10 – Imperium Eternal
- Developer: EPO Games
- Publisher: MicroProse Software
- Release Date: To be announced
- Steam Page
For fans of classic real-time strategy games, the Empire Earth series remains an unmatched masterpiece. Released in the early 2000s, it stands as one of the best forgotten PC strategy games of all time. While the franchise has long been dormant, a new contender is stepping up to reclaim the throne. Imperium Eternal, an upcoming RTS published by the legendary MicroProse, is the closest thing to a modern Empire Earth remake we are going to get in 2026.
For those unfamiliar with the title, Imperium Eternal perfectly bridges the gap between Age of Empires RTS action and Sid Meier’s Civilization journey across human history. It allows players to take command of a civilization in real-time, evolving their empire across human history, from the prehistoric Stone Age all the way into the distant, sci-fi future.
9 – Sanctuary: Shattered Sun
- Developer: Enhearten Media
- Publisher: Enhearten Media
- Release Date: To be announced
- Steam Page
If you are a strategy fan who sorely misses the golden era of grand-scale RTS games like Supreme Commander, Sanctuary: Shattered Sun needs to be at the top of your wishlist. The game is built around a jaw-dropping sci-fi concept: waging full-scale planetary war across a gargantuan Dyson Sphere, which can be destroyed mid-combat, allowing for an entire section of the map to be closed off, transformed, and new strategies to emerge. A well-placed strike can literally rip the map apart beneath your foe and destroy thousands of units in seconds. The game has been in development for quite a while, and development is moving steadily, so here’s hoping we see the game arrive sometime in 2027.
8 – The Last General
- Developer: Wakety
- Publisher: Wakety
- Release Date: 2027
- Steam Page
The sheer fact that this solo passion project is coming together so beautifully is enough to impress any PC strategy fan. Well, at least it continuously impresses me every time a new update of the game comes out. It immediately brings to mind the historic launch of Manor Lords, proving that a single dedicated developer can create a unique gameplay experience that triple-A studios completely miss. If you love grand-scale strategy games with a focus on realism and logistics, The Last General is an indie title you absolutely need to keep on your radar. Its premise of fighting, in real-time, over massive continents, preparing huge offensives, and still managing an economy sounds like one of the most ambitious projects in the RTS space right now.
7 – Ashes of the Singularity II
- Developer: Oxide Games
- Publisher: Stardock Entertainment
- Release Date: Coming soon
- Steam Page
If you miss the golden era of grand-scale sci-fi RTS games, Ashes of the Singularity II needs to be on your radar. Oxide Games and Stardock Entertainment are teaming up once again to deliver a sequel that aims to redefine strategic PC gaming. Thanks to modern hardware and a brand-new proprietary engine, the game natively supports thousands of units on screen at once, complete with fully destructible terrain. But what truly sets it apart is its focus on deep macro-strategy over high-APM micromanagement. In my interview with them, the developers made their design philosophy crystal clear: “If I see a game that is just StarCraft or Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance with better visuals, I’ll just stick with the original“.
6 – D.O.R.F.
- Developer: DORFteam
- Publisher: DORFteam
- Release Date: To be announced
- Steam Page
Just looking at D.O.R.F. is enough to make me smile from ear to ear. I love this art style! This brilliantly gritty RTS looks like a lost masterpiece from 1998, and that is exactly why the strategy community is obsessed with it. Set in a twisted, dystopian future, DORF pits three highly asymmetric factions against one another in a brutal war over resources. The game completely embraces the design philosophy of classic Westwood Studios titles. We’re talking crazy units, a grim future, massive refineries, walls of defensive turrets, and screen-filling armies of tanks, infantry, and bizarre genetic monstrosities that wouldn’t look out of place in Mad Max or Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.
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