2026 is finally here, and with it comes another predictable slew of sequels that developers can reliably cash in on. Call of Duty and annual sports games are released with minimal change, but they will continue to dominate the market in terms of sales.
Frankly, I am growing tired of the formula. Yes, there are a few standalone games that truly deserve the recognition. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fresh new franchise that won Game of the Year, and I believe this signals a bright future for gaming as a whole.
But what about the other franchises? The franchises that have been locked away, gathering dust for years. In this article, I’m hoping to do a Beetlejuice and mention these franchises enough times until I can bring them back into existence this year.
1. Red Faction
The last time Red Faction made waves in the gaming sphere was in 2011 via Red Faction: Armageddon. Developed by Deep Silver, this franchise puts all the action on planet Mars, pitting you against ancient evil aliens and regular evil human politicians. Its concept is broad enough that the game could go in any direction, and unique enough to have its own niche in the gaming community. With the success Helldivers had, it’s obvious that the community yearns for a chaotic war in space filled with politics and funky aliens to fight. Let’s just hope it channels more Red Faction: Guerilla than Armageddon.
2. Watch Dogs
This franchise is still relatively alive compared to everything else on this list, but I still think it deserves another shot. Ubisoft’s signature undercooked approach has always plagued the series upon release, but that hasn’t stopped fans from asking for more Watch Dogs content. Admittedly, sometimes the world of Watch Dogs feels more like a tech demo for Ubisoft. Introducing a few interesting gameplay mechanics may turn some heads, like the recruitable NPCs in Watch Dogs Legion, but there isn’t much else retaining the fans’ attention.
In a world plagued by AI and the evils of technology, I would love to have Watch Dogs focus on more grounded stories connected to hacking and real-world cyber threats.
3. L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire walked so Hideo Kojima could run, and I’m starving for more content. When this game was released way back in 2011, it instantly made waves because of how technologically advanced the motion capture was. The game was basically a tech demo for the high-fidelity facial capture technology of modern video games, but because of this technological jump, the game’s other fun aspects became an afterthought. I am so frustrated knowing that Rockstar Games has an IP dedicated to police and detective work, but they won’t do anything about it because cowboys and criminals earn them more money. I know Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming out soon, but if L.A. Noire 2 were announced, then I’d forget all about GTA 6 in a heartbeat.
4. Max Payne
Speaking of franchises that Rockstar Games is letting gather dust, we have the Max Payne franchise. The last game, Max Payne 3, was released over a decade ago in 2012, and Rockstar has done nothing with the game since. I believe Max Payne is a compelling video game character because of his flaws, and I’m sure that Rockstar has tons of other stories they could tell about him. With that said, I agree that the gameplay can become somewhat repetitive. It seems like Max Payne 3 really pushed the franchise to the limits of its gameplay loop, but I’m hopeful that Rockstar finds a way to revitalize it.
5. Killzone
Battlefield and Call of Duty have always been the two titans when it comes to first-person shooters, but I think we can all agree that both games are starting to become a little stale. So instead of sticking a giant zombie warzone monster in the campaign like Black Ops 6 did, why not leave it to the actual sci-fi shooters? Killzone pits you against an army of Helghast soldiers in outer space. The game is gritty and grounded enough to evoke a militaristic feel, yet fictional enough that it can walk the line between realism and fantasy.
Then again, Killzone didn’t bring any revolutionary changes to gameplay either. Sometimes, shooting space terrorists is enough to make a game legendary.
These are only 5 of thousands of IPs left to gather dust on some publisher’s shelves, and as much as it breaks my heart, I want to understand why. Games cost a lot of time and resources to make, and skipping over that step is why IPs die in the first place. I don’t want half-baked entries into franchises, I want full-blown revivals. So I’ll keep waiting, be it 2026, 2027, or another decade. I will be ready.
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