If you’re a fan of first-person shooters and FPS games in general, you’re in for a treat in 2026. From epic multiplayer games to core single-player campaigns, there’s something for everyone.
Some genres and trends have come and gone over the years. First-person shooters will be here until the end of time, thanks to the fine, fun foundations laid down by the likes of Wolfenstein, DOOM, Call of Duty, Duke Nukem, Battlefield, and many other Hall of Fame-worthy franchises.
2026 already looks like a rootin’, tootin’, shootin’ good time.
Biggest First-Person Shooters Launching In 2026
One important thing to note about this list of big-time shooters coming in 2026 is that everything is subject to change. The video game industry can be great at times, but delays and unexpected events can alter plans in a heartbeat. Some games are one GTA 6 delay or date change away from a drastic U-turn. So bear this in mind with the attached release dates.
Highguard
Everyone needs to be on guard for Highguard. It quickly became one of gaming’s biggest enigmas after its The Game Awards 2025 reveal. The game effectively closed the show, and the reception wasn’t good. Official Highguard social media pages also weren’t active in the weeks following. There’s still a feeling that it could do something.
It’s made by former Respawn Entertainment devs, which means it should be as mechanically efficient and effervescent as it can be. Whether the interest in another free-to-play shooter is there remains to be seen, but it might have been written off prematurely.
Release Date: January 26
High On Life 2
It turns out critics weren’t as high on High On Life as Squanch Games may have expected. However, this didn’t stop everyone from gulping down a helping of Fleeb juice, throwing back some Schleems, and seeing what the Rick and Morty-inspired shooter on Xbox Game Pass. The interest was there, and it was enough to push through a sequel. If you enjoyed the first game, High On Life 2 should be worth checking out, and if you decided to give the first game a pass, you should maybe consider shouting “Show me what you got” at the follow-up.
Release Date: February 13
Toxic Commando
Saber Interactive is on a bit of a heater at the moment. Not content with the nightmare-inducing Hellraiser debut or the studio’s brilliant work on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (and the upcoming sequel), the team has concocted Toxic Commando. It can be enjoyed in either single-player or multiplayer, but there’s a real emphasis on fun and freakish terror when played with more people. You need to battle through eight missions of hideous creatures with your backbreaking arsenal of weapons and implements, and it looks like an old-school FPS delight!
Release Date: March 12
Mouse: P.I. For Hire
The Insider Gaming team is very excited about Mouse: P.I. For Hire. The rubberhose animation immediately makes it an endearing and unique-looking game, bringing back fond (and frustrating) memories of StudioMDHR’s Cuphead. Instead of cutesy-looking bosses, Mouse: P.I For Hire is a clever FPS making excellent use of its theme and style. It’s an FPS game at its cartoonish core, but you only have to watch a trailer to realise there’s an unmistakable air of bold brutality about it. Mouse: P.I. For Hire could be one of 2026’s sleeper hits.
Release Date: March 19
Marathon
After months of testing and trying to work out the kinks to ensure Marathon is not DOA on release, like many are already condemning the extraction shooter to, Bungie is gearing up for the game’s March 2026 release. The game has literally been on a marathon in the last 12 months: Plagiarism claims, low internal morale, and the game’s Art Director leaving Bungie prior to the game’s release. The shooter has endured it all, and even now, the game’s future feels like it could go either way. It could still end up as one of 2026’s biggest shooters, and try not to become another Concord.
Release Date: March 2026
Halo: Campaign Evolved
It’s hard to see Halo: Campaign Evolved being anything but a win. There’s a quiet acceptance that its PS5 release signals the end of the console wars and is the beginning of the series’ PlayStation arc. Still, the OG Halo campaign stands head and shoulders above most contemporaries and modern-day shooters that can only offer pale imitations of a legendary story. No multiplayer is a disappointment, but if you want to experience some of the purest and smoothest shooting mechanics in any video game ever, Halo: Campaign Evolved has the goods.
Release Date: 2026
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
The Vietnam conflict is still remembered as one of the most brutal wars, one that lasted for two decades. Hell Let Loose is the pinnacle of realism in military shooters, and the new Vietnam setting is a purist’s paradise for those wanting to indulge in a dark period of human history. Insider Gaming experienced a special hands-on preview at Gamescom, with Tom Henderson saying: “Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is going to be an unforgettable entry into the Hell Let Loose franchise, giving players a fresh and immersive gaming experience that is often overlooked in the first-person shooter scene.”
Release Date: 2026
Call of Duty 2026 (Modern Warfare 4)
Call of Duty will always happen, and whatever does happen with each release, another one will be waiting just around the corner. It’s the best-selling FPS franchise by all metrics (including Guinness World Records), and Black Ops 7 will be consigned to history come the end of 2026. Why? It will be time for Call of Duty 2026—rumored to be Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It’s reportedly set in North & South Korea, and a BIG effort and push will be needed after the coldly-received Black Ops 7. Even if there’s not, everyone will still buy it anyway.
Release Date: Late 2026 (Oct/Nov)
Which shooter have you got your eyes on in 2026? Has this list opened your eyes to any other FPS that has slipped your iron sight? If this is true, or you have your own FPS suggestions, share them via the Insider Gaming Discord Server.
Check out 8 Major Co-Op Games Coming in 2026, the 9 Biggest Nintendo Switch & Switch 2 Games Coming in 2026, and the 8 Biggest Indie Games Coming in 2026 for more lists.
