The biggest upcoming open-world games

The open-world genre has carried modern gaming for years, and the next wave looks unusually loaded. Several studios with deep open-world pedigrees are working simultaneously on huge, go-anywhere games — and a few of them are among the most anticipated releases of the decade. The catch, as always, is patience: the bigger the world, the longer the build, and the easier it is for a rumored date to drift.

This article is a curated, ranked rundown. We open with the genuine heavyweights — GTA 6, The Witcher 4, Crimson Desert, Fable and The Elder Scrolls VI — and then widen the net to other open and open-ish worlds worth watching. Every release window below is marked expected or rumored, not confirmed. When you see a hard date anywhere online, the rule is simple: trust only what the studio publishes on its own channels.

The five heavyweights

These are the giants — the projects whose announcements move the entire industry. Each comes from a studio with a proven open-world track record, and each is being built to define the genre rather than merely join it.

Grand Theft Auto VI

The most anticipated game on the planet, full stop. Rockstar's return to a modern Vice City promises the studio's signature density — a living city, deep systems and the technical bar that GTA V set a generation ago. Rockstar has pointed to a launch window, but a project of this scale can move, so treat any specific day as expected, not final. Console (PS5, Xbox Series X|S) is the first-named platform, with a PC version typically arriving later.

The Elder Scrolls VI

Bethesda has confirmed it is in development, and that is roughly all anyone should bank on. The follow-up to Skyrim remains early, which means a release is widely expected to be years away rather than imminent. The pull is obvious — few worlds invite aimless wandering like Tamriel — but anyone quoting a firm date is speculating. Expect PC and Xbox at minimum; everything else is unannounced.

The Witcher 4

CD Projekt Red is rebuilding its foundations: codename Polaris opens a new Witcher saga, this time on Unreal Engine 5 rather than the in-house REDengine. The studio behind one of the best open-world RPGs ever made has moved the project into full production, but a launch realistically points to the latter part of the 2020s. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC are the plausible expectation; nothing is officially dated.

Crimson Desert

Pearl Abyss's ambitious action-adventure has grown from its Black Desert roots into a single-player-focused open world with cinematic set pieces and large-scale combat. It is among the more visually striking titles on this list and has been shown extensively, which usually signals it is closer than the others here. Still, treat any window as expected, not locked — multi-platform across PC and current consoles is the anticipation.

Fable

Playground Games — best known for the Forza Horizon open-world racers — is reviving Microsoft's beloved fantasy RPG with a fresh, witty take on Albion. It promises a storybook open world with the studio's polish, but Playground has kept specifics tight, so any release window remains rumored. Expect Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Game Pass a near-certainty given the publisher.

At a glance: expected platforms and windows

Here is the quick-reference table. Every entry in the right-hand column is an expected or rumored window, never a confirmed date — verify each on the relevant official store before you plan around it.

Dates and windows above are not facts — they are the best-available expectations. Studios revise timelines often, so always confirm on the official site or store page before pre-ordering or marking a calendar.

More worlds worth watching

Beyond the five giants, a deeper bench of open and open-structured games is in the pipeline. Some are full open worlds; others are large, semi-open adventures that scratch the same itch. All are hedged — none are dated here as fact.

Fallout 5

Bethesda's other mega-RPG. It exists on the roadmap, but it sits behind The Elder Scrolls VI in the studio's queue, which makes it one of the most distant titles here. Treat anything beyond "it is planned" as speculation. Given the renewed interest in the franchise, anticipation is high — patience required.

Subnautica 2

A different flavour of open world — an open ocean. The sequel to the cult survival hit promises a vast, mysterious underwater map, this time with optional co-op. An early-access period is expected first, as with the original, so the "full release" window is naturally fuzzy. One of the more grounded, achievable titles on this list.

Marvel's Wolverine

Insomniac's follow-up to its acclaimed Spider-Man games. While the exact structure is unconfirmed, the studio's pedigree in dense, traversal-driven open worlds makes this a natural fit for the list. PS5 is the expected home. The window remains rumored — verify on PlayStation's official channels.

Intergalactic: The Heart of Every Star

Naughty Dog's bold new sci-fi IP. Details are deliberately scarce and the structure is unconfirmed, but the studio's storytelling reputation and the scale teased so far earn it a watching brief here. Anything about platforms beyond PS5 or a release date is speculation at this stage.

Perfect Dark

The reboot of Rare's spy series is built as a "secret-agent open world," blending stealth-action with explorable environments. It has had a long, quiet development, so caution on timing is warranted. Expect Xbox and PC with Game Pass; treat the window as unconfirmed.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Not a 3D open world, but an enormous, interconnected map in the metroidvania tradition — and one of the most anticipated indies in years. Included for the open-ended explorers among you. Team Cherry keeps its cards close, so the window stays rumored; multi-platform is expected.

Trailers & video

Trailers and developer footage are the most reliable primary sources for any of these games — far better than second-hand summaries or "leaked" clips. Because each studio releases media on its own schedule, the searches and channels below keep you on genuine, current footage rather than a guessed embed that could break.

We link to a live search and a reputable channel rather than a fixed video — that way nothing breaks if a trailer is updated, and you always land on the most current coverage.

Where to follow these games

Official screenshots, trailers, store pages and confirmed dates live on the platform storefronts and the developers' own sites. We deliberately do not host or embed copyrighted imagery here — the link cards below take you straight to the genuine sources where you can wishlist, pre-order and verify.

How to read a release window without getting burned

Open-world games are notorious for slipping. The reasons are structural: a bigger map means more systems, more art, more testing — and more places for a schedule to wobble. A few habits keep your expectations healthy.

• Distinguish "window" from "date." A studio saying "next year" is not the same as a confirmed day. Treat windows as direction, not destination.
• Ignore leaked dates by default. Most are wrong, and even accurate-looking ones change. Wait for the official announcement.
• Watch the storefront, not the rumor mill. Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo pages carry the confirmed dates and platforms.
• Earlier reveals are usually further out. A game shown years before launch (Elder Scrolls VI, Fallout 5) almost always means a long wait.

Frequently asked questions