Upcoming Open-World RPGs With Hundreds of Hours of Playtime

Open-world role-playing games are known for being incredibly time-consuming – especially if you enjoy playing alone. These games are designed to be deeply immersive and can take a very long time to complete, with some prologues lasting 20 hours or more. Today’s open-world RPGs feature massive maps, sweeping stories that unfold over years, and tons of side quests and activities to keep you engaged.

Many open-world RPGs already offer 100 to 200 hours of gameplay, and several even larger games are on the way in 2026 and beyond. We’re focusing on those RPGs that are designed to provide hundreds of hours of content right from the start – enough to occupy a player’s free time for a month or more.

Since game developers don’t often share precise playtime numbers before a game is released, the estimated lengths for the RPGs listed below are based on how much content they offer, as well as how long similar games from the same developers or series have taken to complete in the past.

The Witcher 4

Expected to Be Comparable to Its Predecessor in Terms of Map Size and Length

CD Projekt RED’s next major game, currently known as The Witcher 4, will likely kick off a new series of three games centered around Ciri. These follow-up games are planned to be released more frequently and will all be built using the same technology base, powered by Unreal Engine 5. While The Witcher 4 won’t be available in 2026, fans will need to be patient. Given CD Projekt RED’s history of creating large, detailed open-world games with lots of unique quests, like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, this new installment promises to be a worthwhile experience for RPG fans.

The developers have indicated they don’t intend to make the next Witcher game larger than The Witcher 3, and that makes sense. The Witcher 3 remains one of the most expansive and lengthy open-world RPGs available, typically taking around 150 hours to complete, and many players haven’t even finished it. The studio is now focusing on creating more concise main stories, ensuring more players reach the end, while still providing plenty of optional content for those who want a longer experience.

Soulframe

Probably Another Long-Lasting Game for the Warframe Studio and Its Fans

Many players are still unsure what Soulframe actually is, despite it being a highly anticipated open-world RPG. While some think of it as a large, online multiplayer game, it’s currently more like a single-player RPG with the option to play with up to three friends – similar to how Elden Ring handles co-op. The game does have social areas where players can gather, but they aren’t fully developed yet.

You can already try out Soulframe in an early version, but it’s still very much a work in progress and things are likely to change. The game will feature different classes to play and level up, along with large, connected areas to explore, battle bosses, complete quests, and take part in events. Right now, there’s about 20 to 40 hours of unique content to experience. While it’s not really fair to compare Soulframe to Warframe yet, it looks like Digital Extremes is aiming high, so we can expect a lot more content when the game officially launches, and continued updates and additions afterward – promising another long-term experience for both the developers and their community.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 3

Shaping up to Be a Monster — Whatever This Means

Ubisoft revealed The Division 3 in 2023, but updates have been scarce until recently, when developers said the game is starting to come together. While fans are still waiting for a trailer or even a first look at gameplay, the team promises the new installment will offer the same engaging experience as previous games – including a vast open world to explore, strategic combat, character progression, and extensive customization options for gear and weapons.

Julian Gerighty, the former lead on the game, recently mentioned that The Division 3 is looking incredibly promising and could be as influential as the very first Division. While he didn’t share many details, it’s clear the new game will be much larger in scope and offer a bigger map than both previous titles. Considering the original Division and its sequel each provided over 100 hours of gameplay and received substantial updates and expansions, players can expect a massive experience with The Division 3.

The Blood of Dawnwalker

Unique Time-Based Structure Probably Lends a Hand to Unmatched Replayability

Okay, so from what I’ve seen, The Blood of Dawnwalker looks like a solid open-world RPG, but not one of those massive, endlessly sprawling ones. That makes sense, since it’s the first game from Rebel Wolves – a team full of folks who used to work on The Witcher games. But here’s the really cool part: apparently, there isn’t one main storyline you’re forced to follow. You can basically jump into any quest you want, but every big mission you finish moves the in-game clock forward, inching you closer to the final showdown. It sounds like your choices really matter and you’re constantly making progress, even if you’re not following a set path!

The game is designed with a lot of quests, offering players significant choices and encouraging multiple playthroughs. You’ll be able to approach quests in different ways, impacting other missions and potentially unlocking new content. Because of this depth, we expect players who enjoy The Blood of Dawnwalker will need to play through it at least twice, and we believe it could easily offer over 100 hours of engaging gameplay right from the start.

Neverness to Everness

Urban Setting Possibly Ensures an Ocean of Possibilities and Activities

Scheduled for release in 2026, Neverness to Everness is a new free-to-play online role-playing game. Like many games in this genre, it’s designed to be played for a very long time – often exceeding 100 hours, and frequently much more. Players have already spent over 170 hours in the 2025 game Where Winds Meet, and are still actively playing. Neverness to Everness has a familiar anime art style and a character-collecting system, but also introduces exciting features like a detailed, open-world city called Hethereau, which is filled with dangerous mysteries to uncover.

It’s difficult to say exactly how much content Neverness to Everness will have right now, but the studio’s last game, Tower of Fantasy, offers over 150 hours of gameplay as an open-world MMORPG. Neverness to Everness will likely offer a similar amount, providing players with many hours of exploring, discovering secrets, and fighting. Players who want to unlock everything – all characters and unique weapons – can expect to spend even more time playing. Plus, the game features unlockable and customizable cars and other vehicles for traveling around the world and participating in activities like races.

The Elder Scrolls 6

Expected to Continue Bethesda’s Trend of Expanding the Scope with Each New Title

Although The Elder Scrolls 6 was first mentioned in 2018, concrete details remain largely unknown. However, fans of Bethesda can expect the upcoming TES 6 to be a true Bethesda-style open-world RPG, featuring a large, interconnected map and potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay. Bethesda consistently expands its games with updates and additions, so it’s safe to assume this highly anticipated title will be no different.

For comparison, a complete playthrough of Skyrim takes between 100 and 200 hours, and that doesn’t even include exploring different storylines and joining various factions. While The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a ways off, it’s expected to be a massive game, which could make the long wait worthwhile.

2026-01-24 20:08