Upcoming RPG Open-World Games: 6 to Watch, 2 Just Out

The upcoming RPG open-world games on Steam all chase the same feeling: a map you can wander off in any direction, a character who grows the way you choose, and a world that remembers what you did. If you loved picking your own path and letting the main quest wait while you followed a strange road, these are the releases to keep an eye on, plus two that launched this year and are ready to play now.

What makes a great open-world RPG?

An RPG (role-playing game) is about becoming someone: you build a character, choose skills or gear, and make decisions that change how the story unfolds. An open world removes the corridor. Instead of moving from level to level, you get a large connected space you can explore in roughly any order, with side quests, secrets and danger scattered across it.

Put the two together and you get the genre’s core loop: wander, discover, get stronger, and see the world react. The best upcoming RPG open-world games lean on at least one of these pillars:

• Choice and consequence: decisions that change endings, relationships or how people see you.
• Character building: attributes, skills and equipment that let two players finish the same game in very different ways.
• A world worth exploring: places that reward curiosity with stories, loot or danger rather than empty fields.
• Freedom of approach: fight, sneak, talk or prepare, your call.

A quick vocabulary note before the picks. An action-RPG uses real-time combat where your own timing matters, instead of menus and turns. An MMORPG (massively multiplayer online RPG) puts you in a persistent world shared with many other players. A survival sandbox asks you to gather resources, build and stay alive, with goals you mostly set yourself. All three appear below.

If you would rather play something today, our list of the best open world games on Steam and the round-up of games like Skyrim cover finished games you can start tonight.

Upcoming RPG open-world games with release dates

These three single-player games have a release window on Steam, which makes them the safest upcoming RPG open-world games to plan around. Fable and EXODUS have exact days; Clockwork Revolution only lists a year.

Fable

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Steam lists Fable for Feb 23, 2027 on Windows. Developer Playground Games and publisher Xbox Game Studios describe it as a reboot of the beloved series, and it is the clearest fit for this list: an open-world action-RPG where each choice shapes your journey and reputation is everything.

What you do: you play the first Hero in a generation, customize their appearance and roam a living Albion full of odd characters, dark humour and a lot of chickens. Combat mixes melee, ranged and magic against bandits, beasts and series regulars such as Hobbes, Balverines and Trolls. The twist is that your power grows alongside your reputation, so how Albion sees you is part of how you get stronger.

Who it suits: players who like their fantasy with a wink, who enjoy being judged by the townsfolk for every good deed and petty crime, and who want a world that feels lived in rather than grim. The store promises that fairytale endings are never guaranteed, so expect consequences.

Player modes: single-player, with full controller support; Steam marks it as Gamepad Recommended.

EXODUS

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Steam lists EXODUS for Apr 7, 2027 on Windows. It comes from Archetype Entertainment and is published by Wizards of the Coast. Its store text does not use the words “open world”; it calls the game a cinematic, single-player action RPG in a new far-future sci-fi universe. It earns a spot here because it is about travelling to and exploring whole new worlds, which is the same itch.

What you do: you start as a salvager and rise to become a Traveler, visiting worlds ravaged by the effects of time while searching for the key to humanity’s survival in the most dangerous reaches of space.

Who it suits: anyone who wants a story-led sci-fi RPG rather than another sword-and-sorcery map. If you treat RPGs like a long novel you get to steer, this is the one to wishlist.

Player modes: single-player, with full controller support.

Clockwork Revolution

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Steam lists Clockwork Revolution for 2027, with no exact day yet. It is a first-person steampunk RPG from inXile Entertainment, published by Xbox Game Studios. The store page centres on one city, the metropolis of Avalon, rather than calling it an open world, so think of it as a dense urban RPG where your freedom comes from choices and time travel.

What you do: you are Morgan Vanette, a fully customizable member of the Rotten Row Hooligans, armed with a device that lets you travel back in time. You move between past and present to fight Lady Ironwood, who has been bending time to keep the working class down. The store promises a butterfly effect, with your choices reshaping characters and events. You can build your character through gear, attributes and skills, hack hostile automaton robots, and craft steampunk weapons and gadgets.

Who it suits: fans of first-person RPGs with deep character builds, and anyone who loves the idea of changing history and then walking through the result.

Player modes: single-player.

Open worlds to share: MMO, survival and co-op picks

Not every open-world RPG is a solo story. These three are built around other people, whether that is a crew of friends or a server full of strangers. None of them has a date yet: Steam lists all three as To be announced. For more multiplayer releases, see our list of upcoming co-op games.

Chrono Odyssey

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Chrono Odyssey is an action MMORPG from Chrono Studio, published by Kakao Games, built in Unreal Engine 5. Of the multiplayer games here, it is the one Steam tags as an RPG, and its store page leans hard on a vast, seamless open world with grasslands, snowlands, swamps and more.

What you do: explore without loading screens and fight with action-based combat built around a time-bending artifact called the Chronotector. It can stop time around monsters or rewind your character, and it also lets you explore past versions of the world before major events reshaped the land. The endgame is dungeons and raids, which you can tackle with a party or, if you are strong enough, alone.

Who it suits: players who want an open world that keeps going after the credits, with group content and other people around. If you only play solo stories, start with Fable instead.

Player modes: MMO, multi-player, online co-op and online PvP, with full controller support and Steam Input API support.

Light No Fire

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Light No Fire is from Hello Games, which both develops and publishes it. Steam files it under Action and Adventure rather than RPG, but the studio describes it as bringing the depth of a role-playing game to the freedom of a survival sandbox, and its scale is the headline: a fantasy planet the size of Earth.

What you do: explore a procedural world (one generated by the game’s systems rather than built piece by piece) full of biomes, enemies, oceans and continents, climb any mountain you see, gather resources and survive. You can build persistent structures and communities with players from around the world, or head off alone to discover places for others. The store notes you are not the hero here, which sets it apart from Fable’s chosen-one story.

Who it suits: explorers first, questers second. If the best part of an open world for you is the horizon, this is it.

Player modes: single-player, multi-player and online co-op.

State of Decay 3

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State of Decay 3 comes from Undead Labs and Xbox Game Studios. Steam tags it Action and Adventure, not RPG, but its store text is full of role-playing hooks: recruiting survivors, deciding where to live and what to build, and living with the fallout of tough calls.

What you do: play as a whole community of survivors years after a zombie outbreak, as a new zombie evolution threatens the land. You reclaim territory, scavenge, build and fight, claim multiple settlements to form a network, and recruit other survivor enclaves once you earn their trust. Permadeath is always in play, meaning a character who dies stays dead, so every risky supply run has a real cost.

Who it suits: players who like their RPG choices practical and personal, and anyone who prefers managing a group to playing one fixed hero.

Player modes: single-player, multi-player, online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer, with full controller support.

Just out: open-world RPGs you can play now

Waiting until 2027 is a long time. These two launched this year, so if you came looking for upcoming RPG open-world games and found the dates too far off, start here.

The Blood of Dawnwalker

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The Blood of Dawnwalker launched on Sep 2, 2026. It is developed by Rebel Wolves and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, and it is an open-world dark fantasy action RPG set in 14th-century Europe, as war and the Black Death give vampires the chance to step out of the shadows.

What you do: you play Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker who is human by day and vampire by night. That split gives you two different gameplay loops, each with its own abilities and ways to reach your goals. The story bends around you: save your family or chase revenge on your sire, rush in or prepare, go alone or forge unlikely alliances.

Who it suits: players who want a grim, choice-heavy story and like the idea of planning around day and night.

Player modes: single-player, with full controller support and Steam Input API support; Gamepad Recommended.

Gothic 1 Remake

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Gothic 1 Remake launched on Jun 5, 2026, developed by Alkimia Interactive and published by Alkimia Interactive and THQ Nordic. It is a faithful remake of a classic open-world RPG, built around a hand-crafted world that reacts to your actions.

What you do: you are thrown into the Valley of the Mines, a prison colony sealed off when a magical barrier meant to stop escapes spiralled out of control. The inmates took over, and now rival factions control the valley. You explore without a guiding hand, find your place among those factions and survive a colony that does not care about you.

Who it suits: players who enjoy older-style RPG freedom, where you can walk into danger before you are ready and learn from it. Newcomers and returning fans are both welcome, according to the store.

Player modes: single-player, with full controller support and subtitle options.

Release calendar: what Steam says today

Here is every date as Steam lists it on October 30, 2026. Dates move, so treat anything without an exact day as a hope rather than a promise. Our release dates hub tracks changes for other games too.

A note for console players: this list comes from Steam, which only tells us about the PC versions. If you play on Xbox or Switch, check each publisher’s announcements for other platforms rather than assuming a Steam listing means a console one.

How to choose among upcoming RPG open-world games

Eight games is a lot of wishlist space. A simple way to narrow it down is to start with how you like to play, then pick by setting.

A worked example

Say you love long solo fantasy stories, want something soon, and get bored by survival meters. Cross off Light No Fire, State of Decay 3 and Chrono Odyssey, since all three are built around survival or multiplayer and have no date. That leaves Fable, EXODUS and Clockwork Revolution. You want fantasy, so Fable is the pick to wishlist. While you wait until February, The Blood of Dawnwalker gives you a dark fantasy open world right now.

Flip it around: you play with two friends every weekend. Light No Fire and State of Decay 3 are your watch list, and Chrono Odyssey is there if you want a bigger crowd and raids.

Quick decision guide

• Want a solo fantasy story: Fable, then The Blood of Dawnwalker or Gothic 1 Remake now.
• Want sci-fi or steampunk: EXODUS or Clockwork Revolution.
• Want to explore with friends: Light No Fire.
• Want a group survival story: State of Decay 3.
• Want an MMO with an endgame: Chrono Odyssey.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating “To be announced” as “soon”. Three of these games have no date at all. Wishlist them and get on with your backlog.
• Assuming every tag means the same thing. Light No Fire and State of Decay 3 are not tagged RPG on Steam. If you want a classic quest-driven RPG, read the store description before you get attached.
• Expecting a solo campaign from an MMO. Chrono Odyssey lists multiplayer, MMO and PvP features, not single-player, even if some dungeons can be cleared alone.
• Forgetting the controller note. Fable and The Blood of Dawnwalker are marked Gamepad Recommended on Steam; keep a controller handy if you usually play on keyboard and mouse.
• Not wishlisting. Adding a game to your Steam wishlist is the easiest way to hear when it launches or its date changes.

Where to go next

The upcoming RPG open-world games here cover a wide spread, from Fable’s comic fairy tale to Light No Fire’s planet-sized sandbox. If open worlds are only part of what you are after, our broader list of new and upcoming RPG games includes smaller and more linear releases, and the best RPG games on Steam covers finished games from turn-based to open world. For everything else on the horizon, browse our upcoming games hub, or see co-op games like Skyrim if you want an open world to share tonight.

Each game above has a card with its Steam screenshots, its official trailer and a link to its store page, so you can watch before you wishlist. Keep an eye on this list too: as more upcoming RPG open-world games get dates, the calendar will fill in.

Questions and answers

What is the next big open-world RPG coming to Steam?

Fable is the nearest major release with a firm date. Steam lists Playground Games' reboot for Feb 23, 2027. It is a single-player open-world action-RPG set in Albion, where your reputation shapes how the world treats your Hero. After that, EXODUS is listed for Apr 7, 2027, and Clockwork Revolution for 2027 with no exact day yet.

Are there any upcoming open-world RPGs with co-op?

Yes. Steam lists online co-op for Light No Fire, State of Decay 3 and Chrono Odyssey. Light No Fire is a survival sandbox on an Earth-sized fantasy planet, State of Decay 3 has you building zombie-proof settlements with friends, and Chrono Odyssey is an action MMORPG with dungeons and raids. All three are currently listed as To be announced.

When does Fable come out on PC?

Steam lists Fable's release as Feb 23, 2027, on Windows. It is developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. Steam lists it as single-player with full controller support, and the store marks it as Gamepad Recommended. Dates can change before launch, so check the store page or wishlist the game to get a notification.

Which open-world RPGs came out recently on Steam?

Two recent releases are worth a look. The Blood of Dawnwalker launched on Sep 2, 2026, a dark fantasy action RPG where you play a man who is human by day and a vampire by night. The Gothic 1 Remake launched on Jun 5, 2026, a remake of the classic open-world RPG set in a prison colony sealed by a magical barrier.

Is Light No Fire an RPG?

Steam files Light No Fire under Action and Adventure rather than RPG, but Hello Games describes it as bringing the depth of a role-playing game to the freedom of a survival sandbox. Expect exploring, building and surviving on a procedural fantasy planet the size of Earth, alone or with other players, rather than a scripted hero story.