Students who are stressed about upcoming exams can “Just Dance” their worries away.
The acclaimed Ubisoft franchise returned Oct. 14 with “Just Dance 2026 Edition,” the latest installation in the multiplayer dance video game series. With over 40 new tracks, “Just Dance 2026 Edition” features a variety of the year’s top hits, from “APT.” by Bruno Mars and Rosé to “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan. The game’s newest version also includes “Camera Controller Mode,” which tracks a player’s full body movements, as well as a Co-op Party Mode that encourages competition and collaboration between dancers.
After booting up the game, players are met with a brightly colored homepage full of Just Dance’s newest song choices, organized by genre and in pre-curated playlists. One of the most intriguing features of this year’s version is game’s accessibility – in addition to several other filter settings, dancers can search for specific songs that require no jumping or are “leg-friendly.” Considerations like these allow the game to reach a wider audience, encouraging dancers of all backgrounds and abilities to join in the fun.
Every song also includes a difficulty and effort rating, allowing dancers to gauge how energetic of a dance they want to perform. The difficulty rating details the complexity of the song’s choreography, while the effort rating showcases the energy levels the song requires. However, these ratings tend to be incredibly variable – “Love You Like A Love Song” by Selena Gomez and “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd both have low effort ratings, but can have dancers exerting themselves at wildly different rates. Although it is valuable to have a general understanding of how exhausting a dance can be, the rating system’s worth falters in the face of inconsistency.
Another notable feature of “Just Dance 2026 Edition” is the Workout Mode, which allows users to track their total time played and calories burned during that period. Introduced in “Just Dance 2024 Edition,” the mode answers a question players have long held: “How many calories have I burned in the last hour of dancing?” The feature lets users track workouts solo or in a group with other players, adding another dimension of rivalry to already competitive group choreographies.
Beyond the innovative Workout Mode, a hallmark feature of past Just Dance editions has been revamped in the 2026 version. Compared to past titles, in which colorfully clad dancers performed in front of relatively static CGI backgrounds, many of the 40 new tracks feature dynamic backgrounds that changes drastically as the songs progress. For instance, in the choreography to Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” a phoenix emerges behind the dancer during the song’s cathartic bridge – a visual choice amplifying Roan’s power and her ex-lover’s regret. Moreover, in the choreography for Lola Young’s “Messy,” a dancer performs in front of a dull suburban home. As the song progresses, the walls become increasingly colorful and abstract, powerfully reflecting Young’s embrace of her imperfections.
Despite these refreshing technical and artistic updates, “Just Dance 2026 Edition” remains mired in what should be the least important element of a dancing game – the menu. The easy-to-navigate interface, well-suited for the franchise’s younger audience, was overhauled in 2022 when Just Dance introduced Just Dance+, a cloud software service that compiles 400-plus danceable titles for a monthly fee. This addition has inundated Just Dance’s 2026 installment’s homepage with a nauseating amount of lists, submenus and filter options, potentially leading to confusion as users struggle to easily find one of the edition’s new songs, all while mimicking the Instagram Explore page all too well.
Despite a hard-to-navigate home screen and flaky energy ratings, “Just Dance 2026 Edition” fulfills its key purpose: bringing players together through dance. The game’s newest song choices allow dancers to revisit favorite songs from the past year, from “Messy” to “Abracadabara,” as well as old hits from previous decades, such as “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” The game maintains the eye-catching visuals and fun choreography that long-time fans have come to enjoy and gets players active, even in the face of interface issues.
With an expanded catalog and a slew of new features, “Just Dance 2026 Edition” ensures that players will work up quite a sweat from all their dancing fun.
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