August is the calm before the storm for this year's new game releases

August is another quiet month for new PC game releases in 2026, but use the lull to catch up on other games from this year (or month) before September. I don't know if you've looked at the calendar for the next few months—it's, uh, a lot.

As Lincoln pointed out, the Summer Game Fest announcements piled on new game releases for this fall. I count three survival crafting game 1.0 updates on the horizon I want to play (Valheim, Enshrouded, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds), so I'll see how many guys and gals I can make time to smooch this month with the Fields of Mistria 1.0 launch before I kiss them all goodbye. Literally and metaphorically speaking.

If the farm sim life isn't for you, August still has new gems. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls kicks off the month, then there's another Metal Gear Solid collection on the same day as Star Wars Zero Company to close us out. Gamescom also carves out a few days for itself at the end of August, ensuring we'll be here again next year asking where the hell time went.

August 2026 PC Gamer highlights

I went into this thinking I had three solid picks to give August a cozy game theme, and then I realized this month is also the first time we're getting Metal Gear Solid 4 on PC. I desperately want to replay, so I can't pretend like I'm going to ignore the MGS collection. Instead, we're just going to say I'm taking some time to relax with my first three picks before suiting up to go to war. Unless Konami has a secret romance mechanic with Raiden (Vamp works too), then 'cozy games + old man stealth action' will have to do as the theme for August.

August 5

Steam | I loved Fields of Mistria's shoujo-esque cast and world so much that I stopped playing the farm sim in early access to save my enthusiasm for its 1.0 launch, and that time is finally here. The day-to-day farm life bits were great and all, but I'm most excited to get back to romancing Juniper, a mean lady with just about every red flag in the book. She's perfect.

August 6

Steam | Thanks to my insatiable urges as a serial tinkerer, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs caught my eye ages ago and was an immediate wishlist after I played the demo. As a more reputable restoration professional, you'll spend ReStory fixing up old cell phones, consoles, and other electronics in mid-2000s Tokyo.

August 6

Steam | Sovereign Tower lured me in with its 2D pastel designs, but the promise that I could "pursue forbidden romances" with a cast of weirdo knights with questionable judgment ensured the strategic RPG stayed on my radar. That's one more romance game for me before slapping on the war paint later this month.

August 2026 game highlights

August 4

Steam | A few folks from the PC Gamer team got together last week to go on a Big Walk, and the quirky island puzzler sounds like a real hoot and a holler. I won't spoil it for you, but their diary from one of its most frustratingly obvious puzzles is exactly the type of mystery I would never figure out alone. Thank god it's strictly co-op.

August 6

Steam | I'm not much of a fighting game person, but after last month's beta for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, it's all my friends want to talk about. Arc System Works' 4v4 tag-team fighter launches with a roster of 20 Marvel heroes and villains, but expect that number to grow with updates.

August 27

Steam | Finally, Metal Gear Solid 4 is soon to be freed from its PlayStation 3 prison. Konami's second MGS Master Collection also tosses in Peace Walker's HD version and Ghost Babel—two games I never played, so perhaps I'll tackle Peace Walker first.

August 27

Steam | Even as I suffer from serious Star Wars fatigue, my colleague Ted piqued my interest earlier this year when he described Star Wars Zero Company as more than just "Star Wars XCOM," and said it "feels like Mass Effect but with turn-based tactics and permadeath."

August 2026 gaming events and sales

Quakeconcelebrates its 30th year with another massive LAN party starting on- August 6
Gamescomkicks off four days of new game reveals, hands-on previews, and more on- August 26
Future Games Showjoins Gamescom with more world premieres and interviews on August 26
And themed Steam saleskeep the month going:- August 3 – 10:Cyberpunk Fest
August 17 – 20:Pins and Pegs Fest
August 31 – September 7:PvE Survival Crafting Fest

August 2026 game updates and DLC

The August 2026 games calendar

August game releases, events, and updates all in one big calendar

I've hit the highlights, but there's still other new games, updates, and industry events planned for August. Here's what all of that looks like in a handy, consolidated reference:

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Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Andrea has been covering games for nearly a decade, picking up bylines at IGN, USA Today, Fanbyte, and Destructoid before joining the PC Gamer team in 2025. She's got a soft spot for older RPGs and is willing to try just about anything with a lovey-dovey "I can fix them" romance element. Her weekly to-do always includes a bit of MMO time, endlessly achievement hunting and raiding in Final Fantasy 14. Outside of those staples, she's often got a few survival-crafting games on rotation and loves a good scare in co-op horror games.