- Primary Subject: Upcoming Sports and Racing Games in 2026
- Key Update: The back half of 2026 is packed with major sports releases, including Madden NFL 27 in August, several racing titles, and the expected-but-not-yet-dated arrivals of NBA 2K27 and EA FC 27
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 9, 2026
- Quick Answer: College Football 27 leads off on July 9, Madden NFL 27 follows on August 13, and the rest of the year fills out with racing, soccer, and basketball titles spanning confirmed and unconfirmed release windows
We are past the halfway point of 2026, but the sports calendar has not let up since January. MLB The Show 26 came and went in March. Forza Horizon 6 was out in May.
The first half of the year moved fast, and the second half looks like it's going to be packed, maybe more so, since the big annual franchises tend to cluster in August and September.
Some of these releases are games that I am actually looking forward to. I will wait on a couple of them until the more impulsive ones get their hands on them.
One of these titles is a Star Wars game, which I did not have on my 2026 bingo card, but I am absolutely not complaining about it.
Here is everything you need to know about the sports game heading our way for the rest of the year.
College Football 27 (July 9, 2026)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
College Football returned to the gaming space after a long absence two years ago. The reception was warm enough that the series has not missed a year since.
College Football 27 is the third entry in this new era of the franchise, and after two years of rebuilding goodwill, the series now has to prove it has a pedestal worth aiming for.
If you have been playing this game since 2024, this one is almost certainly already on your radar.
If you have not tried the series yet, this might be the most reasonable entry point since it arrives with a deep roster featuring none other than Jeremiah Smith, the Wide Receiver for Ohio State and the game's first-ever 99-rated player.
Madden NFL 27 (August 13, 2026)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
The headline feature in the upcoming Madden installment is its Dynamic Weather, which EA consistently dubs "The Second Adversary".
Weather in Madden has historically been static. Whatever conditions got set at kickoff would stay that way for four quarters. Dynamic Weather changes all that with the introduction of snow build-up, rain drizzles, mud, and dirtier uniforms.
But whether Dynamic Weather really ends up making a difference on the field rather than being an overly marketed piece of cosmetic that makes for spectacular highlight reels is something I am curious about once the game is out.
Madden, after all, has a long history of announcing upgrades that do not really change how the game feels to play. Moreover, Madden NFL 27 also lands on Switch 2 this year, so you can play on the go.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters (August 28, 2026)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Captain Tsubasa is a soccer anime franchise that has been running since the 1980s, and its video game adaptations have historically been aimed squarely at longtime fans of the source material.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters is the sequel to Rise of Champions, well-known for its over-the-top anime style featuring gravity‑defying bicycle kicks to blazing, high‑impact shots.
Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters will feature 22 national teams, over 110 playable characters, and more than 150 unique animated special moves.
The story will, of course, follow our titular hero, Tsubasa, and his teammates through the Asian Youth Championship and onto the World Youth Championship.
This time, you can create a player and also join the national team alongside them.
Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush (September 24, 2026)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush is showing up in September without a lot of noise around it, which might mean it is being undersold or it's something that we should all forget about.
The franchise has had a few entries over the years, with wildly inconsistent quality, so I am filing this one under "wait and see" until the game comes out.
It does have a very weird release date because it will be competing with Madden and NBA 2K, which is not the most comfortable place to land.
Star Wars Galactic Racer (October 6, 2026)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
If you grew up with Star Wars Episode I Racer on the Nintendo 64 or Dreamcast, you might have jumped out of your seat when you saw this revealed on The Game Awards.
That 1999 game is not only great, but it's one of the best racing games of its era.
Star Wars Galactic Racer is not exactly a sequel to that game, but it does draw from the same well, and just the thrill of getting inside a podracer is enough to make it one of the most anticipated games on this list.
The game features landspeeders, speeder bikes, and podracers across a roguelite campaign set in the Outer Rim after the fall of the Empire. This game is developed by the minds behind Need for Speed and Burnout.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort (October 22, 2026)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Wii Sports Resort came out in 2009, which tells you something about how well Nintendo understood what they were doing with motion controls at their peak.
Now with Nintendo Switch Sports, the first proper follow-up on the Switch 2, and its upgraded hardware, we can only hope that motion controls feel a wee bit closer to the Wii than they do with the Switch.
The game includes a mix of classic Resort sports and new ones, which Nintendo has not fully detailed yet. What matters in this game is the couch co-op, and on that front, Nintendo Switch Sports should deliver exactly what it has promised.
Something you can hand to another person who has never touched a video game and that they can understand within thirty seconds.
NBA 2K27 (TBA)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
No official release date yet, but NBA 2K27 will most certainly land in September, which is where the series has lived for the past decade.
The 2026 Finals gave this franchise a lot to work with, part of which revolves around who's going to grace its cover.
For the most part, NBA 2K26 was a strong title for 2K, but that also means that this annual tradition has to live up to expectations.
Notwithstanding all the noise surrounding where LeBron might find his "happiness" and all of us in everyday suspense as we wait for another "The Decision" from the King, the expectations will surely be a lot heavier.
EA FC 27 (TBA)
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
EA FC 27 is in the same boat as NBA 2K27, without a confirmed release date, but with September or October being reasonable guesses.
EA FC 26 had a mixed reception, particularly around its Ultimate Team economy, and that conversation is not going away until EA shows some changes moving forward.
That said, one thing to note is that Dynamic Weather is also making its way into EA FC 27, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed that it truly is a game-changing feature.
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