The best open world RPGs don't just give you a map to fill in. They give you a reason to care about every corner of it. Right now, the genre is in a genuinely strong place, with a mix of modern heavyweights and older classics that still hold up better than most things releasing today.
Here's the lowdown on the 10 best open world RPGs worth loading up in 2026, ranked from solid to unmissable.
Starting from the bottom: the games that earned their spots
Old School RuneScape kicks things off at number 10, and yes, it absolutely belongs here. Jagex's MMORPG has grown far beyond its 2013 relaunch, with quest writing that rivals dedicated single-player RPGs and a skill system deep enough to lose months inside. The fantasy world of Gielinor is genuinely massive, and the player-driven economy and community give it a texture that no solo RPG can replicate.
Xenoblade Chronicles X lands at 9. The Definitive Edition, now available on Switch and Switch 2, makes this the best time to experience Mira, a planet where piloting giant mechs called Skells is eventually how you get around. The game's open world design leans into the idea that wandering without purpose is the purpose, which sounds frustrating until you're an hour in and completely hooked.
Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age sits at 8. Set in the war-torn continent of Ivalice, it follows street thief Vaan getting pulled into a geopolitical conflict between empires. The Gambit system, which lets you automate party member behaviors with programmable rules, still feels unlike anything else in the genre. Multiple replays hold up because the world always has more to give.
The mid-tier that would top most other lists
Dragon's Dogma 2 at number 7 is the kind of game that generates stories. Fast travel is deliberately limited, combat is physically tactile in a way few ARPGs match, and the world responds to your actions in ways that feel genuinely emergent. Cut a rope bridge to escape skeleton pursuit at night and it stays cut until NPCs repair it. That kind of systemic depth is rare.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered takes the 6 spot. Bethesda's surprise April 2025 release updated the 2006 classic with quality-of-life changes including sprinting and a revised leveling system, making Cyrodiil more accessible without losing what made it special. The side quests, particularly the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines, remain some of the best the genre has produced.
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Oblivion Remastered launched on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X in April 2025. If you played the original on PS2 or Xbox 360, the remaster is a significantly smoother experience worth revisiting.
Cyberpunk 2077 at 5 is the redemption arc story of this console generation. CD Projekt Red turned a disastrous launch into a genuinely excellent RPG through years of patches and the Phantom Liberty expansion featuring Idris Elba. Night City rewards players who take time with its side content, and the sheer variety of builds, from netrunner to street samurai, means two playthroughs can feel like different games. It's also now available on Switch 2.
The top four, where the genre peaks
Fallout: New Vegas at 4 is the one that Obsidian built in 18 months and still managed to make the best RPG in the Fallout series. The Courier's revenge story is just the hook. The real game is navigating the competing factions, the NCR, Caesar's Legion, Mr. House, and the wildcard option, all vying for control of Hoover Dam and New Vegas. Four DLC expansions, including Dead Money and Lonesome Road, add an overarching narrative that ties the whole package together.
Elden Ring takes the 3 spot. FromSoftware took everything that made Dark Souls compelling and opened it up into one of the most rewarding exploration experiences in gaming. The Lands Between is designed to be discovered rather than explained, and with 132 hours reportedly not enough to see everything, the sheer density of content is staggering. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion added a second major area that leans back toward the studio's more linear roots, giving returning players something fresh.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 at 2 is the most surprising entry on this list. Warhorse Studios built a medieval Bohemia that refuses to let you be the chosen hero. You play as Henry, a blacksmith's son trying to survive in 15th century central Europe, and the game demands you actually engage with its systems: eating, sleeping, managing wounds, learning to fight properly. The developer has described it as a spiritual successor to Oblivion and Morrowind in terms of refusing instant gratification, and that framing is accurate. The payoff, when Henry's story escalates to large-scale sieges and political intrigue, hits harder because you've earned every step.
The Witcher 3 is still number one, and it's not close
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt turned 10 in 2025 and remains the benchmark. CD Projekt Red's RPG is the one that made open world side quests feel like main quests. Every contract Geralt takes, every village he passes through, has a story worth hearing. The Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone expansions added dozens more hours of content that match the base game's quality.
What most players miss on their first run is how much the world changes based on decisions made hours or days earlier. The Continent feels lived-in because it reacts to you, not the other way around. Available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and now Switch 2, there has never been a bad time to start. For deeper reads on any of these games, browse the latest reviews, or check out our guides section if you're already in the middle of one and need a hand.
