The video games industry is unpredictable.

If you’d told us this time last year that a previously unknown French studio would claim game of the year, Battlefield 6 would knock Call of Duty off the top of the annual charts and that Saudi Arabia would buy gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) we’d have been… sceptical.

So you’d have to be very sure of yourself – or very foolish – to try and predict what’s going to happen in the year ahead.

Luckily, we’re not in the crystal ball business here at BBC Newsbeat, but there are a few things we can be confident video game fans should keep an eye on in 2026.

Whether it’s big releases, big moves or big issues – here’s a rundown of some of the most important.

“A cultural moment, a day millions of players have been awaiting for a very, very long time.”

Sound familiar? It should. It’s what we wrote about Grand Theft Auto 6 this time last year.

Two delays and one new trailer later, and we’re more or less where we were 12 months ago.

Assuming it comes out, as planned, on 19 November, it will almost certainly break records.

And you can bet other publishers will want to release their own 2026 games as far away from it as possible.

But the big question remains: “Will it get delayed again?”

Publisher Take Two says it’s confident the new date will hold, but it remains to be seen whether developer Rockstar’s recent sacking of 31 staff – which included experienced team members – will affect the game.

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Like this year, when publishers manoeuvered around GTA 6’s original “late 2025” release date, 2026 is front-loaded with significant releases.

Japanese giant Capcom unleashes Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth main entry in its blockbuster horror series, in February, followed by sci-fi action adventure Pragmata in April.

Sony is also planning to drop PlayStation exclusive Saros, a follow-up to 2021’s widely-praised Returnal, in April.

While Wolverine, the next superhero smash from Spider-Man studio Insomniac – another in-house Sony developer – is set to arrive in the autumn.

May will see the arrival of 007 First Light – the celeb-filled James Bond adventure from Hitman developer IO Interactive.

Nintendo will be looking to maintain the momentum of its record-breaking Switch 2 launch this year.

Ones to watch include Pokopia – a cosy take on Pokémon – and online multiplayer The Duskbloods from Elden Ring maker FromSoftware.

Fans have complained about the lack of a brand new Mario or Zelda game and, as things stand, neither has been announced yet. But the company’s got form for announcing big new games mere months before they release.

Microsoft recently teased big reveals for its January 2026 Developer Direct showcase and, unless we’re told otherwise, is due to release Fable – its reboot of the very British fantasy RPG series – and Gears of War: E-Day sometime during the year.

Marking 25 years of its Xbox brand could also give the company a chance to win back fans after backlashes over studio closures, price rises to its Game Pass subscription service and its decision to release flagship series on rival consoles.

And that’s just the major publishers. Expect more indie surprises to take centre stage next year.

Our one-to-watch is Raccoin – a score attack game inspired by arcade coin-pusher machines.

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Random-access memory, or RAM, is a vital component in millions of electronic devices including smartphones, Smart TVs, medical equipment and even cars.

It’s also been getting really, really expensive.

Demand from Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centre projects has been blamed, with some of the world’s biggest RAM manufacturers pivoting towards supplying demand from big tech firms.

Micron, owner of the Crucial brand sold in many online and high street shops, recently announced it was ceasing its consumer business to focus on demand from AI companies.

All of which has created a shortage that, according to some analysts, could eventually push up prices of electronics, with video game consoles high on the list of potential casualties.

Business website Bloomberg reported that production costs for Nintendo’s Switch 2 could rise and there are also concerns that Valve’s upcoming PC-console hybrid Steam Machine could be delayed, or more expensive, as a result of the situation.

So far, no video game companies have commented.

In the games industry, which has faced thousands of layoffs in recent years, discussions about generative AI (GenAI) and its impact on jobs are especially fierce.

Just this month Swen Vincke, the boss of multi-award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3 maker Larian Studios, faced a backlash when he told interviewers the company had explored using GenAI for coming up with ideas and early prototypes.

He said no AI content would appear in its finished games nor replace human workers but, in a follow-up response, said it would be “irresponsible” not to assess new technologies.

Despite early claims that GenAI could allow people to make games more quickly at a fraction of the current costs, it’s unclear how much of an impact it’s actually had.

Developers who’ve spoken to BBC Newsbeat say it’s not widely used in finished products due to a mix of ethical, legal and practical concerns, but plenty of companies have at least tried using it for pre-production work.

Some smaller companies proudly state that they don’t use the tools at any stage of development.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty over the long-term future of GenAI, it remains to be seen how far its use will spread.

But it’s a topic that fosters strong emotions from players and workers within the industry, so expect more controversies as the year ploughs on.

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Electronic Arts (EA), the publisher of Battlefield 6, EA FC and The Sims, is one of the world’s biggest video game companies, responsible for titles that regularly top bestseller charts.

The announcement it had accepted a record-breaking $55bn (£41bn) bid from a Saudi Arabia-led investment group came as a shock.

It’s the country’s latest big move into gaming, which it says is part of wider efforts to make its economy less reliant on oil.

But critics believe it’s a form of “sportswashing” – investing in entertainment in an attempt to soften its international reputation due to its anti-LGBT laws and human rights record.

The country’s conservative cultural values have prompted concerns over the impact the deal could have on certain EA series.

The Sims, which has a big LGBT fanbase, faced a revolt from some of its best-known content creators when some cut official ties in protest against the buyout.

EA replied with a statement saying the game would “always be a space where you can express your authentic self”.

There are also concerns that the deal could result in further lay-offs at EA, which has taken on $20bn of debt to finance the purchase.

If all goes to plan, the deal should be completed by the summer, when there should be more clarity on the future of some of gaming’s most popular series.

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