Free-to-play adventure-RPG tops Steam's "Trending Upcoming" chart with 16,000+ wishlists ahead of 2026 release
Among the multiple upcoming Steam RPGs we've covered recently, such as Crystalfall and The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, Sea of Remnants is another inventive free-to-play entry in the same fantasy-RPG space. Developed by Joker Studio and published by NetEase Games, the game is shaping up to be one of the year’s most ambitious free-to-play releases, with a ton of open-world exploration, narrative depth, and unusual combat systems. As of writing, it's sitting on the top of Steam's "Trending and Upcoming" chart.
As an introduction, Sea of Remnants casts players as a memory-less puppetfolk sailor who's navigating a vast archipelago and a sprawling pirate city referred to as Orbtopia. The world is basically designed to react to player decisions - recruitment, alliances, rivalries and even character deaths can affect city dynamics and NPC arcs - creating a narrative structure that should feel "personal" across multiple playthroughs.
Visuals look to be one of the game's stronger points. The game uses a gorgeous, stylized puppet-like art style that many other gritty RPG rivals don't have. Islands, ports and the high seas are filled with playful character designs, colorful environments and a cast of over 400 named NPCs, each with their own daily routines and storylines that add life to Orbtopia.
Gameplay in Sea of Remnants is a mix of tactical and real-time systems. On land, turn-based combat depends on with strategic crew composition and special mechanics like magical dice buffs. At sea, players can command customizable ships through naval encounters that are rewarded by positioning, cannon fire timing, and seafaring tactics. However, exploration isn’t limited to just combat: fishing, mini-games and dynamic weather events also contribute to a lived-in world.
The developers, NetEase and Joker Studio, have a fleshed-out post-launch plan in place. They are promising seasonal updates every 10 weeks and major expansions every 20, as part of a live-service roadmap that should keep content flowing long after the initial drop. They have also confirmed that monetization will stick to cosmetic and battle pass mechanics rather than pay-to-win progression.
Interested gamers will be glad to find that Sea of Remnants has successfully navigated several early tests, including a closed "Wanderer Test" alpha phase. Players got a taste of the game's core systems ahead of the full launch planned for later in 2026 on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and mobile platforms. Plus, the game has full controller support on PC too. The only major gripe is the lack of a definitive release date as of writing, but considering the game just crossed 16,000 wishlists, there's a chance that developers publish another update for their rapidly growing future player-base.
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