Xbox has announced the date for its upcoming January Developer_Direct to be January 22, 2026, and is kicking off the year strongly with our first official look at Forza Horizon 6, along with Fable and Beast of Reincarnation. All three titles will receive a first-time deep dive, which will reveal additional details, including gameplay. Xbox’s Developer_Direct is not a mass-trailer showcase, but it focuses on a smaller number of titles, and it offers a lot more detail into each of them. This will be the fourth Developer_Direct presentation since Xbox started it back in 2022.
Xbox will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year, and it is also an important year for it because this year, we are getting some of the most iconic franchises associated with the brand. This includes Fable, Forza Horizon, and Gears of War. While Gears of War will not be featured at this Developer_Direct, it is still slated for release sometime this year. This year’s Developer_Direct features two games by Playground Games: Forza Horizon 6 and Fable. The third title is Beast of Reincarnation, which is currently under development at Game Freak. This title was showcased during last year’s Xbox Games Showcase.
The main highlights of the presentation include:
Fable – Playground Games welcomes players back to the fairytale land of Albion, with the first in-depth look at Fable – one of 2026’s most anticipated titles. Devs from the Playground team will unveil the magic and mischief that awaits players in this fresh new beginning for the franchise, including a first look at some stunning new gameplay. Of course, the core themes of Fable will all be there – choice, consequence, drama, action, British humor, and (of course) chickens, all reimagined for existing fans and new players alike.
Forza Horizon 6 – The Forza team from Playground Games will share a deep dive on the much-anticipated Forza Horizon 6 as the open world racer takes players to the beautiful and contrasting landscapes of Japan. The segment will deep-dive into a very first look at gameplay, including reveals of new features, and how Japan comes to life in this stunning new installment.
Beast of Reincarnation – Join us as we delve into Game Freak’s intense one-person, one-dog action RPG. For the first time, Game Freak will reveal details of our protagonist Emma’s innovative plant manipulation actions and gameplay with her canine companion, Koo. In Beast of Reincarnation, a profound and dangerous world unfolds in post-apocalyptic Japan. Discover the development secrets behind its creation in Developer_Direct.
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The Xbox Developer_Direct showcasing Forza Horizon 6 and Fable will take place on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 10 am PST.
