In 2026, several iconic gaming series will be celebrating big anniversaries, including The Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil, and Pokémon. The Legend of Zelda won’t be alone in reaching a 40-year milestone, as other popular franchises will be joining the celebration.
Several exciting games coming in 2026 will celebrate significant anniversaries for popular franchises. Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27th, marking 30 years since the original Resident Evil game. Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot are also celebrating their 30th anniversaries, as all three series first gained popularity on the PlayStation. While there are two Tomb Raider projects in the works, there aren’t currently any Crash Bandicoot games scheduled for release in 2026.
2026 Gaming Anniversaries (in alphabetical order)
- Animal Crossing (25 years)
- Castlevania (40 years)
- Crash Bandicoot (30 years)
- Dragon Quest (40 years)
- Halo (25 years)
- Kid Icarus (40 years)
- Luigi’s Mansion (25 years)
- Metroid (40 years)
- Persona (30 years)
- Pikmin (25 years)
- Pokemon (30 years)
- Resident Evil (30 years)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (35 years)
- The Legend of Zelda (40 years)
- Tomb Raider (30 years)
Even though Nintendo hasn’t announced any special games for the 40th anniversary of Zelda, fans have noticed that several other popular gaming series are hitting big milestones in 2026. A Reddit user pointed out that Metroid, Kid Icarus, Castlevania, and Dragon Quest will all turn 40 in 2025. Plus, Sonic the Hedgehog will celebrate its 35th anniversary this summer, marking 35 years since the character first appeared on the Sega Genesis in 1991.
The popular Pokemon franchise is gearing up for its 30th anniversary in 2026, promising a fantastic year for fans with new games like Pokemon Champions and Pokemon Pokopia already planned. While not officially announced, the tenth generation of mainline Pokemon games is also expected to release around this milestone. The Persona series will also celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026. Fans are eagerly awaiting updates on Persona 4 Revival and hoping for a reveal of the next Persona game. Atlus has even launched a dedicated website to share anniversary news with Persona fans.
Four Consoles Are Also Celebrating Major Milestones
- GameCube (25 years)
- PS3 (20 years)
- Wii (25 years)
- Xbox (25 years)
In 2026, three popular Nintendo series – Luigi’s Mansion, Animal Crossing, and Pikmin – will all be celebrating their 25th anniversaries, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the GameCube console. This fall, Microsoft will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox and its flagship game, Halo. The first Xbox was important because it helped popularize online multiplayer gaming, largely thanks to the success of Halo. Although the Xbox didn’t sell as many units as the PlayStation 2, it was crucial in establishing Xbox as a leading name in the gaming industry.
In 2026, as a major gaming franchise marks a milestone, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo Wii will also be celebrating 20 years since their release. Both consoles launched around the same time and were important for their respective companies. While the PS3 initially faced challenges, price drops and updated models eventually led to strong sales, reaching 87.4 million units worldwide by 2019. The Wii, however, was a massive success, selling over 101.6 million units since its November 2006 launch. Its impressive library of over 1,600 unique games made it a popular choice for families.
Read More
- Insider Gaming’s Game of the Year 2025
- Say Hello To The New Strongest Shinobi In The Naruto World In 2026
- Roblox 1 Step = $1 Codes
- Faith Incremental Roblox Codes
- Roblox Marine Academy Codes
- Top 10 Highest Rated Video Games Of 2025
- Jujutsu Zero Codes
- Jujutsu: Zero Codes (December 2025)
- The Most Expensive LEGO Sets in History (& Why They Cost So Dang Much)
- Oshi no Ko: 8 Characters Who Will Shine in Season 3
2026-01-03 08:06