Ruin Explorer
Legend
Updated: 16/12/2025
In a different thread I listed all the upcoming AAA/AA CRPGs or story-based RPGs that I was aware of, and thought it might be helpful/interesting to make a thread out of this so we could keep track of their progress and release dates and cancellations and so on. I've expanded the list to include ones coming out next year (which I previously excluded) and updated the list somewhat. I'll put links in where they're available, as well as the dev studio and any basic info we have. EDIT - Will only include JRPGs which are both pretty important and specifically requested - there are simply too many otherwise!
(If there's a way to turn Steam links and similar into affiliate links to benefit ENworld, let me know and I can do that)
Games in development (newest additions first):
Divinity - In production
Larian's latest, after a lot of sodding around and saying they were going to do two smaller games, it seems like they've moved back to one larger one with a Divinity re-boot. The trailer is extremely NSFW, but can be found here. We got it all folks, violence, gore, sex, multiple flavours of body horror, Lovecraftian stuff, pig horror, general grimdarkery cranked up to 11.
Whilst this probably surprises a lot of people, I have to say this is 150% what I predicted if Swen was allowed to indulge his impulses and make the game Swen wants to make, because, to paraphrase Line of Duty, "I'm interested in one thing, and one thing only, and that's making maximally grimdark games!".
Update 16/12/25: Swen confirms it is a turn-based CRPG, which presumably also means party-based and likely area-based rather than open-world.
Will be very interested to see who the lead writers are. If it's the same as BG3, screw it, I'm in. If it's back to the DOS guys, I'll be waiting on reviews.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic - In production, release date "Before 2030"
A) It's an Old Republic game.
B) Casey Hudson lead the work on the first KotOR game and on Mass Effect 1/2/3 so has some good experience here
C) Hudson says they want to release "before 2030"
D) You play "a force user" (notably doesn't use the word Jedi or Sith)
The teaser video is here
Clockwork Revolution - In production, release date supposedly early 2026
First-person steampunk RPG, seemingly time-loop based. with you able to see the impacts of your decisions more directly than other RPGs.
Warhammer 40K: Dark Heresy - In production, Early Access 2026 and possibly also release that year
A party-based CRPG with heavy tactical elements (think old-school Fallout VATS more than Rogue Trader) by Owlcat, who made the very successful Rogue Trader RPG. You play the investigation team of an Imperial inquisitor (presumably Ordo Xenos but we shall see).
Solasta 2 - Early Access was scheduled for 2025, doesn't seem like it's going to make it though. Release date listed as 12 Mar 2026, which I presume is for EA.
Sequel to 5E-based turn-based RPG. Higher production values!
Update: They hired like half the BG3 voice actors which is probably a smart move.
The Witcher 4 - In "full" production as of late 2025
CDPR - Fantasy, continuing in the Witcher universe. Early rumours were wrong, this features a Witcher-fied Ciri, but still looks like she's going to be Lynx school from the medallion. Video was confirmed to be in-engine.
Cyberpunk 2077 2 - In production
CDPR - Sci-fi, continuing in the Cyberpunk 20XX universe. Nothing known except that the people behind Phantom Liberty are leading the CDPR sub-studio making it. Actual title unknown (recently updated from "Project Orion" to "Cyberpunk 2" but it's still a working title).
Mass Effect 5 - In production
BioWare - Sci-fi, continuing in the ME universe. We've had trailers and teasers suggesting this is a post-Destroy-ending take on Mass Effect, and featuring an older Liara, as well as images of fancy Spectre in a long coat (the job/role Shepard had). Still continuing after much of Bioware was let go when DAV underperformed.
N7 2025 update: The ME TV series is confirmed as being set post-ME3, rather surprisingly, and this is confirmed as being set after that (or at the same time as it, it's unclear).
The Elder Scrolls 6 - In production
Bethesda Game Studios - All that is know was a very early teaser some years ago, and that this is now in full production at BGS. The 2018 teaser suggested that, as many people had already guessed, it would be set in Hammerfell and environs.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn - In production
Owlcat - Owlcat's mystery RPG is now revealed, and is a Mass Effect-style shoot and talk-type RPG, seems to be Mass Effect like right down to the camera position, number of PCs in the party, and so on. Fully customizable main character who can be an Earther, Belter or Martian.
Exodus - In production
Archetype Entertainment (WotC) - Sci-fi, an original IP with a no-warp-travel (but not hard SF) setting. It seems like Mass Effect will potentially be a large inspiration in terms of how the game actually plays.
Fable (reboot) - Release date "2025"
Playground Games - Fantasy, reboot of the Fable setting, a light-hearted somewhat fairy-tale-leaning setting with twee British elements.
JRPGs by request
Dragonquest XII
Square Enix - Fantasy, will apparently have a "darker tone" and "more meaningful choices" which "change the fates" of the characters, which is interesting as indicates a sort of "Westernization". Both the original character designer (Akira Toriyama) and the composer (Koichi Sugiyama) are deceased so the look/sound may be pretty different too.
Cancelled games:
Casey Hudson-lead Sci-Fi RPG from Humanoid Origin
This is our first victim - between this thread and the previous one of a week or so ago, this upcoming RPG has been cancelled due to lack of funding. An even further-out Mac Walters-lead Sci-Fi RPG is also "paused", so people mad about Mass Effect 3's ending can dance a little jig if they like!
Speculative but seeming likely
Elden Ring 2 (or equivalent thereof) from FromSoft - probably no announcement until 2026 at the earliest as Nightreign and The Duskbloods, two multiplayer match-based quasi-RPGs from FromSoft are coming out in 2025.
Other CRPG or tactics RPG from Obsidian (possibly Josh Sawyer-made)
If you have updates on these or other upcoming AAA/AA CRPGs or story-based RPGs (action or otherwise), please post 'em, or if you have thoughts or questions about any of them. Can probably also discuss indie stuff but it's harder to keep track of because there's so much of it and it's so prone to going silent for years.
Released games that were on this list:
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Released 21 October 2025 - 62% Metacritic (oof)
The Outer Worlds 2 - Released 29 Oct 2025 - 81% Metacritic
Avowed - Released date 18 Feb 2025
Obsidian - Fantasy, first-person RPG set in Eora, the Pillars of Eternity setting.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Released April 24 2025
Strange French JRPG-ish RPG set in a world being destroyed by a god-like painter.
Reviewed very well - 91/92% Metacritic!
In a different thread I listed all the upcoming AAA/AA CRPGs or story-based RPGs that I was aware of, and thought it might be helpful/interesting to make a thread out of this so we could keep track of their progress and release dates and cancellations and so on. I've expanded the list to include ones coming out next year (which I previously excluded) and updated the list somewhat. I'll put links in where they're available, as well as the dev studio and any basic info we have. EDIT - Will only include JRPGs which are both pretty important and specifically requested - there are simply too many otherwise!
(If there's a way to turn Steam links and similar into affiliate links to benefit ENworld, let me know and I can do that)
Games in development (newest additions first):
Divinity - In production
Larian's latest, after a lot of sodding around and saying they were going to do two smaller games, it seems like they've moved back to one larger one with a Divinity re-boot. The trailer is extremely NSFW, but can be found here. We got it all folks, violence, gore, sex, multiple flavours of body horror, Lovecraftian stuff, pig horror, general grimdarkery cranked up to 11.
Whilst this probably surprises a lot of people, I have to say this is 150% what I predicted if Swen was allowed to indulge his impulses and make the game Swen wants to make, because, to paraphrase Line of Duty, "I'm interested in one thing, and one thing only, and that's making maximally grimdark games!".
Update 16/12/25: Swen confirms it is a turn-based CRPG, which presumably also means party-based and likely area-based rather than open-world.
Will be very interested to see who the lead writers are. If it's the same as BG3, screw it, I'm in. If it's back to the DOS guys, I'll be waiting on reviews.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic - In production, release date "Before 2030"
Casey Hudson strikes back!
After his previous studio was destroyed, Casey Hudson has somehow returned.
Leading a crack force of developers he has plotted in secret to create a game to dominate the hype of the galaxy!
Ok that's enough of that already! The major things we know are:After his previous studio was destroyed, Casey Hudson has somehow returned.
Leading a crack force of developers he has plotted in secret to create a game to dominate the hype of the galaxy!
A) It's an Old Republic game.
B) Casey Hudson lead the work on the first KotOR game and on Mass Effect 1/2/3 so has some good experience here
C) Hudson says they want to release "before 2030"
D) You play "a force user" (notably doesn't use the word Jedi or Sith)
The teaser video is here
Clockwork Revolution - In production, release date supposedly early 2026
First-person steampunk RPG, seemingly time-loop based. with you able to see the impacts of your decisions more directly than other RPGs.
Warhammer 40K: Dark Heresy - In production, Early Access 2026 and possibly also release that year
A party-based CRPG with heavy tactical elements (think old-school Fallout VATS more than Rogue Trader) by Owlcat, who made the very successful Rogue Trader RPG. You play the investigation team of an Imperial inquisitor (presumably Ordo Xenos but we shall see).
Solasta 2 - Early Access was scheduled for 2025, doesn't seem like it's going to make it though. Release date listed as 12 Mar 2026, which I presume is for EA.
Sequel to 5E-based turn-based RPG. Higher production values!
Update: They hired like half the BG3 voice actors which is probably a smart move.
The Witcher 4 - In "full" production as of late 2025
CDPR - Fantasy, continuing in the Witcher universe. Early rumours were wrong, this features a Witcher-fied Ciri, but still looks like she's going to be Lynx school from the medallion. Video was confirmed to be in-engine.
Cyberpunk 2077 2 - In production
CDPR - Sci-fi, continuing in the Cyberpunk 20XX universe. Nothing known except that the people behind Phantom Liberty are leading the CDPR sub-studio making it. Actual title unknown (recently updated from "Project Orion" to "Cyberpunk 2" but it's still a working title).
Mass Effect 5 - In production
BioWare - Sci-fi, continuing in the ME universe. We've had trailers and teasers suggesting this is a post-Destroy-ending take on Mass Effect, and featuring an older Liara, as well as images of fancy Spectre in a long coat (the job/role Shepard had). Still continuing after much of Bioware was let go when DAV underperformed.
N7 2025 update: The ME TV series is confirmed as being set post-ME3, rather surprisingly, and this is confirmed as being set after that (or at the same time as it, it's unclear).
The Elder Scrolls 6 - In production
Bethesda Game Studios - All that is know was a very early teaser some years ago, and that this is now in full production at BGS. The 2018 teaser suggested that, as many people had already guessed, it would be set in Hammerfell and environs.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn - In production
Owlcat - Owlcat's mystery RPG is now revealed, and is a Mass Effect-style shoot and talk-type RPG, seems to be Mass Effect like right down to the camera position, number of PCs in the party, and so on. Fully customizable main character who can be an Earther, Belter or Martian.
Exodus - In production
Archetype Entertainment (WotC) - Sci-fi, an original IP with a no-warp-travel (but not hard SF) setting. It seems like Mass Effect will potentially be a large inspiration in terms of how the game actually plays.
Fable (reboot) - Release date "2025"
Playground Games - Fantasy, reboot of the Fable setting, a light-hearted somewhat fairy-tale-leaning setting with twee British elements.
JRPGs by request
Dragonquest XII
Square Enix - Fantasy, will apparently have a "darker tone" and "more meaningful choices" which "change the fates" of the characters, which is interesting as indicates a sort of "Westernization". Both the original character designer (Akira Toriyama) and the composer (Koichi Sugiyama) are deceased so the look/sound may be pretty different too.
Cancelled games:
Casey Hudson-lead Sci-Fi RPG from Humanoid Origin
This is our first victim - between this thread and the previous one of a week or so ago, this upcoming RPG has been cancelled due to lack of funding. An even further-out Mac Walters-lead Sci-Fi RPG is also "paused", so people mad about Mass Effect 3's ending can dance a little jig if they like!
Speculative but seeming likely
Elden Ring 2 (or equivalent thereof) from FromSoft - probably no announcement until 2026 at the earliest as Nightreign and The Duskbloods, two multiplayer match-based quasi-RPGs from FromSoft are coming out in 2025.
Other CRPG or tactics RPG from Obsidian (possibly Josh Sawyer-made)
If you have updates on these or other upcoming AAA/AA CRPGs or story-based RPGs (action or otherwise), please post 'em, or if you have thoughts or questions about any of them. Can probably also discuss indie stuff but it's harder to keep track of because there's so much of it and it's so prone to going silent for years.
Released games that were on this list:
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Released 21 October 2025 - 62% Metacritic (oof)
The Outer Worlds 2 - Released 29 Oct 2025 - 81% Metacritic
Avowed - Released date 18 Feb 2025
Obsidian - Fantasy, first-person RPG set in Eora, the Pillars of Eternity setting.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Released April 24 2025
Strange French JRPG-ish RPG set in a world being destroyed by a god-like painter.
Reviewed very well - 91/92% Metacritic!
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