The Strong National Museum of Play just revealed the 2026 class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame. And yeah, the lineup is honestly what you expect from the phrase "hall of fame."

Every year since 2015, the museum has picked some games. Not just based on their sales, but actually, which changed gaming culture, influenced developers, or completely took over people’s lives for years.

This isn't some random popularity contest either. Historians, journalists, scholars, and gaming experts all help decide which titles make the cut. And this year's picks are no exception as well.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds has appeared as a finalist multiple times before. But this year it got its deserved breakthrough. This Rovio title was released in 2009 and eventually became one of the first true smartphone gaming phenomena.

Today, it sits at more than a billion downloads worldwide. And all it needed was a simple touch-based slingshot gameplay. The Hall of Fame committee specifically highlighted these titles because it took mobile gaming into the mainstream.

FIFA International Soccer

There is no hint of doubt that this game laid the foundation for what eventually became the biggest football gaming franchise in history. It was released back in 1993, and football games existed before. But FIFA's presentation, licensing approach, and yearly releases have made it stand taller than the rest.

As per Hall of Fame records, the FIFA series sold over 325 million copies before EA rebranded the franchise to EA Sports FC. Its global reach made it far bigger internationally than most other sports simulations.

Dragon Quest

Dragon Quest got its deserved title nearly 40 years after its release. The game was developed for the Nintendo Famicom and helped define what modern Japanese RPGs would eventually become. It simplified complex Western RPG ideas into a more console-friendly experience. That eventually led JRPGs to explode in popularity across Japan.

Be its turn-based gameplay, storytelling structure, music, or progression systems, later franchises like Final Fantasy and Pokémon were influenced by this game. Besides the game itself, the work of composer Koichi Sugiyama was legendary as well. His orchestral approach actually changed how game music was treated in the industry. And the committee didn't forget to acknowledge that.

Silent Hill

Silent Hill is regarded as arguably the best horror gaming franchise. In 1999, when other games of this genre purely relied on jump scares or action-heavy combat, it used psychological horror. Besides that, its fog-covered town, disturbing sound design, and emotional storytelling changed how people used to see a survival-horror game at that time.

During the PlayStation era, this iconic title pushed technical limits with 3D graphics and a dynamic camera system. And who would have thought that after over two decades, the franchise is well and truly alive? All thanks to Silent Hill f and Silent Hill 2 Remake.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame already includes some of the most important games ever released. Games like Pac-Man, Pong, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Grand Theft Auto III, Minecraft, and Mortal Kombat are all there.

Now, with the recent arrival of the four titles, the Hall of Fame boasts over 50 games.

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Written by

Nilendu Brahma

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi