Based on Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree alone, 2025 did not reach the same bar that 2024 did with regard to the DLC and expansions released this past year. It wasn't a bad year, but it just didn't match up. Thankfully, there's at least one upcoming expansion that could be 2026's Shadow of the Erdtree moment, and a few more on their way that'll help round things out.
Here are our picks for our Most Anticipated DLC/Expansion releases set to come in 2026.
Other Wccftech's Most Anticipated 2026 Games per category: Role-Playing Games, Indie Games, Platformers, Action, Shooters, Horror, Sports/Racing, Fighting, Adventure Games, Strategy/Simulation, Multiplayer, Most Anticipated Games
Hollow Knight Silksong: Sea of Sorrow (TBC 2026 - PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2)
Considering the fact that we went so long without any sign of Hollow Knight Silksong, it almost didn't feel real when its first expansion, Sea of Sorrow, was announced halfway through December 2025. Even more unbelievable (and exciting) was its 2026 release window.
We've gone from no Silksong to a lot of Silksong, and it is by no means a bad thing. The long-awaited sequel to Team Cherry's stunning 2D platformer Hollow Knight, Silksong was one of the defining games of 2025 and one of the year's best, hands-down. We don't know a lot about Sea of Sorrow save from this description Team Cherry gave: "Voyage across and beneath the salt-stricken seas in this thrilling expansion, free for all players."
Sea of Sorrow is sure to be one of the best expansions of the year, and is arguably the one expansion that could be 2026's Shadow of the Erdtree moment.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup in Bellabel Park (Spring 2026 - Nintendo Switch 2)
With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 last year, we got several upgraded versions of first-party Nintendo titles that didn't just arrive with visual overhauls, but with some small and some fairly-sized expansions along with them. It'll be Super Mario Bros. Wonder's turn to get the same treatment this coming Spring 2026, with the release of the Switch 2 edition and its expansion, Meet Up in Bellabel Park.
Meet Up in Bellabel Park doesn't exactly seem to be a new batch of 2D platforming levels, but something more along the lines of new challenges and mini-games that seem to really expand the co-op capabilities of the game. The whole of it could very well be greater than the sum of its parts. That was definitely the case with some of the Switch 2 versions of games already released.
Ninja Gaiden 4: The Two Masters (Early 2026 - PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
Koei Tecmo and Platinum Games' Ninja Gaiden 4 was one of the best action games of 2025. Not only did it make Wccftech's list for the Best Action games, but it was also nominated for Best Action game at The Game Awards 2025. Now, at some point in early 2026, it'll get even better with the release of its first DLC, The Two Masters.
The coming DLC was revealed before the game's release in October 2025, and while it is currently set for early 2026, we don't yet have a specific release date. When it does arrive, it'll add two new weapons for Ryu and Yakumo, along with new story content for players to dig into and most post-game challenges for those players who really want to test their ninja skills even further than the base game already does.
Hopefully, the new story content, weapons, and challenges come together for a solid DLC addition to what was already a stunning action game.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl DLC (TBC 2026 - PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
If you're a fan of GSC Game World's intense survival shooter STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, then at the time of this writing, you might still be going through the game's recently released free content update, Stories Untold. While that update added eight new quests, seven new locations, six new characters, a new weapon and a new hub to dig into, it's not the first major DLC for STALKER 2.
That expansion is still to come, which is what GSC Game World told Wccftech back in November 2025 in an interview with communications director Zakhar Bocharov and technical director Ievgen Kulyk. We don't know a lot about this expansion, though having confirmation from GSC Game World on its 2026 arrival is what helps it make the list of our main picks over one of our picks for honourable mentions.
World of Warcraft: Midnight (March 2, 2026 - PC)
Last but certainly not least, the final pick on our main list goes to World of Warcraft: Midnight, the eleventh expansion pack for the long-running MMORPG that is arriving on March 2, 2026. Midnight introduces a few significant features, including player housing, a new opt-in Prey bounty hunting system, a new race, and a new Demon Hunter specialization. Four new zones, eight dungeons, three raids, eleven delves, and a new campaign to follow.
It's a whole bunch more World of Warcraft for players to dig into, and based on the conversation that Wccftech's Alessio Palumbo had with the team back at Gamescom 2025, it'll be one of the more significant expansions in the game's history.
Honorable Mentions
We can't include every upcoming DLC and expansion in our main picks, but the following honourable mentions still deserve your attention.
A note on our honourable mentions first. The first honourable mention is the Unannounced Witcher 3 DLC. While it seems likely that The Witcher 3 will get one additional expansion after all this time, we don't yet have the confirmation from CD Projekt RED that would make us confident to include it in our main picks. GSC Game World, however, has confirmed that STALKER 2 is getting its first proper DLC in 2026, which is what helps it make the list instead of The Witcher 3 potentially getting an expansion.
If CD Projekt RED were to confirm The Witcher 3 DLC, a return to The Continent would absolutely be one of our most anticipated expansions for the year. But since we don't even know if it's happening, we can only hope it does and represent that hope with the honourable mention below.
- Unannounced Witcher 3 DLC (We hope)
- The Outer Worlds 2 DLC
- Age of Empires IV DLC
- DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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