🚨 NIOH 3 CLAWS past FROMSOFT… but #1’s BLOOD-BATH FPS SOULSLIKE will SHATTER your DualSense! 😱 15 INSANE NEW 2026 DROPS—Code Vein 2 anime gore, Mortal Shell 2 shells of DOOM, bosses that CRUSH noobs. PS5’s DARK FANTASY APOCALYPSE begins! Skip & DIE trying later… Who’s dying first? 👇 Full massacre list! 🔥
As 2025 winds down on December 28, the PS5 is gearing up for a soulslike onslaught in 2026 that promises to test even the most hardened players. Fresh from The Game Awards reveals, State of Play deep dives, and developer showcases, studios like Team Ninja, Bandai Namco, and Cold Symmetry are delivering sequels and bold new IPs with punishing parries, colossal bosses, and labyrinthine worlds. DualSense haptics will simulate every bone-crunching stagger, while ray-traced shadows hide deadly ambushes—early previews hint at 90+ Metascores for top contenders. Pre-orders are spiking, betas dropping soon, and PS Plus trials expected to hook the masses. Here’s the top 15, ranked by reveal hype, combat innovation, and PS5 optimization.
1. Valor Mortis (Developer: One More Level) Ghostrunner devs flip the genre with a first-person soulslike set in plague-ravaged Napoleonic Europe. Sword-and-pistol duels demand pixel-perfect parries amid mutating revolutionaries; Metroidvania exploration uncovers sorcery upgrades. 2026 PS5 launch teases gore-soaked finishers—”soulslike meets Doom in the guillotine,” previews rave.
2. Nioh 3 (Developer: Team Ninja) February 6 debut evolves the series’ blistering yokai hunts with dual Samurai/Ninja styles—blocky stances or evasive mist clones—in Sengoku Japan’s open zones. Loot grind, Ki pulses, and co-op raids amplify the brutality. “Sekiro on steroids,” State of Play demos confirmed PS5 exclusivity edge.
3. Code Vein 2 (Developer: Bandai Namco/Shift Inc.) January 30’s anime gothic sequel amps Revenant blood powers with time manipulation and companion AI overhauls. Weighty combos in ruined wastelands deliver 50+ hours of narrative depth. TGA trailer ignited “Code Vein perfected” buzz.
4. Lords of the Fallen 2 (Developer: Hexworks/CI Games) TBA 2026 plunges into a fractured Umbral realm 100 years post-original: Lamp-guided dual worlds, limb-severing executions, and co-op invasions. Faster, bloodier combat addresses fan gripes—”darkest soulslike yet.”
5. Mortal Shell 2 (Developer: Cold Symmetry) TBC 2026 sequel ditches stamina for shell-swapping fury: Shotguns, crossbows, and gory finishers across 60 dungeons. Doom-inspired guns meet hardening parries—”gnarly evolution,” critics preview.
6. Phantom Blade Zero (Developer: S-GAME Studio) September 9 timed PS5 exclusive blends wuxia action with soulslike checkpoints: 66-day survival saga against The Order, gear hunts in semi-open worlds. Cinematic parries promise “Elden Ring meets Sekiro.”
7. The Relic: First Guardian (Developer: Not specified) May 26 dark fantasy RPG draws Korean lore into soulslike boss marathons (70+ uniques) and rune customization. Technical combat shines on PS5.
8. Beast of Reincarnation (Developer: Game Freak) TBA Pokémon vets craft beast-themed oppression: Weighty melee, punishing encounters, unique progression. Xbox GP day-one, PS5 cross-play.
9. V.E.D.A: The Awakening of Souls (Developer: Tripearl Games) Roguelike simulator trials: Memory-wiped warriors battle procedural horrors. PS5 haptics amp the AI’s brutal resets.
10. Crimson Desert (Developer: Pearl Abyss) March 19 mercenary epic: Soulslike parries in Pywel’s faction wars, visceral bosses. Open-world depth rivals Elden Ring.
11. The Blood of Dawnwalker (Developer: Rebel Wolves) CD Projekt alums’ vampiric 14th-century plague saga: Day/night choices twist soulslike morality. TBA 2026 PS5 immersion.
12. Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Developer: Capcom) Edo demons fall to Musashi’s Oni Gauntlet: Parry-heavy swordplay in corrupted Kyoto. State of Play 2026 staple.
13. Ballad of Antara (Developer: Not specified) Free-to-play cinematic multi-character tales: Combat revamp eyes 2026 slip, PS5 open-world souls.
14. Vindictus: Defying Fate (Developer: Not specified) MMO souls spin-off: Mythic territories, base-razing raids. PS5 cross-platform frenzy.
15. Abyss World: Apocalypse (Developer: Not specified) Post-apoc depths: Procedural abysses, upgrade gauntlets. Underdog PS5 gem.
2026 cements PS5 as soulslike heaven, blending sequels’ polish with FPS twists and roguelike fire. From Nioh’s slashes to Valor’s first-person hell, these demand mastery—pre-load now, or face the regret of unbloodied blades.
