2026 is shaping up to be a huge year for gaming anniversaries! We’ll be celebrating 30 years of both Pokémon and Persona, but those aren’t the only major franchises hitting big milestones. This means fans can likely look forward to a really exciting year of releases and celebrations.
It’s common for popular game series to release special content – like updated versions of old games, merchandise, or entirely new titles – when they reach significant anniversaries. 2026 promises to be a big year for gaming celebrations, with potential new releases and goodies from franchises like Animal Crossing and Sonic the Hedgehog, among others. Let’s take a look at some of the major gaming anniversaries happening in 2026 and what fans might be able to expect.
Big Games Celebrating Major Anniversaries in 2026
2026 is shaping up to be a huge year for video game anniversaries! Nintendo is celebrating the 30th birthday of the Nintendo 64, and several other popular Nintendo franchises are also reaching significant milestones. But the celebration doesn’t stop there – many other beloved game series are hitting big anniversaries as well. Here’s a look at some of the major games that will be celebrating in 2026:
- Animal Crossing – 25 Years on April 14th
- Castlevania – 40 Years on September 26th
- Dragon Quest – 40 Years on May 27th
- Halo – 25 Years on November 15th
- Luigi’s Mansion – 25 Years on September 14th
- Metroid – 40 Years on August 6th
- Persona – 30 Years on September 20th
- Pikmin – 25 Years on October 26th
- Pokemon – 30 Years on February 27th
- Resident Evil – 30 Years on March 22nd
- Rune Factory – 20 Years on August 24th
- Sonic the Hedgehog – 35 Years on June 23rd
- Story of Seasons – 30 Years on August 9th
- The Legend of Zelda – 40 Years on February 21st
- Tomb Raider – 30 Years on October 25th
2026 is shaping up to be a huge year for gaming anniversaries, and this is just a glimpse of what’s coming. It’s clear we’ll be celebrating many gaming milestones, and hopefully, fans will see some kind of event for their favorite ongoing franchises. We’re already hearing about celebrations, and it’s only been a few days into the year!
What Fans Can Expect from Game Anniversary Celebrations This Year
Video games are constantly aging, but companies usually only celebrate big anniversaries. This year, many popular game franchises are hitting the 25, 30, and even 40-year mark, giving fans plenty to celebrate. It’s always fun to remember how long we’ve enjoyed our favorite games! And it looks like 2026 will bring new installments or updated versions of many of these classics – some are already officially announced. Here’s a look at what’s coming soon for some major game franchises.
Animal Crossing – New Horizons 3.0 and Switch 2 Edition
Okay, so it might be a coincidence, but as a huge Animal Crossing fan, I’m super excited! They’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series, and it looks like we’re getting the 3.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons – and maybe even a Switch 2 version – on January 15th. It’s going to be awesome!
Many fans are eager to hear about a new Animal Crossing game. While the recent update to New Horizons makes a full release in 2026 seem improbable, we might see a teaser trailer announcing the next installment to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary.
Dragon Quest
The latest installment in the series, Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined, will be released on February 5th. Square Enix has hinted at future projects, though they haven’t revealed any specifics. Fans are eager for more remakes to be announced, but nothing is official at this time.
Halo
The classic game Halo: Combat Evolved is being completely rebuilt. This new version, called Halo: Campaign Evolved, will launch in 2026, coinciding with the series’ 25th anniversary. Excitingly, it’s also planned for the PlayStation 5, marking the first time a Halo game will be available on PlayStation.
Halo fans celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary can find free items in Halo Infinite. We can expect more celebratory content throughout the year, and this is a great way to kick things off!
Persona
Atlus hasn’t made an official announcement yet, but they’ve launched a new website celebrating the 30th anniversary of Persona. The website will be updated with new information on January 8th. Plus, a hint from the official Fitness Boxing account strongly suggests a Persona and Fitness Boxing collaboration is coming this year.
It’s unclear if there will be any further events, but with the Persona series celebrating its 30th anniversary, many fans are eager for news about the 6th game.
Pokemon
This is exciting news for Pokémon fans like me! The Pokémon Company revealed a logo celebrating their 30th anniversary and hinted at a presentation on February 27th where they’ll likely share details about what’s planned for the year. We probably won’t find out most of the details until then.
We already know a new Pokemon Pokopia game is planned for release this year. Plus, leaks and rumors point to a special 30th anniversary Pokemon Trading Card Game set. However, many fans are most interested in finding out if a new generation of Pokemon games – Generation 10 – will be released or even just revealed this year.
Resident Evil
The latest installment in the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Requiem, is coming out shortly before the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary. This ninth main game will be available on February 27th and features a brand new main character. Capcom is also preparing for the anniversary with a special website and has announced the Resident Evil Generation Pack for the Switch 2.
We might see more announcements later, particularly regarding the mobile game Resident Evil Survival Unit. However, as of now, these February releases are all that’s confirmed for Resident Evil in 2026.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sega hasn’t announced its big plans for celebrating Sonic’s 35th anniversary yet. However, a 2026 calendar featuring Sonic the Hedgehog revealed a new anniversary logo, hinting that a celebration is definitely in the works, even though details haven’t been shared.
There’s a lot of buzz among fans that we might see updated versions of classic Sonic games this year, and possibly a new Sonic Frontiers game as well. Right now, though, all we have is a release schedule – no official announcements yet.
Tomb Raider
During the 2025 Game Awards, two new Tomb Raider games were announced. One of them, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, is a fresh take on the very first Tomb Raider game from 1996. It’s planned for release this year, coinciding with the series’ 30th anniversary.
The next game, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, isn’t scheduled to come out until 2027. But we’ll probably get a sneak peek this year – possibly a gameplay trailer and more information – as the Tomb Raider franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Here are some of the main game series that have announced or hinted at special events or new releases for their anniversaries. There’s also talk of remasters or re-releases for games like Pikmin. Plus, Marvelous has already shared celebratory artwork for Rune Factory and Story of Seasons, suggesting even more announcements are coming this year. If you’ve been playing games for over 20 years, you’ll probably find something to enjoy with all the nostalgic releases planned!
What franchise anniversary are you looking forward to the most in 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-01-03 00:13