Xbox is looking to kick off 2026 in a major way by holding its annual Developer_Direct broadcast on Thursday, January 22 at 10 AM PT/ 1 PM ET. This event is unlike any other that Xbox holds throughout the year because it gives fans news and updates directly from the teams working on titles releasing this coming year.
According to the Xbox Wire blog post, the UK-based studio Playground Games looks to pull double duty at this event by showcasing not one but two titles. This includes the highly anticipated Fable, which is getting its first extended look and debut gameplay. This is something that Xbox fans have been desperately seeking since its initial reveal back in 2023. Since then, we’ve only gotten mostly cinematic trailers and sprinkles of gameplay. A proper showing of lengthy gameplay, a look at the new UI, and other core gameplay mechanics will no doubt satisfy the hunger of Fable fans around the world.
This brings us to the second title Playground Games will be showcasing in Forza Horizon 6. This time around, Forza Horizon 6 will set up shop in the streets of Japan, and according to the Xbox Wire post, Forza Horizon 6 will be giving fans a deep dive into its gameplay, along with new features.
The other title that will be featured from this showcase will be Beast of Reincarnation, which is the upcoming action RPG from Pokémon developer Game Freak. This showing will look to showcase more details about the game’s protagonist, Emma, and her innovative plant manipulation powers, along with her canine companion, Koo.
Lastly, while there isn’t outright confirmation of this occurring, Xbox has used events like this in the past to surprise viewers with additional reveals. The biggest of which was the shocking reveal and shadow drop of Hi-Fi Rush, which took place at the 2023 Developer Direct. So it could be a safe bet to believe that Xbox might have another reveal like this up its sleeve yet again.
The year 2026 looks to be a big one for Xbox, with all of their core titles like Halo, Gears of War, Forza, and Fable all making strong showings in some capacity, and events like this upcoming Developer_Direct will be the perfect stage to provide some clarity as to when and where fans could expect to get their hands on certain titles that will be hitting the Xbox platform, among others, very soon.
