Game of the Month January 2026
Image: Push Square

Update []: The votes are in, and to say that the competition was close would be a dramatic understatement.

But before we get into the details, we can confirm that Trails beyond the Horizon is our official Game of the Month for January 2026!

Yep, Falcom's latest (at least, chronologically) instalment in its massive RPG series is widely regarded as one of the strongest entries in years, and as longtime fans ourselves, it's nice to see Trails get some well deserved recognition.

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Over 570 votes were cast in our Game of the Month poll, and believe it or not, for the first time ever, we ended up with a tie for the top spot.

Both Trails beyond the Horizon and Cairn received the exact same number of votes — and so the winner had to be decided by our next set of criteria, which happens to be our own review scores.

We gave Trails beyond the Horizon a 'great' 8/10, while Cairn was handed a 'good' 7/10, meaning that the anime-styled RPG walked away with the prize.

For reference, these were the top five PS5 games of January 2026, according to our readers:

  1. Trails beyond the Horizon - 173 votes (30%)
  2. Cairn - 173 votes (30%)
  3. Code Vein 2 - 99 votes (17%)
  4. Arknights: Endfield - 42 votes (7%)
  5. Highguard - 36 votes (6%)

Again, Trails beyond the Horizon is a bit of a barnstormer. It's the all-important game that Trails through Daybreak and Trails through Daybreak 2 has been leading up to, and presents some absolutely pivotal story moments for the series as a whole.

So, we offer our congratulations to Van and his increasingly large gang! We hope the next Trails title goes down just as well.

Original Story: A new year, a new official Push Square Game of the Month campaign in which you — yes, you! — will help us decide the standout games of 2026. There are (hopefully) exciting times ahead...

So, let's get things started with January, which was, in all fairness, a somewhat quiet opening month. Still, a handful of highly rated titles dropped on PS5, and we need you to vote for your pick of the bunch.

Trails beyond the Horizon got us rolling — a long-awaited JRPG and the latest instalment in Falcom's massive series. By all accounts (including our own) it's an especially strong entry in the current saga.

Then 2XKO made its way to consoles, providing a high quality fighter that's totally free-to-play. It was followed by another free-to-play title in Arknights: Endfield — a gacha RPG that seems to have gone down rather well with fans of the genre.

Highguard's worth mentioning as well, despite ongoing concerns over its staying power, while Cairn offered something entirely different, with its tactical approach to mountain climbing. A rare meditative, but still challenging game.

And we rounded January off with Code Vein 2. Granted, we didn't really gel with this Soulslike sequel, but we're sure plenty of you reading this will have been enjoying its bloody anime action.

What was your Game of the Month for January 2026, then? Cast your vote in our poll, and then explain your choice to the best of your abilities in the comments section below.

Voting closes on Monday the 9th February 2026, at 00:00 GMT.

What was your PS5 Game of the Month for January 2026? (576 votes)

  1. 2XKO5%
  2. Arknights: Endfield7%
  3. Cairn30%
  4. Code Vein 217%
  5. Highguard6%
  6. Trails beyond the Horizon30%
  7. Other5%