October 2026 Gaming Lineup: Everything You Can Play This Month

Is your backlog ready for October 2026? Because this month is absolutely stacked with new games, major updates, and gaming events. We've only got three months left in the year, but the October lineup alone could keep you busy until next October.

Let's talk highlights. On October 6, Star Wars: Galactic Racer hits Steam, and if you grew up on Star Wars: Episode I Racer or F-Zero, this one's for you. The run-based structure has us curious, and honestly, half the fun of sci-fi racers is exploding spectacularly. Then on October 9, Car Park Capital turns city-building on its head—you'll use car-positive propaganda to bulldoze homes for towering parking garages. It's a satirical take on American car culture that's both hilarious and a little too real.

If you're into Soulslikes, October 13 brings Valor Mortis, a first-person take set in the Napoleonic wars (with a supernatural twist). From the creators of Ghostrunner, it's a new lane for them, and we're hoping it's not too punishing. Meanwhile, big updates are landing too: Deadlock's City Never Sleeps update drops October 2 with new characters, Arc Raiders gets the icy Frozen Trail on October 8, and Dragon's Dogma 2 adds the Dark Arisen expansion on October 9 with more character options and a new storyline in the Snowy North.

Mark your calendar for October 15, because Enshrouded's 1.0 update finally arrives with a major combat overhaul, optimization fixes, and quality-of-life changes. If you've been waiting to dive in, this is the moment. Later in the month, Once Human becomes seaworthy with the Isles of Abyss expansion on October 21, adding ocean regions and floating bases. Age of Empires 4: Raiders of the North hits October 29, bringing Vikings and Scots into Crucible Mode, and Cairn's On the Trail: Deep Water update sends Aava and Marco to three new locations. Crimson Desert also gets an ocean-themed update, Charting the Unknown, on October 29, with new ships and sunken treasures.

But wait, there's more. The October calendar is jam-packed with releases like Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, and End of Abyss on October 1; Aion 2 on October 5; Gears of War: E-Day on October 6; and Hunt: Showdown 1896 - Bound by Blood on October 7. October 8 alone brings Neon Abyss 2 (1.0), Hellraiser: Revival, Invokyr, Forever Ago, Order of the Sinking Star, and Silver Pines. Then October 9 adds Lost & Found, Permafrost (early access), Paperhead, and Truckful. And that's just the first half of the month.

Events and sales are also on the docket. LudoNarraCon begins October 8, Brasil Game Show and PAX Australia both start October 9, League of Legends Worlds quarterfinals and semifinals kick off October 15, Paris Games Week starts October 22, Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show returns October 29, and Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest makes its final stop in Japan on October 31. Plus, Epic Store free games every Thursday and Steam sales: Autumn Sale (Oct 1–8), Cooking Fest (Oct 12–19), Next Fest (Oct 19–26), and Steam Scream 5 Fest (Oct 26–Nov 2).

So, what are you prioritizing this October? Will you be diving into Enshrouded's 1.0, racing in Star Wars: Galactic Racer, or catching a gaming event? Let us know in the comments!