20 characters. Tokon is also being developed by Arc System Works, a renowned studio in the fighting game genre due to its acclaimed titles like Dragon Ball FighterZ and franchises like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue.
Tokon pulls from the studio’s Japanese origins and therefore has much more anime-inspired aesthetics for its characters. Given this distinct, highly saturated comic book art direction and the rock music from its recently revealed intro cinematic, it’s rather clear how Arc System Works is injecting its own style into the game. Said game has evolved over the course of its betas and looks to be a rather chaotic fighting game with plenty of skill expression. It has auto combos for newer players, too, but its ability to balance between depth and accessibility will probably take at least to weeks to suss out. There is a story mode for the aforementioned casuals, but it is mostly presented with comic book panels and voiceovers instead of something in the Mortal Kombat tradition of expensive, high-budget cutscenes.
5) Mortal Shell 2
Release Date: August 20th
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
Mortal Shell 2 is the sequel to the 2020 cult hit Soulslike from new developer Cold Symmetry. This first game was more of a polished first draft with a smaller scale than what is typically seen in the genre; it was around a dozen hours as opposed to 30. Mortal Shell 2 looks to be a big improvement, with its more detailed environments, overhauled combat systems, and better presentation.
This is all even rather clear from the recent beta when just that slice of the game seemed to be a noticeable upgrade in many areas over the original. Movement and combat are more fluid now and aren’t bound by a stamina system. Classes have been expanded, and there are eight this time around. Cold Symmetry said the sequel “significantly expands on the original game with an emphasis on free exploration” and will be an “expansive yet deliberately compact” open world that respects the player’s time. With a more intimate knowledge of the genre, experience making the first game, and the edict to not succumb to bloat, Mortal Shell 2 is shaping up rather well and might be an unexpected cult hit in the busy latter half of 2026.
4) Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2
Release Date: August 25th
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
Aliens: Fireteam Elite was a relatively well-received cooperative shooter based in the Aliens franchise. While it wasn’t the most innovative game, it was still an acceptable shooter developer Cold Iron Studios supported for years after launch with free and paid drops. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 looks to be an upgraded version of that first game with its suite of features that build on said original’s foundation.
For example, Fireteam Elite 2 now supports four-player co-op — up from three — with a variety of new classes to tinker with. Weapon and class customization has even been expanded, leading to more possibilities. The team also claimed enemy AI has been enhanced and the horde mode will be deeper, both of which seem geared to make the experience more replayable. It might end up being a simple co-op shooter at the end of the day, but there’s almost always room for a well-polished one set in the Aliens franchise.
3) Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2
Release Date: August 27th
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 brought forth versions of the original trilogy (and some of its retro forebears) in one package that eventually grew into something greater, thanks to Konami’s handful of handy post-launch updates. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 has fewer games and it remains to be seen what state it will launch in — especially on the original Switch — but it has one key selling point: the inclusion of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This important entry in the franchise has been trapped on the PS3 since its 2008 launch, and making it more widely available gives this collection some added value.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the cooperative-focused stealth game that first hit PSP in 2010, is also included here. However, it, while a solid addition, has been in other collections. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel is the final game in the package and is the oft-forgotten and noncanonical Game Boy Color game from 2000. Extras include the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database that acts as an encyclopedia on all things Metal Gear (which was originally on PS3), a digital version of the soundtrack, and screenplays and master books for the two main games. Players can expect better resolutions, frame rates, and custom controls for Metal Gear Solid 4, but its multiplayer mode won’t be included. Peace Walker will have multiplayer, but it is unclear if those aforementioned improvements will apply to Peace Walker or Ghost Babel. Ghost Babel will, at least, have screen filters, custom controls, and a rewind feature.
2) Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Release Date: August 27th
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (launching on Game Pass)
The first Plague Tale game was almost purely a stealth-based affair. Its sequel turned up the action just a little, while still staying somewhat true to those sneakier roots. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, however, looks to completely flip the franchise on its head by going full into action game territory. This prequel stars Sophia, one of the side characters from A Plague Tale: Requiem, who can parry blows and pull off various acrobatic finishers. Developer Asobo Studio cited Ghost of Tsushima, Sekiro, and Sifu as inspirations for this radical departure from the prior two games.
Resonance also takes place in Crete, making for yet another difference when compared to its two predecessors, but centers around Sophia’s history with the deadly Prima Macula. Swapping out stealth for action, taking place before Amicia and Hugo de Rune entered the picture, and going to another part of the world all make Resonance quite a bold swing, even if some of that boldness veers back into more predictable action game territory. However, there still aren’t many mid-sized action adventure games in this vein, so perhaps this shift will make for an acceptable change in pace.
1) Star Wars Zero Company
Release Date: August 27th
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
Star Wars Zero Company is a tactical strategy game in the vein of XCOM but, obviously, set in the Star Wars universe (and during the Clone Wars era, specifically). Players direct a squad through a series of turns, all of whom have various abilities and only so many actions per turn. Moment-to-moment gameplay has players choosing how to tackle each scenario with the limited tools they have, while the broader meta game is about players earning and spending skill points, managing relationships between squadmates for added effectiveness, and, if permadeath is turned on, managing deaths and injuries after battle. Various narrative choices can also make the story twist and turn, so no two runs will be similar (enemy placements are also procedurally generated).
The XCOM inspirations are clear — studio Bit Reactor is also made up of some ex-Firaxis Games staffers — but Zero Company goes above those comparisons with its bulked-up presentation. It’s a story-focused game with plenty of cinematic cutscenes and an array of characters with personalities, all with a level of detail not typically seen in the genre. While it remains to be seen if the gameplay can match its spiritual predecessors, it seems as though the bits around the edges regarding its story may be what gives this game an extra edge.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
More Gaming
-
Courtesy of Scopely Explore -
Image Courtesy of Fictions -
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
