New on Steam: The entire gaming world is watching a mysterious shooter this week

We’ll show you an overview of all the important new releases on Steam this week.

This Steam week has a big surprise in store: a mysterious shooter is already causing quite a stir even before its release, despite the lack of concrete information. At the same time, numerous other new releases are waiting to be discovered by you – and, as every Monday, we’ve summarized all the new releases for you.

Highlight of the week: Highguard

Highguard, a game whose pedigree can be traced back to some of the most influential shooters in video game history, is coming out this week. The developers are former executives and veterans of Respawn Entertainment, who already revolutionized the genre with Titanfall and Apex Legends.

However, the release of Highguard is accompanied by an almost deafening silence: Since its initial unveiling at the 2025 Game Awards, where the game closed the show as the final act, there has been hardly any official gameplay to see – and no one has any idea what to expect.  Currently, only Geoff Keighley seems convinced that something huge is in the works here.

What do we know so far? Wildlight Entertainment playfully describes its debut work as a “PvP raid shooter” set on a mythical, sprawling continent. You take on the role of mages with firearms who work in teams to gain control of territories.

Everything revolves around the “Shieldbreaker,” which enables the first team to capture it to besiege the enemy base and raze it to the ground. So it will be a mixture of classic hero shooter, raids (whatever that may mean exactly), and a dash of fantasy – including mounts and magical abilities.

We can’t wait to find out: with Apex Legends, the former Respawn developers already achieved huge success, which also came out of nowhere and suddenly became a global hit. We’ll find out on Monday evening whether they can repeat this feat.

More exciting Steam releases of the week

Monday, January 26, 2026

• HackHub – Ultimate Hacker Simulator (Early Access):  You take on the role of a talented hacker fighting against mass surveillance and encountering realistic cybersecurity challenges. The game combines educational approaches with entertainment by teaching you to infiltrate virtual systems through logic and analysis rather than just quickly pressing buttons in quick-time events.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

• Echoes of Elysium (Early Access): Echoes of Elysium offers a completely different survival RPG, transporting you to a procedurally generated “clockwork world” above the clouds. Together with up to six friends, you build and control your own airships, collect resources at dizzying heights, and battle nasty robots. The architecture of your flying fortresses is entirely in your hands, with physics-based flight mechanics providing a constant challenge.

• Earth Must Die: If you prefer a more humorous approach, take a look at Earth Must Die, a classic point-and-click adventure with typical British humor. In collaboration with No More Robots, the developers at Size Five have created an adventure that celebrates the absurdities of impending doom. You’ll have to solve creative puzzles and engage in bizarre dialogues to avert catastrophe.

• Task Force Admiral – Vol.1: American Carrier Battles (Early Access): For strategists and history buffs, Task Force Admiral is an extremely detailed 3D simulation of the carrier battles in the Pacific in 1942. You take command of legendary American naval forces and must make real-time decisions that could influence the outcome of the war. With over 90 ship classes and 40 aircraft types, all historically accurate, the game is aimed at hardcore wargamers who value realism and historical accuracy.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

• The Midnight Walkers (Early Access): The Midnight Walkers is a new contender in the highly competitive genre of extraction shooters, but this time with a focus on “vertical gameplay” in a gigantic building complex. In the Liberty Grand Center mega-complex, you must fight off aggressive zombies and other players to secure valuable loot. The game features a complex crafting system for weapons and equipment, as well as the management of your own hideout.

• Hellmart:  The horror continues on Wednesday with Hellmart, an unconventional mix of supermarket simulator and survival horror. You work the night shift at a remote convenience store in the far north. While you stock shelves and serve customers during the day, you must fight for your survival at night as sinister creatures besiege the store.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

• Cairn:  French studio The Game Bakers, known for Furi and Haven, delivers a highly exciting climbing simulation with Cairn. The game is already being called the “Dark Souls of climbing” because every action can mean the difference between life and death—take a look at the trailer:

• Code Vein 2: One of the most anticipated role-playing games of the week is undoubtedly Code Vein 2 from Bandai Namco. The sequel to the 2019 vampire Souls-like game expands on the familiar foundation with massive innovations: the game world is now more expansive and can even be explored with a customizable motorcycle.

• Calyx (Early Access): For strategy fans, Calyx is a real-time strategy game with an eerie atmosphere. You command a mining outpost in space and must defend yourself against a gigantic mass of alien plants that are slowly overgrowing your base.

• Don’t Stop, Girlypop! : The gameplay of this shooter is very simple: movement is your life insurance. If you stand still, you die, and if you dash through the levels, you deal more damage and heal faster.

Friday, January 30, 2026

• Half Sword (Early Access):  If you prefer brutal and down-to-earth action, Half Sword is a must-have. This physics-based medieval combat simulation uses a historically accurate 15th-century armor and weapon system. Every strike and parry is calculated in real time, resulting in unpredictable and very bloody duels where the force of the weapons is clearly felt.

• Vampires: Bloodlord Rising (Early Access): To round off the week, Toplitz Productions delivers an open world. As a newly awakened vampire lord, you build your own castle in the realm of Sangavia, hunt for blood, and defend yourself against the Inquisition. In co-op mode, you can also try to conquer the land together with friends as a vampire coven.

You can also check out the overview of all the important releases this month in the embedded video before we continue with February next week.

Which of these games is your highlight in this varied release week? Will you take a look at Highguard or would you rather wait for the first gameplay reports? Feel free to write us in the comments what you expect from the game.