Ocarina of Time returns, GTA 6 arrives, and November games worth it

Why November 2026 looks like it does

Two dates define the month, and they are three weeks apart. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake comes out on Switch 2 on 5 November, and Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on 19 November. Everything else is arranged around them, which is why this is a month of ports, upgrades and small co-op games rather than big new releases. Publishers have spent two months clearing October and September for the same reason, and the ones that did not move are staying out of the way.

For a household that has to choose, our GTA 6 or Ocarina of Time guide is the longer version of that decision. The short version is that it is not a close call if there are children in the room.

Early November: Zelda, and the Switch 2 starts filling up

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered opens the month on 3 November for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC. Atari is publishing an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the 2002 monster brawler, at $29.99 digital. If you played the original at a sleepover, this is for you, and it is cheap.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is out on 5 November, Switch 2 only, at $59.99 and rated E10+. We have gone through everything we know about it and the original is still the one to know first: our review of the 1998 game gives it a full 5 out of 5. If you have never played it, the remake is the way in. If you have, it is the one game this month worth taking a day off for. The Switch 2 edition is the only version.

The same day brings two Switch 2 ports. Stellar Blade is not new: it is the Complete Edition of the 2024 action game, now with the NieR: Automata and NIKKE content plus new Bayonetta outfits, at $59.99, and it is rated M. In Korea the same release arrives at midnight on 6 November. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Encore Edition is the one we would actually clear an evening for: a Switch 2 version of the 2021 story adventure with new glam-rock outfits, and that game is absolutely fantastic. We gave it a perfect 5 out of 5, it plays like the best Guardians film Marvel never made, and it is worth a full replay on Switch 2 even if you finished it elsewhere. Physical copies are Game-Key Cards, so you need the cartridge-shaped card plus a download.

On 6 November the Hasbro Games Junior Collection reaches Switch 2, PS5, Xbox, PS4, Switch and PC. It bundles Monopoly Jr., Clue Jr. and The Game of Life Jr., for up to four players on one console. It is the youngest-players pick of the month.

Second week: Co-op, a remaster and an RPG

On 10 November Warhammer Survivors launches on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch and mobile. It is a bullet-heaven game in the Vampire Survivors mould, set in the Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar worlds, and cheap enough to try without thinking. Mature theming, short sessions.

DreamWorks Shrek 2 Remastered arrives the same day on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch and PC. It remasters the 2004 tie-in game with 4K support, a Photo Mode and up to four-player co-op, at $29.99, and was revealed with a trailer that parodies GTA 6’s own marketing. Just Dance: Decades of Hits also reaches Switch 2 on the 10th; it is already out on the other platforms, with 35 songs and a new Adventure Mode.

Thursday 12 November is the best day of the month for a family. Pikmin 4 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy adds an exam mode with online leaderboards and microphone voice commands for Oatchi, and owners of the Switch original can buy an upgrade pack. Pikmin is always worth it: a tiny captain directing a swarm of plant creatures to carry, dig and fight is a genius game idea, and the reason the series never gets old. Sonic Pico Park supports two to eight players locally or online, across Switch 2, Switch, PS5, Xbox and PC, with Silver and Blaze playable. Metaphor: ReFantazio comes to Switch 2 at a lower price than the original launch, with a SteelBook edition at launch in the West and a Game-Key Card physical release; it is a long fantasy RPG, firmly in the after-bedtime category. Barbie Rewind, a 16-game retro collection from Atari and Digital Eclipse, is also dated 12 November, but we could only source that date from storefront listings, so check it before planning around it.

If Sonic Pico Park is the kind of couch co-op you like, our Split Fiction review is the bigger, better-looking two-player game, and Super Mario 3D World remains the best four-player Mario we have covered.

Late November: GTA 6

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on 19 November for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, according to Rockstar’s own page. No PC version is announced. It is a mature-rated game, and the question we hear from parents is not whether it is good but whether it is appropriate, so we wrote an age guide. If you are deciding on a console, our PS5 vs Xbox guide and the storage guide cover the practical side.

After that the month goes quiet. There is no big new release between GTA 6 and the end of November that we could source to a publisher, which is why our weekly picks reach back into the catalogue for that week.

What we are not recommending, and why

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV appears on several calendars with a 30 November date. That is the start of early access: KING Art’s own announcement moved the full launch to 3 December, so it belongs in the December list.

We also left out a handful of small PC and indie titles that appear on aggregator calendars (Crymelight, Wielders of the Essence, Gothic 3 Classic and Let’s Sing 2027 among them) because we could not tie their dates to a publisher page, and two of them disagree with each other by a day. Being told what is not coming is worth as much as being told what is. For the full list with dates, see our release calendar.

Dadnology Take

If you own a Switch 2, Ocarina of Time Remake on the 5th is the one to protect your weekend for, and Pikmin 4 on the 12th is the one to hand to a kid who wants to keep playing. If you own a PS5 or Xbox, the question is GTA 6, and for most families with younger children the honest answer is not yet.

For the youngest players, the Hasbro Junior Collection and Sonic Pico Park are the safest yeses. For couples and older kids, Shrek 2 Remastered is the cheap way to fill an evening with four controllers.

What is the biggest game released in November 2026?

Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC version announced. For Switch 2 owners the headline is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake on 5 November.

Which November 2026 games can I play with my kids?

Sonic Pico Park on 12 November supports two to eight players, Shrek 2 Remastered on 10 November has up to four-player co-op, and the Hasbro Games Junior Collection on 6 November is built for the youngest players. The Ocarina of Time remake is rated E10+. GTA VI and Stellar Blade are mature-rated and are not family games.

Is Stellar Blade on Switch 2 a new game?

No. It is the Complete Edition of the game released on PS5 in 2024, arriving on Switch 2 on 5 November (6 November in Korea) with the collaboration content included. It is rated M.

Is Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV a November release?

No. Its early access begins on 30 November, but the developer’s own announcement moved the full launch to 3 December, so it belongs to December’s games.