GRIND's Recommendations for January 2026
GRIND rises high, like a big (and shiny) magazine, GRIND shines and announces recommendations!
Let's start with the formalities: HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! Congratulations on 2025 and on everything you achieved, whether big or small (that’s what she said…). The year that just ended was, without a doubt, a memorable one for gaming, with incredible releases that surprised us all. Many in the industry called 2025 a transition year, a year we had to “endure”, because the real releases were only coming in 2026. Given the close fight at The Game Awards, I can't say that 2025 was just a filler year, but I also can't deny that the current year is already shaping up to be legendary, with titles like Grand Theft Auto VI (if it doesn't get delayed again), Resident Evil Requiem or Marvel’s Wolverine.
Until those behemoths arrive, however, we have plenty of games to get stuck into, so let's get started with the releases for the next 28 days.
Small disclaimer: delays are common in the gaming industry, so we can't guarantee that all titles on this list will be released in January. There have been enough situations where games have been delayed by a few weeks or even months (as, in fact, happened with GTA VI). Although we sacrificed a few haters in the name of Zamolxis, the god did not open our third eye or our chakras, so the future remains as unpredictable as the roadmap of an early access game.
Pathologic 3
Release date: 9 January 2026
Platforms: PC – Steam
We're starting the year with something utterly depressing in gaming: the continuation of the Pathologic franchise! And when I say "depressing", I'm referring, of course, to the world of this fantastic series. Re-enter the role of Daniil Dankovsky, the renowned doctor, student of thanatology, and, more recently, mayor of a city gripped by a mysterious epidemic. This time, the player's role is much broader: you're not just a doctor, but also the city's leader, forced to make decisions with a direct impact on the characters' lives and the course of the story. Will you manage to find a cure, or will you have to live with the consequences of your own choices?
Or maybe not, because, for the first time in the franchise, Pathologic 3 introduces a revolutionary mechanism that allows time manipulation. Did you realise that a decision made on day five ruined your ending on day twelve? Rewind time and try another approach.
Highguard
Release date: 26 January 2026
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Year after year, much of the editorial team watches The Game Awards for podcast material, articles, and, of course, games to add to their wishlist. Most of the time, the last trailer of the evening is reserved for an ambitious project, meant to leave us speechless and which, as a rule, is still a few good years away from release. In the 2024 edition it was Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and in 2025… Highguard.
Honestly, my first reaction was that we were witnessing another “Do you guys not have phones?” moment from BlizzCon 2018. The project, made by some of the developers of the legendary Titanfall and Apex: Legends, is a hero shooter that tries to stand out with a new element: mounts. In a market oversaturated with games as a service, Wildlight Entertainment seems convinced they've found the winning formula, one that will attract players and tear them away from the clutches of Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals or Valorant. It remains to be seen if they will succeed, but one important thing is worth mentioning: Highguard is completely free, so it can be tried without any financial risk.
Dispatch
Release date: 28 January 2026
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch
The famous game that dominated industry discussions in the latter part of 2025 will finally be released on Nintendo consoles in 2026! If you don't know what it's about, no problem, I'll clear it up for you right away.
Dispatch is the next project from the former Telltale Games team, the developers behind titles like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Tales from the Borderlands, before they formed their own studio. The game tells a completely original story, with no ties to any existing IP, and features a superhero (played by Aaron Paul) forced to take a step back and coordinate, literally and figuratively, a team of former villains who want to become heroes.
I'll be honest with you, Dispatch is more of an interactive series than a game, which is why it strongly reminds me of sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office, or Parks and Recreation. Wacky? Yes. Memorable? Definitely. But, above all, it's extremely entertaining and has every chance of keeping you glued to the screen just like a good show.
I Hate This Place
Release date: 29 January 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
If the name sounds familiar, it's because the game is based on the comic book series of the same title, created by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin. I Hate This Place is an isometric horror with survival elements, where you have to find a missing friend in Rutherford Ranch. But the mission won't be simple, as the area is riddled with cosmic horrors and mystical beings devoid of any logic. The good news? These creatures that defy the laws of physics and nature are vulnerable to bullets, fire, and all the inventive methods humanity has created to mutilate and destroy.
The game features a day/night cycle that adds an extra layer of strategy, similar to that in Dying Light. During the day we will explore the area, search for resources, and craft weapons to help us against the beasts, and at night we will do our best to survive assaults from all directions. Fortunately, we are not forced to confront everything that comes our way, as we also have a stealth system that allows us to avoid unwanted confrontations.
Code Vein II
Release date: 30 January 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
In times long past, when I was a lad and winters were defined by serious snowdrifts, vampires were creatures of the night, with an insatiable thirst for blood. Today, they are either romantic interests in young adult novels, or anime characters fighting for the good of humanity… But let's get back to our own business: Bandai Namco has announced a sequel to their 2018 vampire soulslike, and Code Vein II promises to evolve the established formula. This time, the protagonist will travel through time to prevent an imminent disaster. Many of the present-day vampires have transformed into savage horrors, and the answers to the current situation are hidden in the secrets of the past. The battles are more intense, the world is vaster and requires the use of a motorbike for travel, and the new companions promise to be memorable.
BONUS: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake 
Release date: January 2026
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
We don't have official confirmation yet, but from everything heard in the industry, it's very possible that the legendary remake will be released in the first month of the year. Exactly when? We don't know. But we're not the only ones who've heard these rumours. Because we're big fans of the original game, we've chosen to include this possible release, about which we only know, for now, that it will benefit from modern graphics, a revamped control scheme, and a combat system adapted to current standards.
Folks, these were GRIND's recommendations for January 2026! We know it's a somewhat sparse period for releases, but if nothing on the list above took your fancy, then we recommend you take advantage of the next 28 days to clear some of your backlog. Because from February… all hell breaks loose! 🫣