The Biggest Game Releases of October 2026: Gears, Call of Duty, Castlevania and More
This is one of the busiest months of the year — and it's only the warm-up for GTA 6 in November. Here are the biggest October releases, with dates checked against official sources where available.
October 2026 calendar
- October 1 — Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
- PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- October 6 — Gears of War: E-Day
- Xbox Series X|S, PC; Game Pass
- October 8 — Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival
- Consoles and PC
- October 15 — Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
- PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Switch date later)
- October 16 — Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4
- Nintendo Switch 2 (digital)
- October 22 — Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
- Nintendo Switch 2
- October 23 — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch 2
- October 29 — Phantom Blade Zero
- PS5, PC
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — October 1
Bandai Namco's flight-combat sequel opened the month, with Deluxe Edition owners getting in from September 28. Early reviews put it among the year's best-reviewed games, with critics praising its aerial combat, presentation, music and radio-chatter-driven story, and a few noting pacing issues.
Gears of War: E-Day — October 6
The Coalition's prequel about the first day of the Locust invasion launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one, after early access began October 1. Reviews are strongly positive about the combat, with some criticism of the campaign's length. Full details are in our launch story.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse — October 15
Konami's new 2D Castlevania, developed by Evil Empire, stars Rose Belmont in Paris in 1499 and is built as an exploration-heavy action game across a castle and the surrounding city. Konami lists PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Xbox and Steam for October 15, with a Nintendo Switch date to be announced. Some retail calendars list October 16 depending on region and time zone.
Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 on Switch 2 — October 16
Capcom's three remakes arrive digitally on Switch 2, with physical editions on January 29, 2027. Resident Evil 4 is the Gold Edition with Separate Ways included.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — October 23
Infinity Ward's new Modern Warfare launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and — for the first time in years — a Nintendo platform, Switch 2. It is also the first Call of Duty not included in Game Pass at launch under Microsoft's April changes.
Phantom Blade Zero — October 29
S-Game's wuxia action game, delayed from September 9, launches October 29 on PS5 and PC. Steam shows October 28 because of how PC unlock times fall across time zones.
Also this month
- Nintendo Switch Sports Resort lands on Switch 2 on October 22
- A Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 console launches October 29, ahead of Ocarina of Time on November 5
- Hunter's Moon, a first-person folk-horror game shown at a State of Play, is reported for late October on PS5
- PlayStation Plus Monthly Games arrive October 6
Why it matters
Publishers have spent the year arranging their calendars around GTA VI's November 19 launch, and October is where many of them landed — close enough to the holidays to sell, far enough from Rockstar's release not to compete with it directly.
Source context
Dates marked confirmed come from publishers' or platform holders' own announcements. Dates labeled reported (Ace Combat 8, Hellraiser: Revival, Switch Sports Resort) are from established press coverage that ZOQSY could not match to a primary publisher page during research. Release dates can shift; check the publisher's site before you plan around a date.
FAQ
What games come out in October 2026?
Highlights include Ace Combat 8 (Oct 1), Gears of War: E-Day (Oct 6), Castlevania: Belmont's Curse (Oct 15), Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 on Switch 2 (Oct 16), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (Oct 23) and Phantom Blade Zero (Oct 29).
Is GTA 6 coming out in October?
No. GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026.
When does Phantom Blade Zero come out?
October 29, 2026 on PS5 and PC. Steam lists October 28 because of PC unlock timing.
Sources
- OfficialKonami — Castlevania: Belmont's Curse release announcement
- OfficialCapcom Investor Relations — Switch 2 release announcement
- OfficialNintendo — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 coming to Nintendo Switch 2
- ReportingScreen Rant — October 2026 video game releases
- ReportingShacknews — Phantom Blade Zero gets October release date
- ReportingPure Xbox — Ace Combat 8's first reviews
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