Four GTA 6 Rivals That Will Make 2026 a Huge Year, Includes Free RPG

Next year is looking to be a big one for lovers of open-world games, regardless of whether one very specific title actually comes out or not…

Grand Theft Auto VI might genuinely be the most anticipated game of all time, which is probably why Rockstar Games is doing everything in its power to polish the game to the highest standard before its release.

There’s also a pretty solid chance it might be delayed again, even though it just got pushed back to November 16, 2026.

So, if it does, you’re going to need something else to fill your time. Luckily for you, there’s a lot to choose from next year.

First up is Crimson Desert, set to release on March 19, 2026. You may have already heard of developers Pearl Abyss, as they're the studio behind the beautiful free-to-play title Black Desert Online.

However, Crimson Desert isn’t following in its predecessor’s footsteps in that respect, as it’s currently priced at £54.99 on Steam. Given how incredible this one looks, at least from a graphical perspective, I can understand why they’re not giving it away for free.

If you’re after something free-to-play in 2026 though, look no further than NetEase’s “urban open-world RPG” Ananta.

This one will apparently focus on four-player co-op for the majority of its missions, and its gameplay trailer at TGS in 2024 caused a small uproar due to its web-swinging-esque similarities with Marvel’s Spider-Man. No exact release date yet, but the devs have stated that they’re targeting a 2026 release.

Join Us lets you ride a pig into battle, what more could you possibly want?

Join Us, a cult-focused FPS from developer and publisher Wolf Haus Games, immediately caught my eye when its wacky trailer dropped during the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct earlier this year.

It basically looks like Cult of the Lamb mixed with Saints Row 3, which is something I never knew I wanted until I just typed it out. The world needs more weird games, so I’m quietly looking forward to this one when it releases sometime next year.

I’ll be honest with you, Fable doesn’t initially seem like it has many similarities with Grand Theft Auto VI on the surface, but that’s strictly a case of aesthetics.

I mean, you can rob stores, go on murder sprees in a local village, and it does have guns. It’s basically GTA: London, when you think about it. This was recently pushed back to 2026, so hopefully it doesn’t also share a second similarity with GTA VI and get delayed for a second time.

As far as true open-world third-person shooters are concerned, there’s nothing that will truly rival Grand Theft Auto VI next year (or, honestly, any year), and that seems somewhat intentional.

After all, nobody is going to truly compete with it as far as sales numbers are concerned. Plus, the last studio that tried ending up getting absolutely ridiculed for it (looking at you, MindsEye).

I can only hope that we get a new Saints Row game at some point in the future to spice things up a bit, but at least we have that Max Payne remake to look forward to in the meantime.