With more people staying home than ever, RPGs have captured the attention of millions of players around the world like never before. Players can dive deep into new worlds and fill the shoes of charismatic and powerful characters. With that said, 2021 has a lot in store for fans of the genre that may have flown under their radar.

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There's a lot of potential with these games as the RPG genre has evolved in terms of what fans want for combat, exploration, and general storytelling. These games are certainly worth keeping an eye out for.

Updated: June 22nd, 2021 by Russ Boswell: The industry is just now entering Q3 of 2021 and there's a lot to be excited about in terms of RPGs. Many studios are holding on to their coveted release dates to make sure their AAA titles are as polished as possible while others have gone gold and are gearing up for a worldwide release. A flood of new information recently dropped with E3 2021 and now there are even more potential smash hits floating amidst a sea of upcoming RPGs. To get a better look at what to expect by year's end, this list has been updated with better "release windows," updated screenshots, and most importantly, more games.

12 Diablo 2 Resurrected

• Release Date: September 23rd, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch

It's been over 20 years since Blizzard gifted Diablo 2 to the world and some gamers are still grinding away at the release, picking up every shred of loot possible. Diablo 3 was a great success for the studio and there are many players anxiously awaiting the upcoming release of Diablo 4, but there is something supremely special about the second release in the franchise. Diablo 2 holds a special place in the hearts of many, so much so that it inspired Blizzard to re-release it decades later.

Diablo 2: Resurrected is a re-master of the classic adventure and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. The title promises to offer remastered visuals and all of the classic gameplay that made the release such a slam dunk in the first place. Players will even be able to grind with up to 8 friends cooperatively.

11 Kitaria Fables

• Release Date: September 2nd, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch

Those who enjoy adventure games with RPG-like progression should get a kick out of Kitaria Fables, which is shaping up to be a Stardew Valley-esque experience with a heavier emphasis on combat. Its adorable visual style is accentuated by a cast of colorful animal-like companions and enemies.

It's not enough to simply hack-and-slash all the way to victory in Kitaria Fables. Players will also have to spend time tending to their farm, helping their community, and crafting items to complete a variety of quests. It's a mixture of mechanics that rewards players by offering a "fast change of pace" between action and relaxation. Kitaria Fables shows a lot of promise and the fact that it's Co-Op is icing on the cake.

10 Death Trash

• Release Date: August 5th, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch

Developer Crafting Legends is attempting to bring old-world mechanics into the modern age with their upcoming top-down RPG, Death Trash. In what looks like a love letter to the original Fallout games (and maybe a little Diablo for good measure), players will venture through handcrafted wastelands on a quest for survival. The planet Nexus is teeming with cosmic horrors and Lovecraftian entities, some of which are exceedingly friendly. Players will need to upgrade their character, unlock skills, secure weapons, and scavenge for items, all while avoiding shotgun-toting maniacs and some truly grotesque creatures.

The visuals are retro but incredibly detailed, with fantastical post-apocalyptic-style environments and enemies. It's a single-player affair but local cooperative play is available. Players will be able to save at any time, slay anyone (or anything), and leave entire conversations if they're feeling particularly long-winded.

9 Digimon Survive

• Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch

The Digimon franchise, arguably, hasn't seen as much success as Pokemon over the years but it's still a stalwart series with a pretty impressive following. Dedicated fans will want to keep an eye on Digimon Survive, a tactical RPG due to release later this year.

The title itself looks like a blast for fans of tactical-style turn-based gameplay, featuring a grid-like battlefield and a command system reminiscent of Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem. All of this is accentuated by beautiful hand-crafted graphics and animations, with a heavy Anime-influenced tone (complete with cutscenes drawn in an Anime style). It's shaping up to be an in-depth experience that should captivate both fans of Digimon and Tactical RPGs in general.

8 Ruined King: A League of Legends Story

• Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch

Fans of the League of Legends universe and its lore will find a lot to love with Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. The title is a far cry from the normal lunacy of a standard 5-vs-5 PVP slobber knocker through Summoner's Rift. This League of Legends spin-off will be a single-player turn-based experience, promising to showcase much more of the captivating universe's lore.

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Ruined King offers visuals from Joe Madureira, the iconic comic mastermind behind the Darksiders series, and will take players through Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles. Familiar League of Legends Champions, Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Pyke, Ahri, and Yasuo, combine forces to battle through hordes of enemies and Viego himself to stop the mysterious Black Mist. The impending release looks like a blast and should drop later this year.

7 NEO: The World Ends With You

• Release Date: July 27, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch

The World Ends With You is a cult classic originally on the Nintendo DS released in 2007. The game was praised for its combat which used both DS screens in a way few games had tried before. It's also known for its classic Square Enix storytelling which is confusing, yet satisfying to watch unfold.

Because of the success of the first game and how much fans talked about it, a sequel seemed inevitable but never came. Square Enix produced a teaser back in 2014 that didn't amount to a sequel and left fans disappointed. Now that Nintendo has officially announced the game is coming in 2021, fans can hardly contain themselves from speculating about the trailer and the characters in it.

6 Darkest Dungeon II

• Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
• Platforms: PC

It isn't confirmed when exactly but this year, Darkest Dungeon II goes into early access and should be released later on in the year. The original is a cult hit released in 2015 that fans still play to this day. The game is known for being extremely difficult, killing the player's party left and right with no regard for their sanity. Things like stress, famine, and disease were antagonists just as much as the enemies in combat.

Darkest Dungeon also features a unique animation style that is getting an update in the sequel. The original game used drawn character models and animated limbs individually, which was reminiscent of a card game. In the trailer for the sequel, 3D models are used to represent the characters from the original game, be signaling an update in graphics and presentation.

5 Get In The Car Loser!

• Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
• Platforms: PC

Get In The Car Loser! has been in development for years and is finally coming to steam in summer 2021. The game features an epic quest in the form of a road trip with combat inspired by classic RPGs. The character designs are flashy and colorful, and the gameplay has a unique look to it when compared to other turn-based combat systems.

The game is designed to streamline a visual novel experience with refreshing gameplay moments along the way. Get In The Car Loser! features music that rejects usual RPG battle themes by replacing them with pop music to give the overall experience a modern feel as well.

4 4 Minutes To The Apocalypse

• Release Date: To Be Announced
• Platforms: PC

In this action RPG, players will have to fight their way through the Arizona-12 submarine and stop the apocalypse. Not much else is known aside from the fact that the game will be released sometime this year.

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The gameplay is centered on a first-person perspective, and the player picks up items found on the submarine to combat who or whatever is trying to take over the submarine and use its power to end the world. Hiding and stealth are also key elements, topping off the survival-thriller feel the game gives off.

3 Cris Tales

• Release Date: July 20, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Stadia, and Nintendo Switch

A self-proclaimed love letter to classic Japanese RPGs, Cris Tales boasts some ambitious mechanics. Players are able to make decisions that affect the present, future, and past, while having knowledge of all three. These decisions are the main focus of the experience and can change each player's play through drastically.

On top of the temporal mechanics, the game features robust combat that focuses on time as well. Players can send their enemies into the past or future, and even synchronize attacks for extra damage. The game is set to release in early 2021.

2 Scarlet Nexus

• Release Date: June 25th, 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

From Bandai Namco, the developer of Code Vein, comes Scarlet Nexus. There isn't much gameplay to see for the game yet, but it will release in 2021. Scarlet Nexus takes place in a futuristic Japan that takes inspiration from classic anime and western science fiction. As an action RPG, the combat is the main attraction, featuring psycho-kinetic abilities for players to control on the fly. The environment is the greatest weapon literally and figuratively.

1 Horizon: Forbidden West

• Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
• Platforms: PS4, PS5

Since the PlayStation event last summer, fans have been wondering about Horizon: Forbidden West. No official release date was given aside from statements that it will come in 2021. The original game is one of Playstation's main attractions since the PS4, so it makes sense that the sequel should release shortly after the PS5.

From the trailer, it's clear that the game will take place in a totally new location, which means new plant and animal life to interact with. Hopefully, the game takes the power of the PS5 and can recreate the experience players loved about Zero Dawn, and expand upon it.

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