We’re already halfway through the year, and it’s been a fantastic time for video game fans with tons of great releases. While there have been a few disappointments, it’s not just the usual flood of low-quality games. Surprisingly, some big-name, well-funded games haven’t lived up to the hype and stand out as the worst releases of the year so far.
The games listed below aren’t ranked by number; they’re in alphabetical order. Here’s a look at the worst games released so far in 2026.
6) Code Violet
This PlayStation 5 game aimed to appeal to fans who have been eagerly waiting for another Dino Crisis title – and there are quite a few of them! Sadly, the developers at TeamKill Media didn’t deliver, falling short in almost every area.
While Code Violet has decent graphics and sound, those are its only strengths. The story is confusing and poorly developed, and the characters are generic and uninteresting. Even more problematic, the game is difficult to play. Despite being profitable for TeamKill, most gamers consider it one of the worst releases in recent memory.
5) Highguard
From the moment Highguard was revealed at The Game Awards, it faced an uphill battle. Ending the show with its announcement created enormous hype that the game simply couldn’t deliver on. Highguard is an average PvP game with some interesting concepts, and it might have had a chance to succeed if it had launched with more modest expectations, allowing the developers time to improve it and build a player base gradually.
Players quickly lost interest in Highguard after its initial release. The game’s audience dropped by 90% within a week, making it impossible to maintain. The studio ultimately shut down the game’s servers just over a month later. While the game might have failed eventually anyway, its debut at The Game Awards seemed to accelerate its downfall.
4) Samson
Liquid Swords, the team behind Samson, originally aimed to create a game similar to Grand Theft Auto. But when they ran into financial problems in 2025, they shifted their focus from shooting to hand-to-hand combat. This change actually enhanced the game’s realistic and intense feel – and that atmosphere is truly Samson’s strongest point.
The game unfortunately has a lot of issues. While trying to make fights feel realistic, they sometimes feel clunky and slow down the pace. Plus, Samson had technical problems and the gameplay became repetitive pretty quickly. It had some promising concepts, but they weren’t fully realized.
3) Spellcasters Chronicles
Currently, Spellcasters Chronicles is available as an Early Access game, but don’t expect much more. Despite being in this phase, the developers at Quantic Dream have unfortunately stopped working on the game altogether. They announced in May that they were canceling the full launch, which is unusual and highlights just how troubled the game was.
Quantic Dream, a studio famous for story-driven games, seemed to struggle with its attempt to create a team-based action game. Like another similar title, Highguard, it failed to gain popularity, and Quantic Dream quickly abandoned the project.
2) The 9th Charnel
Horror is a surprisingly good genre for low-budget games to find success. Creating genuinely scary games isn’t simple, but the genre welcomes unique and creative ideas even with limited resources. This trend isn’t new – we see it in horror movies too, where films made with small budgets often become big hits.
Creating a good horror game is challenging, and The 9th Charnel demonstrates just how difficult it can be. The developers aimed for a visually stunning, story-driven experience, but unfortunately, the game didn’t come together well. It fails to create genuine scares and suffers from performance issues on many computers – a critical flaw for any horror title. Even when judging it against other games, The 9th Charnel is noticeably lacking in polish and overall quality.
1) Tokyo Scramble
As I said earlier, fans are really hoping for a new Dino Crisis game. While Tokyo Scramble didn’t copy Dino Crisis as obviously as Code Violet did, it’s clear that dinosaurs are central to the game as the main threat.
The biggest issue with Tokyo Scramble is its frustrating stealth gameplay, which simply doesn’t function well. While the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive has a few interesting concepts that could be improved in a future update or sequel – something many games on this list lack – the initial release is ultimately disappointing and lacks memorable moments. Because of this, it’s unlikely the developers will invest further in expanding the game.
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2026-06-13 21:11