2025 has been a decent year for sports gaming fans. There was a lot to play this year, and most of it has been great. And, the next year is looking pretty great too.
2026 has a lot in store for sports gaming fans. From your usual annual releases like EA FC to revivals of old games like Screamer, 2026 is packed.
But, among these games, which have the potential to surprise the fans? Games like NBA The Run and Forza Horizon 6 have fans excited already. Let’s go through some games that we think could be a hit next year.
Annual Releases Are Going To Be Hits
Long-running annual franchises are usually guaranteed hits. Games like NBA 2K26, EA FC 26, and EA Madden 26 are going to be successful. These games are packaged again every year with updated rosters and served to the fans. And, because of franchise loyalty and love for the sport, fans usually buy them every year.
Unless they really mess up the game, these games will be guaranteed hits. But there is a lot of room for improvement for these games, and the developers could surprise us.
Games With The Potential To Surprise Fans
There are a lot of new games coming out in 2026, and many of them sound promising. But among these games, have the most potential to hit big in 2026.
Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 has a lot of fans excited already. The developers have been really quiet about the game, and that has created even more suspense in the community.
The Forza Horizon franchise has been waiting for a good game. Things have only gone downhill from Forza Horizon 3. So, the fans are hopeful that Forza Horizon 6 will be the game they have been waiting for.
Plus, the game is set in Japan, which already gets every car enthusiast and racing fan excited. The Horizon series has always been about driving in the city and street racing, and Japan is the best place for that.
If Playground manages to succeed in bringing Forza to Japan, then this will be one of the biggest games in 2026.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Nobody was expecting the Star Wars: Galactic Racer at TGA this year. But the trailer shocked everyone. The visuals looked stunning, and racing in a pod sounds very exciting.
Pod racing isn’t anything new, but it’s the first time it’s getting a game as big as this. The Star Wars universe is perfect for this type of game. The game appears to be fun, cinematic, and action-packed, and is sure to surprise fans.
NBA The Run
NBA The Run is going to be the spiritual successor to NBA Jam and NBA Street with fast-paced arcade-style basketball.
These street-type takes on sports always work. FIFA Street, NBA Street, or even Volta in EA Sports FC 24 are great examples. The fast-paced street style sports are always a hit among fans.
NBA The Run will be just that, a fast-paced arcade take on basketball. It’s going to recreate the experience of playing basketball in your neighbourhood. It has the potential to surprise fans if it nails the streetballing experience.
Screamer
The sim-racing/simcade fever has really hurt the racing franchise. Every game tries to mix realism and arcade racing, but ends up with a bland simcade. This is why all new racing games feel the same. Not to mention, the failure of NFS Heat and NFS Unbound has also hurt the arcade racing genre.
Now, 2026 has a lot of arcade racing games in store for us. But Screamer stands out from the rest. It’s like if you take an anime artstyle and mix it with NFS-like arcade racing, that’s what Screamer looks like.
It could be a spiritual successor to Initial D as well. The game will be story-driven and will focus heavily on street car and racing culture. This game could be the hit the arcade racing franchise needs.
Some Underdogs To Watch Out For
There are also some potential underdogs coming out in 2026. Those are likely not going to be as big as the competition, but have the highest potential to surprise fans.
- IndyCar Racing Game: iRacing’s NASCAR 25 game was well received. And now they are working towards a dedicated IndyCar game. Could be a big hit for motorsport and sim racing fans.
- Tokyo Xtreme Racer: The recent Tokyo Xtreme Racer games have been quite lackluster. Some fans even consider the franchise to be dead. This next game could possibly revive the franchise.
- FiFA Heroes: FIFA Heroes is aiming to be a fast-paced street football game with cartoon-style visuals. The idea and the trailer look quite promising. With FIFA’s official license, this could turn out to be a fun take on football.
- iRacing Arcade: The idea that a company dedicated to building sim racing games is working on an arcade racing game does sound intriguing. With the developers of Circuit Superstars behind it, iRacing Arcade could be a success. It’s more or less going to Circuit Superstars with iRacing’s car and track licenses. Basically, imagine racing with your friends in Spa in an arcade like settings instead of a full-blown sim experience.
There is a lot in store for us, but these games have the most potential to surprise fans. But, you never know, sometimes the games with the most potential end up disappointing the most (I am looking at you, FM26).
