What to play in July 2026: PlayStation fans fly to the Ring, pirates board our wallets, and more
Decided to relax this summer? You could have done that in June, when there were few releases - because July won't give you that opportunity. There are many games, and we couldn't fit all the worthy ones into this selection. And what you should definitely pay attention to - you'll find out in our monthly release calendar.
Main Releases of July
DOOM: The Dark Ages — Revelations (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) — July 7
Whatever detractors and critics say, DOOM remains the quintessential classic shooter since the 1990s. And the 2016 reboot only solidified that status. Not all innovations, like those introduced in Eternal, resonated with the audience, and attempts to reassemble mechanics into an "efficient" and "safe" format in The Dark Ages probably did more harm than good (see review run.code). But at its core, it's still an atmospheric, dark, and bloody shooter, just as it was 30 and 10 years ago.
We're used to DOOM being about hellish creatures, and hell being about heat and fire. But the "Revelations" expansion will chill us. The Doom Slayer finds himself in an icy purgatory, and to escape, he must find a mysterious ally, gain new powers, and ultimately defeat a spawn of the gods. In short, if you follow the DOOM story and are immersed in its lore, you'll likely find it interesting.
But, as one of the creators of the original DOOM, John Carmack, said about the story: "It should be there, but it's completely unimportant." This is also part of DOOM's philosophy. The main thing here is demons, shooting, unusual weapons, and thoughtful game design. From the looks of the trailer, all of this is still good. New weapons include a chain spear, capable of quickly transitioning from ranged to melee combat. There has also been a slight rebalancing. In addition, the developers have focused on more complex spatial puzzles in the levels. And they listened to criticism, and the final boss of "Revelations" promises to be one of the best in the series.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) — July 9
Ubisoft describes the upcoming remake as a project faithful to the original. But this only refers to the spirit of the original — everything else has been completely rebuilt from scratch, on the latest version of the Anvil engine, the same one used in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The combat system has been revamped: battles promise to be faster, smoother, and more dynamic, and counterattacks have been transformed. A perfect parry instantly opens an enemy for a kill, followed by a chain of finishers — up to four enemies without interruption.
In addition, new enemies have appeared, stealth has been improved (shadows and low light affect character visibility), and the ability to move stealthily at any time has been added, which will allow some locations to be traversed differently than in the original. Of course, the naval component has not been forgotten — improvements have affected both naval battles and management and exploration. In general, the list is huge. Especially for you, fans of the original, Maxim Dragan has collected everything known about the upcoming remake release: be sure to read it.
Oh, and for those who don't know what Assassin's Creed is in general and Black Flag in particular (editor's note: Do such people exist?!), let's explain: the original Assassin's Creed games are some of the best action-adventure games in the industry. Especially when talking about the early games, and the pirate-themed Black Flag is a black pearl among the early releases of the series.
Haven't played Assassin's Creed? Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced is the perfect way to start.
Palworld (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) — July 10
It's even strange to write about Palworld as a new release. It seems like the project has already made so much noise and impressed everyone with a peak online of 2.1 million players, who were so engrossed in the game that the "early access" tag could simply be removed. However, the young and ambitious development team from Pocketpair (an indie studio that grew from 30-35 people at the start to approximately 110-120 today) did not rest on its laurels but continued to work diligently. All while fending off Nintendo's accusations of copying the Pokémon concept.
And you know what? According to the developers, Palworld 1.0 will be huge. John "Bucky" Buckley, Pocketpair's Director of Communications and Publishing Manager, said that the patch notes with changes and new features span a whopping 27 pages. Among the main innovations are access to the World Tree and new regions, including the Sky Islands, a record number of new Pals in one update, as well as a reworked story and progression system. And believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
To play or not to play? We won't advise here. Our author Maxim Ivanov was not thrilled with the early access game, although it didn't cause him any aversion either. On the other hand, a lot could have changed in two years.
The Alters: Last Variable (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) — July 13
What allows the Last Variable expansion for The Alters to be on the list of major July releases, rather than sinking to the bottom of the page in the DLC section? It's a truly massive expansion, not just a couple of new plot twists.
The events unfold after the end of the original game. The core of The Alters remained the same. You are a human. And you are all you have to explore the mysterious "Oasis" in this case: a fertile, life-filled region on a hostile planet. So you once again start the cycle of producing other versions of yourself to achieve your goal. But unlike the original The Alters, the expansion slightly shifts the focus: instead of pure survival and rushing between versions of yourself, building an underground base, terraforming the planet, and scientific research come to the forefront — the developers build a completely new progression loop around this.
The creators estimate a new playthrough at approximately 20 hours. For comparison: Dmitry Krivov noted in his review that completing The Alters would take at least 20-30 hours, depending on the approach. So, we are essentially looking at a second part, not an expansion. Therefore, we recommend checking out the original and considering the expansion — after all, Dmitry in his review wrote these words: "There are enough complex and layered strategies on the market, but projects that truly captivate are few and far between."
Halo: Campaign Evolved (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) — July 28
Recent versions of Halo are usually criticized. Infinite especially took a hit, although the game had plenty of merits, which, despite the criticism, Maxim Dragan noted in his review and called the project "one of the best games of 2021." But in any case, the Halo series is one of Xbox and Microsoft's showcase series, and Halo: Combat Evolved is the legendary beginning of the franchise.
And although there have already been remasters for this part, including the Anniversary re-release and the Master Chief Collection, Campaign Evolved is a full-fledged remake, rebuilt from scratch on Unreal Engine 5. In addition to rebuilding the original campaign at a new technical level, we are promised three new prequel missions set a year before the events of the original, an expanded arsenal of nine new weapons, reworked cutscenes and sound, and four-player online co-op with cross-play.
In 2020, Maxim Dragan wrote in a review: "Halo: Combat Evolved still plays great 20 years later, both in its original form and in its updated form as part of the Master Chief Collection." We are confident that six years have not spoiled this game at all, and we hope that the new levels will live up to the legendary original.
Oh, and Halo is coming to PlayStation for the first time in the franchise's history! But, judging by the news from the Xbox camp — it will be the last.
Worth Paying Attention To
Moonlight Peaks (PC, Switch, Switch 2) — July 7
Moonlight Peaks is a game about vampires. And, talking about vampires, one wants to use the ancient Slavic name for these creatures — "upyr." But it doesn't fit at all with the cute little vampires in the game. You will have to settle into a gothic mansion-farm, grow mystical flowers, master spells and potion-making. And also make friends and even have romances with werewolves (almost like in "Twilight"), witches, and mermaids. By the way, you don't play as a simple bloodsucker, but as the heir of Dracula himself, who moved to the magical town of Moonlight Peaks.
The game is in the beloved genre of cozy farm adventures for many indie developers, with many mini-games and activities. Slightly gloomy houses, glamorous coffins, and characters in the style of Monster High dolls. In short, scary cuteness. The project is clearly for an amateur, or rather, an amateur female, but it is curious and entertaining. And it has already received the Indigo 2026 award at the Dutch indie game festival and was nominated for the Cozy Game Awards in the "Most Anticipated Game" category.
It's a pity that Russian language was not added to the project. So we can only hope for modders. On the other hand, for young players, for whom the project is obviously intended, English practice would not hurt.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2) — July 23
It always seemed to me that the Avatar series was about uniting people, about world peace, and about agreement and understanding. The whole story is built on the idea of balance between four nations, where the main character doesn't just defeat enemies with force, but learns to understand them, find harmony, and overcome conflicts through wisdom, not through fists. And the fighting game genre, it seems, is somewhat incompatible with these messages. However, if the game brings friends together in one ring, we will consider it a friendly sparring match.
What is captivating about Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is the animation. It's a hand-drawn and animated 2D fighting game, where every frame is created in the style of the original series. The developers are probably fans of the source material and tried to make the characters move exactly as you remember them from the series. As for the modes, everything is serious here: there is a full-fledged story mode, a classic arcade mode, as well as online and local battles, supplemented by a training mode for practicing combos and even an observer mode to simply watch battles.
What is alarming is the annual battle pass — which promises five additional characters during the year: Iroh, Ty Lee, Lin Beifong, Bolin, and one more fighter. Plus exclusive skins for pre-order and the Deluxe edition, which includes that very pass, a digital artbook, and a soundtrack. Yes, the price difference is small, and in general, the cost does not seem very high. But the project is clearly not expensive either. Let's hope that this is not a banal attempt to squeeze a penny out of Avatar fans, but a worthy fighting game that will adequately represent the beloved universe.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S) — July 15
It's the 17th century, you're as naked as a jaybird, you have nothing much to lose, and you're ready to embark from a Spanish galleon into the wild jungles of Latin America to try and snatch your piece of happiness (or any other loot) in the company of other ragamuffins like yourself.
The premise of The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is similar to many cooperative adventure horror games in the vein of the well-known Lethal Company. But unlike Lethal Company and its counterparts, where you are tried to be scared by specific monsters and sudden jump scares, here the emphasis is shifted to psychology. In addition, the surrounding world reacts to all your actions, gradually building up madness. So the mentions of Cthulhu and associations with Lovecraft's works are not accidental. The Chilean studio ACE Team says that they were inspired by Zelia Bishop's novella "The Mound" (written with Lovecraft's participation). This is a dark work about the ancient underground world of K'n-yan, where degenerating creatures dwell and dark gods sleep.
According to players who managed to play The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu at the Steam Next Fest, it turned out bloody, truly frightening, and unusual. But the raw technical implementation sometimes spoiled the impression. Let's hope that the bugs will be at least partially fixed by the release, and The Mound will scare us and our friends properly.
The Mermaid Mask (PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, Switch 2) — July 16
Murder in a locked room is a very popular trope in detective literature. And in The Mermaid Mask, the locked room turns out to be on a submarine. And the murdered person is the mysterious captain of the ship, about whom the strangest, and sometimes terrifying, rumors circulate. Detective Grimoire and his friend Sally, familiar to many from Tangle Tower 2019 and Detective Grimoire 2014, take on the investigation. By the way, both predecessor games received extremely positive reviews on Steam.
The Mermaid Mask is a classic point-and-click adventure, or, in Russian interpretation, a "quest." Moreover, in terms of atmosphere and style, the game resembles popular projects from the heyday of the genre, but it does not copy them. During the investigation, we explore locations, communicate with suspects, solve puzzles, combine found objects, and, I am sure, engage in pixel-hunting. Especially since, according to the developers, "the clues in the game are stylish and detailed three-dimensional objects that can be examined from all sides."
An important feature of the series is non-linear investigation: clues are not arranged in a rigid chain, and the player connects them on a special board, building their own version of what happened. In addition, the developers emphasize that everything is hand-drawn, and the music is performed by a real orchestra.
The Guild: Europa 1410 (PC) — July 16
Now, probably only old-timers will remember the game Europa 1400: The Guild, released in 2002. That game managed to combine what was previously incompatible: an economic simulator and role-playing elements, meaning character leveling and even, to some extent, role-playing. Not like in a classic RPG, but if you called yourself a craftsman, be a craftsman.
Publisher THQ Nordic likes to support teams that revive such niche, but beloved by old players, projects. The Guild: Europa 1410 is not a remake, but essentially a newly created game with the same message, but with deepened mechanics. The developers from the Czech studio Ashborne Games returned the series to the roots of the original, added a full-fledged dynasty system: you can marry, have children, and pass on the business to heirs, depriving negligent offspring of the right to inheritance. Professions are now built into a clear hierarchy — the path begins from the very bottom and leads to the status of an influential magnate. Politics has been added: participation in the city council, adoption of laws, supervision of construction and defense.
So, for those who remember and love the old game, we recommend it. But if you don't remember, and economic strategies with RPG elements and building appeal to you, also take a close look.
Fading Echo (PC) — July 21
Fading Echo is an adventure action game that can be described as "water wears away stone." Why? Because the main character, named Odna, can transform into a living sphere of water and manipulate liquids, directing streams of water, lava, and toxic waste that trigger chain reactions in the environment. We will have to combine the power of the flow with melee attacks to activate elemental combos and stylish crushing blows.
The project's unique feature is that reality in Fading Echo is not static. The developers state: "Different realities - different rules." The world of Corel is split into several alternative versions of the same space, and in each, resources, threats, and combat rules change. The heroine can move between them, bypass obstacles, find hidden paths, and use the environment to her advantage - what worked in one reality may fail in another. And she is also opposed by the Paradox infection, which tears the fabric of reality and devours everything in its path.
The result is a stylish third-person action game with original mechanics of transforming into water and switching realities. The developers from the French studio Emeteria and the project's publishers are not the biggest players in the market, but Fading Echo definitely deserves the attention of fans of dynamic adventures with unusual abilities. The game will be released on consoles later this year.
Tears of Metal (PC, Xbox Series X|S) — July 22
Tears of Metal will take you back to Scotland's bloody past. In this combat roguelike, you will lead a battalion, literally hacking your way through hordes of enemies with cold steel to reclaim your island. But it's not that simple. These hordes appeared after the fall of the Dragonstone — a meteorite. And along with the hordes came mysterious and dangerous powers that you can apply to yourself and your fighters. You hire new soldiers, and between campaigns, you improve their skills to create indispensable companions in upcoming battles.
The developers promise "45 handcrafted levels with endless possibilities for unique scenarios and tasks." However, for roguelikes, endless possibilities and unique scenarios are a common marketing ploy. This does not negate the high replayability of the genre, and we hope that Tears of Metal will be no exception in this regard. Judging by the trailer, you'll have to swing your sword a lot and shed deciliters of human and other blood. If you enjoy such an activity, Tears of Metal is for you.
However, the game is currently in early access. Nevertheless, the developers state: "We believe the game is polished and enjoyable, but we want to add more content and are eager to communicate with the community to make the game better," specifically: "we have content planned for release that will also benefit from player feedback: new heroes, emblems, and amulets." So check out the trailer — if it grabs you, it makes sense to get it now and help the studio refine the project. The game, by the way, will be available on Game Pass.
Splatoon Raiders (Switch 2) — July 23
Splatoon is a painterly Counter-Strike for Nintendo. Incendiary, dynamic, adrenaline-fueled. Only, as is customary in the world of Nintendo, colorful and harmless. The recent Splatoon 3 received a very good audience response. Surprisingly, attempts to replicate this formula in other clone games have not been successful.
But the main series is more focused on multiplayer, while Splatoon Raiders is a single-player game with an emphasis on story. You play as a mechanic who teams up with Deep Cut — a dashing trio of musicians from the main series — and sets off to the mysterious Spiralit Islands to hunt for treasure. Essentially, it's an action-adventure treasure hunt: raids on islands, searching for loot, character customization, and crafting new ink guns between sorties. At the same time, multiplayer hasn't been forgotten either — there's a cooperative mode.
If you are a happy owner of a Switch 2, you should not miss this game. You don't necessarily have to buy it right now, but you should definitely check it out.
Corsair Cove (PC) — July 31
We built cities in the past, present, and future. On Earth and beyond. But building a pirate hideout is fresh. And Corsair Cove is exactly that — a pirate city-building simulator from Limbic Entertainment and publisher Hooded Horse.
We start building with a wrecked ship and a humble hideout, and what it will become is up to you. Will this settlement vanish into oblivion, or will it become a full-fledged naval base for a pirate fleet that will eventually crush the Crown? The main feature is that you can build on any surface: from rare flat land to sheer cliffs. You'll have to erect taverns, piers, cannon factories, and defensive structures, as well as establish a complex system of bridges and ziplines for transporting over 50 types of goods. And also manage a crew, organize naval expeditions, fight enemy ships in turn-based mode, and fend off attacks from the Crown. And yes, there is Russian language.
Overall, the project looks very appealing, and most importantly, atmospheric. The romance of the sea, sheer cliffs, the sound of the surf, the cries of seagulls, and the smell of gunpowder. If you like atmospheric city-builders and pirate aesthetics, Corsair Cove is definitely worth noting.
Delays
Denshattack! (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2) — July 15
Denshattack! was supposed to be released in June — we even managed to write about it in the previous calendar. But Undercoders studio took a month-long break to refine the project and postponed the release to July 15. If you missed the June issue, now is the time to catch up.
Denshattack is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, but instead of a skateboard, it's a whole train, and instead of a skate park, it's Japanese railways. This is the crazy hybrid the developers cooked up, inspired by Japanese electric train culture and old-school skate games. "Densha," by the way, translates from Japanese as "train" — so the name is deceptively simple. According to the plot, we have to smash a criminal megacorporation with our locomotive and reclaim the railways of the Land of the Rising Sun from it.
The gameplay matches the concept: accelerations, jumps from rails, ollies and kickflips with an entire train, style points, and bosses in the form of mech-girl-wizards, walking castles, and mechanical worms. All of this is packaged in a juicy anime style and cel-shading. What's good for such an extravagant project is that it will be available on Game Pass from release, so subscribers can experience the madness for free.
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