Here we are, just days away from the biggest video game release of the decade. Judging by the barren look of next month's calendar, I have a feeling I might actually get some downtime in November.
It makes sense: the impending arrival of GTA VI has sent such massive shockwaves through the industry that countless studios opted to delay their launches, waiting out the storm. That alone might explain why October was so utterly packed.
As the headline suggests, last month was the busiest of the year in terms of raw video game music output. In fact, it was the single biggest month I've ever encountered in my time running NOWPLAYING, full stop. There's simply no doubt about it: 2026 will go down as a record-breaking year for VGM. At the time of writing, 1,268 OSTs have hit streaming services since January 1st—just 20 soundtracks shy of 2024's full-year total (1,289).
Unsurprisingly, orchestral scores took the lion's share of the 170 new albums that landed on streaming platforms last month. Japan led the charge, powered by Konami's massive catalog drop featuring the complete Suikoden discography alongside 26 Castlevania albums. Clocking in at 147 tracks, Suikoden V claimed the crown as October's longest score.
Among my personal highlights were the "Selected Tracks" from ACE COMBAT 8 and the brooding, atmospheric soundtrack to INDUSTRIA 2. The latest batch of tracks from Japanese gacha title MementoMori also struck a chord, and I haven't been able to stop spinning the gorgeous, trippy score for over the hill. Check out the latest podcast episode for a quick tour of my top picks, or head over to Patreon to unlock an exclusive playlist featuring 400+ curated tracks. You can also dive into my full VGM database right here.
What about AI? The wave seems to be slowing down, if only slightly. Much like in September, I tracked down 9 fully AI-generated game albums across streaming platforms, representing roughly 5.3% of October's output. Keep in mind that most AI releases steer clear of major streaming hubs; far more lurk exclusively on marketplaces like Steam and itch.io, making the full picture notoriously difficult to map.
