New Unreal Engine 5 RPGs coming in 2023 and beyond

Many major developers have announced in recent years that their upcoming titles will use Unreal Engine 5 rather than other game engines. We've compiled a list of some of the most anticipated role-playing games due in 2023 and beyond.

Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate

The next entry in the massively successful Dragon Quest series was announced for 2021, with Square Enix using Unreal Engine 5 following the positive reception of Dragon Quest 11's use of Unreal Engine 4's graphical capabilities.

Little is known about the game itself, but series creator Yuji Horii revealed earlier this year that DQ12 is aimed at a more "adult audience," implying a much darker title than the series' brighter and lighter styles. This move is most likely an attempt to broaden the series' appeal outside of Japan, where it has notoriously lagged behind the success of Square's other RPG series, Final Fantasy.

There is no specific release date for the game yet, but it is expected to be launched in 2024 or 2025, depending on whether the studio has recovered from development issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, similar to DQ11, it is expected to be released on the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Chrono Odyssey

Chrono Odyssey is the debut title of Korean developer and publisher Npixel, and despite limited official information, it has captivated many MMO fans with its stunning visuals, engaging combat systems, and intriguing time-warping story.

Many classic MMORPG classes, such as Paladins, Sorcerers, and Assassins, will be available, but the game has opted for a more active combat system, with players able to equip two weapons at once to take advantage of the weapon-switching mechanic, which Npixel refers to as creating a "personalized combat style.”

We don't know when the MMORPG will be released on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It was originally scheduled for 2022, but the developers decided to upgrade from Unreal Engine 4 to 5, so a full release, or at least a beta, could occur in late 2023 to early 2024.

Lords of the Fallen (2023)

Lords of the Fallen is a complete reboot of the action RPG series, following the mixed reception of the original 2014 title. It casts the player as one of nine playable classes in Axiom's living world, with the ability to travel to Umbral's undead realm and defeat various enemies in both physical and magical combat.

The game is directly inspired by the Souls series and Elden Ring, with a slightly faster gameplay style. It will also feature both PvE and PvP multiplayer modes, which allow for exploration as well as battles with other players, however, unlike the Souls games, players will not need to possess an in-game item to access the co-op mode.

The game was announced in May to be released on October 13, 2023, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S by publisher CI Games.

Avowed

Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed has been in development since 2018 and was originally conceived as the studio's response to Bethesda's Skyrim. The upcoming action RPG is set in the world of Eora, which previously appeared in Pillars of Eternity, and will cast the player in the first-person role of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire.

The game will be similar to Obisidian's previous release, The Outer Worlds, with a dialogue system, skills and abilities, and various weapons such as magic, melee weapons, and firearms to fight against enemies. Instead of a completely open world like its inspiration, Skyrim, the developers have opted for a large zone-like structure.

It's currently scheduled for release on Xbox Series X/S and PC via Game Pass in 2024, with no indication of a delay.

Pax Dei

Pax Dei by Mainframe Industries is a "social sandbox MMORPG" set in a fantasy world inspired by the Middle Ages. It will emphasize a player-driven economy, with players in charge of everything from crafting and selling weapons and armor to growing or finding materials used to build homes and bases, giving "all" play styles a place in its world.

Alpha testing for PC players is set to begin in late 2023, with Mainframe also working on a "cloud-native" version that will allow players to join in on any device via cloud streaming, with a full release date of 2024. You can sign up for a chance to participate in the Alpha on its official website.

Kingdom Hearts IV

Square Enix revealed Kingdom Hearts IV at an event commemorating the Disney crossover series' 20th anniversary in 2022, confirming that series protagonist Sora would return in a brand new story arc with an edgier look than previous entries.

Outside of the trailer, not much is known about the game, but it's clear that it will retain the combat-heavy gameplay found in the franchise thus far, with Sora being able to run and jump around the environment while using various abilities to fight the Heartless.

There is no official release date for the title, and fans will likely have to wait a while because Square is known for keeping things under wraps for the series, but we can assume that it will be released on both PlayStation and Xbox. Hopefully, the wait will not be as long as the 13-year gap between Kingdom Hearts II and III.