June 2026 turned out to be a stacked month for action fans on Steam. Whether you’re after chaotic co-op heists with tiny gnomes, mech-piloting desert survival, a hyper-mobile 6v6 shooter, or a sci-fi creature-collecting RPG, this month’s lineup covers every kind of action fix. Here are four of the best new action releases that dropped in June — all making waves with the Steam community.
Burglin’ Gnomes — Chaotic Co-op Heisting at Its Finest
- Release Date: Released
- Price: $9.99 USD
- Developer/Publisher: Fobri
- Store Link: Get Burglin’ Gnomes on Steam
Burglin’ Gnomes is the breakout indie hit of June — a first-person co-op stealth-action game where you and up to five friends play as tiny gnomes breaking into human houses to steal whatever you can grab. Developed by Finnish solo indie developer Fobri, it draws clear inspiration from Lethal Company’s emergent chaos loop, but builds something fresher and more open-ended around it. Its demo went viral earlier in 2026, climbing Steam’s most-wishlisted charts, and the full release has delivered on the hype with over 1,800 reviews sitting at Very Positive (84%). At just $9.99 USD, it’s an easy pickup for any co-op crew.
Key Highlights
- Chaotic co-op emergent gameplay — Up to 6 players invade randomly generated human homes, creating unpredictable, hilarious moments every session.
- Crafting & progression — Repurpose stolen household items to craft equipment and upgrade your gnome home base between heist missions.
- High-Gnome quest system — Complete tasks for your mysterious boss to stay employed, or face the consequences of gnome unemployment.
SAND: Raiders of Sophie — Mech-Piloting Extraction in a Post-Apocalyptic Desert
- Release Date: Released (Early Access)
- Price: $24.99 USD (21% launch discount, $19.74 USD)
- Developer/Publisher: Hologryph / TowerHaus / tinyBuild
- Store Link: Get SAND: Raiders of Sophie on Steam
SAND: Raiders of Sophie is one of the most genuinely original takes on the extraction shooter genre to arrive in years. Set on the fallen planet of Sophie — an alternate-history 1910 Austro-Hungarian space colony destroyed by an ecological disaster — players build and pilot fully customizable walking mech fortresses called Tramplers across procedurally generated desert dunes. You scavenge loot, fight rival players, battle undead Upiors, and try to extract alive. Published by tinyBuild and developed by Ukrainian studio Hologryph with TowerHaus, SAND launched into Early Access on June 22, drawing over 100,000 players in its first four days. Reviews are Mixed (57%) as the team irons out server issues, but the concept is undeniably fresh and a roadmap is already live.
Key Highlights
- Fully customizable Trampler mechs — Build your walking fortress from scratch with interior design, weaponry, armor, and power upgrades to match your playstyle.
- Two distinct modes — Voyage offers persistent open-world exploration at lower stakes; Storm Dive raises the risk with battle royale-style sandstorm closures and high-tier loot.
- Rich alternate-history world — Austro-Hungarian space colonists, Galician workers, and post-apocalyptic pirates all share the dunes in a deeply original setting.
EMPULSE — The Movement Shooter Built for Flowstate
- Release Date: Released (Early Access)
- Price: $19.99 USD (25% launch discount, $14.99 USD)
- Developer/Publisher: 1047 Games
- Store Link: Get EMPULSE on Steam
EMPULSE is the next competitive shooter from 1047 Games — the studio behind Splitgate — and it’s built from the ground up around one idea: movement is the weapon. This is a fast-paced 6v6 PvP shooter set in the post-utopian city of Freehold, where players chain wall-runs, grapple hooks, Holojumps, jetpacks, and P.A.I.N.T. Bombs into continuous flowing combat. Mechs spawn mid-match as contested objectives, giving teams a major power spike when claimed. Launching simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on June 24, EMPULSE arrived with no microtransactions, no battle pass, and all cosmetics earned through gameplay. Its Steam Next Fest demo drew 250,000 wishlists and an 8.1/10 fun score. Early Access reviews sit at Mostly Positive (73%).
Key Highlights
- Deep movement toolkit — Wall-running, grappling, Holojumps, slides, and P.A.I.N.T. Bombs combine into a flowstate-driven combat system unlike anything else in the genre.
- No microtransactions at launch — All cosmetics are earned through in-game play, Gigs, and events — a refreshing stance for a live-service shooter.
- Cross-platform from day one — Full cross-play between PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with Xbox Smart Delivery included.
Voidling Bound — Creature-Collecting Meets Third-Person Action RPG
- Release Date: Released
- Price: $24.99 USD (10% launch discount)
- Developer/Publisher: Hatchery Games
- Store Link: Get Voidling Bound on Steam
Voidling Bound is the most impressive single-player release of June and the most enthusiastically reviewed — sitting at Very Positive with 94% approval across over 1,700 Steam reviews. Developed by Hatchery Games, it’s a sci-fi third-person action RPG that reinvents the monster-taming genre: instead of commanding creatures from the sidelines, you directly control them in real-time combat. You play as a Space Wrangler tasked with reclaiming lush planets overrun by a parasitic corruption, hatching and evolving Voidlings through branching paths that change their appearance, elemental alignment, abilities, and playstyle. Reviewers have drawn comparisons to Skylanders and Ratchet & Clank, and the studio has already confirmed ongoing content updates and console versions are in development.
Key Highlights
- Direct creature control — Unlike traditional monster-tamers, you play AS your Voidling in real-time, slashing, shooting, and parrying through diverse alien biomes.
- Deep evolution & breeding system — 62+ species choices, branching evolution paths, gene editing, body-part customization, and breeding let you craft genuinely unique creatures.
- Abyss endgame mode — Post-story, the Abyss offers escalating challenges with greater rewards for players who want to push their builds to the limit.
Final Thoughts
June 2026 offered something rare: a month where every major action release had a genuinely distinct identity. Burglin’ Gnomes and Voidling Bound are the standout full releases — tight, well-crafted, and already community favorites. SAND and EMPULSE are the ambitious Early Access bets, each with a strong concept and a committed developer actively listening to player feedback. Whether you’re after 15-minute co-op chaos sessions or a deep solo RPG to sink hours into, June’s Steam action lineup has you covered.
