Science fiction is a stalwart genre when it comes to video games, with some of the biggest gaming franchises out there taking us to strange new worlds… or bringing invading aliens down to our world.
The beauty of sci-fi is that it’s so versatile; we’ve got sci-fi shooters, sci-fi racers, sci-fi strategy, sci-fi horror. Want a narrative-driven Among Us spin-off? It’s there. How about an X-COM-like strategy game set in the Star Wars universe? Got you covered.
Summer Game Fest was last week, and we scoured the show floor to find the most exciting upcoming sci-fi games coming out in 2026 and beyond. There was a great mix of legacy franchises and fresh blood to experience. I didn’t have time to play everything, but these were the seven best sci-fi games I saw at Summer Game Fest 2026.
1. Halo: Campaign Evolved
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Halo: Campaign Evolved is a fully fledged remake of the first Halo game’s campaign. I played a 30-minute demo and part of the mission, The Silent Cartographer. It’s quite literally the same as I remembered on the original Xbox (as well as the Xbox 360 Anniversary Edition remaster), but that’s no bad thing. As soon as I stepped onto those sandy beaches and felt the smooth Warthog driving, the nostalgic memories came flooding back.
The guns feel as snappy as ever, too. The pistol is satisfying to pop headshots with, and of course, I loved getting up and close and personal with the Plasma Pistol to drain enemy shields before finishing them off with a swift melee.
The biggest change is that Master Chief can sprint now — a feature that wasn’t added until 2010’s Halo Reach. It’s a contentious feature among series diehards, but honestly, it feels fine here. From what I played, Halo: Campaign Evolved is still basically the same Halo: Combat Evolved I remember — just much, much prettier.
Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on July 28 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
2. Gears of War E-Day
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The next big entry in Microsoft’s iconic third-person shooter series, Gears of War E-Day, takes us back 14 years before the events of the first game. On planet Sera, alien creatures called the Locust have popped up and wiped out entire cities and slaughtered civilians, leading to what’s now called Emergence Day, Sera’s darkest time in history.
We’ll once again be jumping into the big stompy boots of series protagonist Marcus Fenix, this time experiencing his first encounter with the Locust threat. Marcus will be joined by his best friend Dominic Santiago, as well as two new faces in the form of Lucas Reyes and Mags Carter. There will be returning favorites, including fan-favorite Tai Kalisto from Gears of War 2.
In terms of gameplay, it’s classic Gears action with some cool new iterations. The active reload system — which Gears pioneered — has been upgraded. As ever, you can speed up your reload with a well-timed button press (and slow it down with a mistake), but now some shell-loaded guns, like the iconic Gnasher shotgun, allow you to stop your reload prematurely to get out of a sticky situation. It’s a new twist on gameplay, and we can’t wait to see more of it.
Check out our interview with developer The Coalition, where we talk art direction, series lore, and why the studio chose to do a prequel.
Gears of War E-Day launches on October 6 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
3. Alien: Isolation 2
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The king of sci-fi horror games is back! I played about 45 minutes of Alien: Isolation 2, and it was absolutely terrifying. The demo follows a crew consisting of Blake, Cole, and Otto, who find an abandoned spaceship. Convinced that they could search inside it for salvage, they head inside to turn the power back on. Unfortunately, turning that electricity back on meant waking up the horrifying Xenomorph inside.
During my demo, I was completely defenseless. No flamethrower, no nothing. All I could do was hide under tables and behind electronic consoles, hoping to stay out of the Xenomorph’s sight as I traced my steps back to the ship’s entrance.
Whenever you’re hiding, and it comes close, you can literally see the screen shake and the controller vibrating. Plus, it can even crawl into vents. I learned that the hard way when I was cowering in them, hoping to find an opening to escape, only to realize the Xeno was right behind me, lunging at me and giving me the game over screen.
Alien: Isolation 2 shows some incredible potential, and while there’s no established release window, we’re eagerly awaiting this one.
4. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2
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While Alien: Isolation 2 is for the survival-horror sickos, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is all about the action. You play as a group of Colonial Marines sent to clear LV-558 of a Xenomorph infestation. I spent about one hour playing the demo and had a great time blasting bugs.
This is a multiplayer co-op game, so you’ll be teaming up with three other people to shoot down waves of Xenos. There are six classes to choose from, each with their own special tools, along with new ammo types that let you target certain Xeno’s weaknesses.
Fireteam Elite 2 has some meaningful upgrades too, including a bump from three-player co-op to a full four-team squad. This means you can unleash even more bullet fury onto the Xenos. Its new Specialist class also lets you take abilities from others to create your unique playstyle.
Along with a new campaign and crossplay at launch, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is positioned to be an even bigger hit than its predecessor. Read our interview with Cold Iron Studios to find out more about the new Xenos, expanded sandbox, and all the new tools available for your next bug hunt.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 launches later this year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
5. Gundam Rogue Orbit
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Gundam Rogue Orbit is an action game that takes place in a new Gundam Universe.
Now this is what I’m talking about. Big, stompy robots. Gundam Rogue Orbit is an action game set in a brand-new Gundam Universe. It’s meant to introduce Gundam to a wider audience, so those who are unfamiliar with the IP can still enjoy it.
Rogue Orbit follows a young man named Rex, who journeys alongside a mysterious girl named Sophia and his robot companion, Haro VII. Rex pilots a mobile suit called Gundam Helix, who is called upon to defend humanity against an existential threat. How, you ask? With guns, swords, lasers, jetpacks, and all manner of sci-fi weaponry.
While more details are scarce about the gameplay at the moment, I briefly spoke with main producer Yuya Tomiyama and chief producer Shinya Satake. They aim to make piloting Helix like an extension of the human body, saying, “We wanted to have the player be able to really feel like they’re in control of the mobile suit[…]what they want the Gundam to do is what’s actually happening on screen.”
Gundam Rogue Orbit launches in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
6. Control Resonant
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The latest entry in the Control/Alan Wake shared universe, Control Resonant, is beefing up both the horror and sci-fi elements compared to its 2019 predecessor.
This time, we’re playing as Dylan Faden, the brother of Control protagonist Jesse Faden, and where Jesse fought with her shapeshifting pistol, Dylan is much more of a close combat guy. His melee weapon, the Aberrant, can morph into many deadly forms to suit your needs, and you’ll be making good use of it as you battle the insidious Hiss that have spilled out of the Oldest House and into New York.
This genre shift-up is a huge gamble for developer Remedy, but it looks to be paying off, because in my 45-minute demo, it felt incredible to play. There are plenty of differences beyond the combat, too. While Jesse could float in mid-air, Dylan utilises double-jumps and dashes to get around. This introduces a lot more platforming elements to the game, making great use of New York City’s verticality.
Control Resonant has a seriously trippy aesthetic too, using distillation and other visual effects to make you feel like you’re in a hallucinatory state. The main enemy faction, The Hiss, looks even more grotesque than before, almost otherworldly. We’ve got an interview with developer Remedy Entertainment coming soon, so stick around for that!
Control Resonant launches on September 24 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
7. Star Wars Galactic Racer
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So, I can’t actually say anything about this game quite yet, but I can confirm that I spent an hour playing it. I’m trying to hire a smuggler to get the info out, so check back in later this month to hear my thoughts!
What I can tell you is that Star Wars: Galactic Racer is an arcade racer in the style of the two previous Star Wars podracing games released over 20 years ago — Episode I – Racer (1999) and Racer Revenge (2002) — and that it’s being developed by Fuse Games, a new studio formed from veterans of Criterion Games, the team behind Burnout.
That should be more than enough info to get racing fans excited.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
