2026 will be a breakout year for fans of franchises old enough to make everyone ponder mortality a little more. Some of these milestones are older than me, and let me tell you, I'm not our Quinton, as they say.
We like to talk about significant anniversaries in this industry because they can sometimes herald big announcements. They don't have to; let me emphasize that for those who are less familiar with this. Often fandoms will get hyped for the 5th, 10th, 20th, so on, only to be disappointed by the loudness of the crickets and the silence of the publishers. These are major IP addresses though. Even if it's just merchandise and artwork, something is bound to happen. In at least one case, we know very well what is coming our way.
Here's to many more
What we all like to see is something like a new game announcement. That's the best, right? It doesn't always happen. In fact, it hasn't on many occasions. The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary, already in 2021, for sure heralded Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remasters for Nintendo Switch. It was shouted from the rooftops. People thought it was predestined. Nah.
That doesn't stop us from thinking about what may or may not happen. It also doesn't diminish the ultimate importance of seeing a franchise we love be successful enough to raise hopes every time the clock strikes a memorable number for it. And 2026 strikes oh so many bells:
As you can (probably) see, Redditor yotam5434 has helpfully written it all down. I don't know the exact source of the image, I'm afraid; if you made it, let me know and I'll credit you! Maybe it was the thread's own creator.
- Turning 40: The Legend of Zelda; Metroid; Dragon Quest; Kid Icarus; Castlevania
- Turning 35: Sonic the Hedgehog
- Turning 30: Pokémon; Persona
- Turning 25: Animal Crossing; Luigi's Mansion; Pikmin
I don't know why, but for some reason it's Luigi's Mansion reaching the quarter century mark that makes me feel old. The rest… makes more sense. I'm having a hard time with that one.
What could all these have in store? Pokemon will almost certainly get a big Gen 10 duo. The leaks are out there. Oh, they are so, so, out there. Maybe we'll see Dragon Quest 12? I don't know. It's been radio silence since the announcement over four years ago… who knows. We will see Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, though! In just two months!
Persona 6, maybe? Please? Like, I'm literally begging you, Atlus? And I can easily imagine the next Animal Crossing. As for Zelda, I'll be real – I'm just waiting for news updates on the movie, coming in 2027. The rest… I have no idea.
But what is it you hope for? I don't do “let us know in the comments!” shtick often, but I'm curious to read your thoughts. Do you have any big prayers for your aging graceful gaming titans?
