Xbox Leads Metacritic’s 2026 Game Rankings So Far
▼ Summary
– Forza Horizon 6 is the highest-rated video game of 2026 so far on Metacritic, with a score of 92.
– Metacritic’s multiplatform list uses the platform with the most reviews to determine a game’s average score.
– Forza Horizon 6 (92) tops the Metacritic top 10, followed by Pokémon Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem (both 89).
– The top 10 games for Xbox differ from the multiplatform list due to varying review counts per platform.
– Forza Horizon 6 is considered a strong Game of the Year contender, though it’s unlikely to beat the upcoming GTA 6.
The year 2026 is shaping up to be a strong one for Xbox, with Forza Horizon 6 currently sitting at the top of Metacritic’s overall game rankings. While many expected the open-world racer to perform well, its critical reception has been nothing short of stellar, earning a 92 average score and securing the number one spot on the platform’s aggregated list of new releases.
However, Metacritic’s methodology adds a layer of complexity to the rankings. The multiplatform list only includes technically new titles, meaning games like Hades 2 are excluded. Additionally, the final score for each game is based on the platform with the most reviews. For instance, Resident Evil Requiem boasts a 93 average on Xbox, which would place it above Forza Horizon 6. But since it has the most reviews on PS5, where it sits at 89, it appears lower on the overall list. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, but the logic holds up once you understand the rules.
Here is the current Metacritic top 10 for 2026:
- Forza Horizon 6 (92)The picture changes when you isolate the Xbox-specific top 10. Titles like Mixtape illustrate the discrepancy: it holds a 92 average on Xbox based on just nine reviews, but its PS5 version, with 33 reviews, drags the multiplatform score down to 86. This places it around joint-tenth on the overall list, though Metacritic lists it as 13th for reasons that aren’t immediately clear.None of this should be taken too seriously, but the core takeaway remains clear: Forza Horizon 6 is a massive success for Xbox. Playground Games has delivered a genuine Game of the Year contender, even if GTA 6 looms as the likely overall winner. What truly matters is that Xbox now has a top-tier first-party title to rally behind. Let’s just hope the upcoming releases for Halo, Fable, and Gears follow the same smooth trajectory.
