An overview of all the week’s major Steam releases: highlights, hidden gems, and Early Access launches from September 14–20.
Over 30 million people have pre-registered for a game and are now waiting for its release: Aniimo is the name of the free-to-play open-world game launching on Steam this Wednesday, aiming to take on both Pokémon and Palworld at the same time.
Also coming up: a highly anticipated JRPG remake, a 4X strategy game on its way out of Early Access, the return of a business sim legend, and the game with probably the longest name in the world. As we do every Monday, we’ve rounded up all the major releases for you.
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This Week’s Highlight: Aniimo
(Genre: Free-to-Play Creature Collector – Developer: Pawprint Studio – Release: September 16, 2026 (Steam)
Since its reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, Aniimo has generated a level of hype that most full-price games can only dream of.
Pre-registrations climbed from 10 million in June to just under 28 million by gamescom, and then to over 30 million shortly before release. While pre-registration itself costs nothing, it’s still a meaningful indicator because it shows just how strong the demand remains for a serious monster-collecting RPG on PC alongside Palworld.
The game takes place on the continent of Idyll, an open world where every creature you encounter is a potential companion. There’s no separate battle screen like in Pokémon—everything happens in real time, just like in Palworld.
The so-called “Twining” feature is what truly sets Aniimo apart from the competition: You don’t just send your creatures into battle—you also transform into them. When you merge with an Aniimo, you take on its abilities and appearance, which helps not only in battle but also when exploring and solving puzzles. All in all, the gameplay is very similar to Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves, and the like—just with a Pokémon twist.
The game launches here on Wednesday at 4 a.m. The download is free; Aniimo is funded through in-game purchases. A premium currency and a paid Battle Pass—which includes, among other things, an Aniimo with perfect potential—have already been announced. However, just how aggressive the monetization will be beyond that remains to be seen upon release.
More Exciting Steam Releases of the Week
Monday, September 14, 2026
- Creator Chronicles: If you like city-building and dungeon-crawling, you’ll get both here. You lead a guild, build a city, and send your members into the dungeons, though the roguelike element means that fallen guild members are gone for good.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
- RuneScape: Dragonwilds (1.0): The surprise survival hit is leaving Early Access after nearly a year and a half. The 1.0 release brings the story’s finale, the endgame region Scorned Wilderness, and a raid against the Dragon Queen herself.
- Active Matter: A game rated SCP phenomenon-inspired extraction shooter. The soundtrack features contributions from Akira Yamaoka, known for his work on Silent Hill, among others. Before you start, however, there are two things you should know: It runs a kernel-level anti-cheat system, and the publisher is Gaijin.
- Dimraeth (Early Access): A “Souls-lite” RPG in hand-drawn pixel art where you build your hero from eight races and six classes. Combat is stamina-based with parrying and dodging, and the game also features crafting, base building, and seamless co-op for up to eight players.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
- Woodo: If you like things cozy, you can assemble wooden dioramas here piece by piece. Along the way, a little story unfolds about Foxy the fox and Ben the frog.
- BRAZILIAN DRUG DEALER BEFORE 4: DEMONS FROM THE PORTAL TO HELL I OPENED ARE STILL IN THE FAVELA AND NOW I HAVE TO SAVE MAMADAS FROM RONALDO: This title alone makes the Brazilian boomer shooter—which actually runs on the id Tech 2 engine from Quake 1—deserve a spot on this list. The demo has a 98 percent positive rating.
- BLACKWOOD: Act 1: New York in 2012—you run a DVD store by day and work as a contract killer by night. The protagonist certainly happens to look a lot like John Wick.
- WE ARE FOOTBALL 2027: A soccer management game featuring over 200 simulated countries, where you can specify for each nation how many league tiers are simulated. New this year is a creative mode that lets you customize rules, clubs, and entire soccer worlds. Developed in Cologne by Gerald Köhler, the creator of “Anstoss,” it’s the most important event of the week for German soccer management fans.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter: Turn-based JRPG remake of the 2006 original, very text-heavy. The first remake has an “Extremely Positive” rating on Steam, and the sequel is considered by the community to be the emotional highlight of the series. You should still start with Part 1, though. If you’re not familiar with the series yet, check out the following video:
- ENDLESS Legend 2 (1.0): 4X strategy set in an ocean world where receding tides constantly reshape the map. It’s leaving Early Access with an 82 percent approval rating and adding three new factions. This week’s must-play for strategists!
- The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410 (Early Access): A medieval economic sim where you build a dynasty across generations, including trade, strategic marriages, and city politics for up to twelve people. Clearly draws inspiration from the 2002 original, and narrator Aart Veder is back
Following last weekend’s big BlizzCon, where Diablo 5 and a StarCraft open-world shooter were announced, among other things, the next event—the PC Gaming Show—is already coming up this Sunday.
Which of these games will you pick up first, and do you think this Palworld competitor has what it takes to make a big splash? Let us know in the comments!
