Most Anticipated Soulslike Games, H2 2026#

Hello everyone, this is Long Zhuiri. The second half of 2026 is a harvest season for soulslike and souls-adjacent games: ambitious works from Chinese studios, new action titles from the Pokémon company and Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja. This page selects the five most noteworthy soulslike/souls-adjacent new releases per official information, with a full preview across release windows, developer backgrounds, and anticipation levels.

Revision note: Entries in the previous version — “Paralyzed Warrior 2,” “Cangtian陨落 (tentative title),” “Khazan Remastered 2.0” — were verified title by title and do not exist or contradict the facts, and have all been deleted; the publisher and platform information for “Beast of Reincarnation” has also been corrected against release facts. This version retains only entries with official sources.

Evaluation Dimensions#

Final anticipation is given on a five-star scale.

Ranking Overview#

Part 1: The Top Pick#

No. 1: Phantom Blade Zero#

Why it tops the list: The game was originally set for September 9, 2026 (announced at TGA in December 2025), before the studio confirmed a 50-day delay to October 29. Sony’s State of Play presentation on August 17, 2026 aired roughly 20 minutes of gameplay; pre-orders opened the same day. Donnie Yen serves as creative consultant and provided motion capture for the character “Moyuan.” The “kungfu-punk” aesthetic fusing ink-wash wuxia with punk machinery, plus UE5’s visual fidelity, makes it the most-watched Chinese action title of H2 2026.

Where to follow: Our State of Play deep dive (Chinese) and livestream breakdown (Chinese) have the most complete intelligence; our Phantom Blade Zero preview (Chinese) aggregates all base information.

No. 2: Wuchang 2 (Untitled)#

Why it ranks: On July 29, 2026, 505 Games and parent Digital Bros announced Wuchang 2’s greenlight, with first-phase investment of €21.5 million (~RMB 166 million). The predecessor, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, released in July 2025, reaching 5 million players worldwide with over €30 million in revenue in its first eight months; original developer Leenzee has dissolved, and the IP was acquired by Digital Bros. The sequel is being developed by the predecessor’s creative director’s new studio — the developer’s project control is this entry’s core point of interest.

Where to follow: No official release window has been announced, and this page does not speculate on timing; our Wuchang 2 special topic (Chinese) tracks official announcements, and the full guide for the predecessor is at Wuchang: Fallen Feathers guide (Chinese).

Part 2: Strong Challengers#

No. 3: Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember#

Why it ranks: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty opened the “soulslike + action” fusion route in 2023 with its Three Kingdoms setting and deflection system. The sequel, titled Wings of Ember and expected in early 2027, is the most certain entry on hardcore action players’ cross-year lists. The predecessor’s Switch 2 Complete Edition released September 3, 2026, so the entry barrier is low.

Where to follow: The full guide for the predecessor is at Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty guide (Chinese).

No. 4: Beast of Reincarnation — Released#

Why it ranks: Game Freak — the principal developer of the Pokémon series — delivers this “one girl, one dog” action RPG: protagonist Emma and her loyal dog Koo fight side by side in a post-apocalyptic Japan (often translated “Rebirth Beast” in simplified-Chinese communities). As a veteran studio’s “outside the comfort zone” work, its significance to the souls-adjacent genre rivals the work itself. OpenCritic media average: 72.

Note: This title released in early August; it is included so readers can look back on its launch performance and subsequent content updates in the “H2” context. Launch review figures follow OpenCritic’s aggregated media average of 72.

No. 5: Nioh 3 — On Sale Now#

Why it ranks: Koei Tecmo’s official site lists Nioh 3 as on sale (PC/PS5). The Nioh series’ three-stance and gear-loot systems represent one pole of system depth in souls-adjacent action; the new title’s arrival adds certainty to the hardcore action lineup from H2 into 2027.

Part 3: Follow-Up on Released Titles#

Part 4: Observations on Soulslike Trends#

4.1 From “Suffering” to “Satisfaction”#

H2 2026 soulslike releases broadly amplify action expression: flashier combos, more satisfying executions, stronger player characters. Phantom Blade Zero’s gameplay demos and Wuchang 2’s greenlight investment scale both reflect the genre’s center of gravity shifting from “punishment” to “expression.”

4.2 Chinese Developers’ Collective Entry#

The most distinctive trend of 2026 is Chinese studios doubling down on the action track: Phantom Blade Zero (releasing October 29) and Wuchang 2 (a sequel greenlit with €21.5 million in first-phase investment) are the two most substantial names. Chinese studios’ investment in action expressiveness means Chinese soulslike games are no longer “imitating overseas” — they are beginning to export their own aesthetics.

4.3 The Generalization of the Soulslike Genre#

The boundary of “souls-adjacent” is visibly broadening: major-studio crossover works like Beast of Reincarnation and action-centric ARPGs are all absorbing soulslike elements. The soulslike has grown from a niche track into the mainstream grammar of action games.

4.4 Veteran Studios’ New Action Cycle#

Veteran action studios struck in concentrated fashion in 2026, and this time all with official sources: Team Ninja simultaneously released Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s Switch 2 Complete Edition (September 3, 2026) and announced Wo Long 2 (early 2027); Game Freak completed its crossover debut with Beast of Reincarnation; and Koei Tecmo’s Nioh 3 is already on sale. Verifiable announcements speak louder about the genre’s prosperity than rumors.

Part 5: Purchase Recommendations#

Part 6: Closing Thoughts#

In H2 2026, the soulslike genre enters its most prosperous window in years: Chinese studios (Phantom Blade Zero, Wuchang 2) occupy the top of the anticipation charts, Team Ninja runs two lines at once, and Game Freak lands its crossover. Whether you’re a veteran souls player or a newcomer, this H2 has your moment of “suffering (or satisfaction).”

Bookmark our Soulslike Ranking and Most Anticipated Games of 2026 for continuously updated complete lists.

— Long Zhuiri, NTGame Editor-in-Chief

Part 7: Update Log#