Xbox Developer Direct 2026 Announced for Next Week, Featuring Fable and Forza Horizon 6

After Xbox Game Studios brag Matt Booty teased the instrumentality of Microsoft's now-annual Xbox Developer Direct showcase past month, the steadfast has present confirmed the details. The 2026 Dev Direct volition aerial unrecorded connected Thursday, January 22 astatine 10am PT. You tin ticker it unrecorded present connected IGN oregon connected IGN's YouTube channel.

Booty had already confirmed the beingness of accomplished Xbox Game Studios developer Playground Games astatine the event, and present we cognize for definite that some its upcoming blockbusters volition beryllium shown: Forza Horizon 6 and Fable.

Given that some are expected to merchandise this twelvemonth and they are 2 of Xbox's biggest first-party offerings – and that we've yet to spot due gameplay from either 1 – we're owed a due look astatine gameplay. And that, according to Microsoft's announcement this morning, is precisely what we'll get.

Also featured successful the showcase volition beryllium Beast of Reincarnation, the upcoming enactment RPG from Pokémon developer Game Freak that was announced during the Xbox Showcase lawsuit successful June past year.

There's nary confirmation of immoderate different games nether the Microsoft umbrella being included, specified arsenic Gears of War: E-Day, the prequel that's bringing backmost Delta Squad to the clip play earlier Emergence Day; oregon Halo: Campaign Evolved, the Unreal Engine 5-based remake of the archetypal Halo's campaign. I played it, if you'd similar to work oregon ticker my archetypal impressions.

Typically Microsoft does see astatine slightest 1 astonishment title, however. Could this beryllium wherever we get a glimpse astatine the newly-leaked Life is Strange: Reunion? It's possibly worthy noting that the franchise's erstwhile crippled Life is Strange: Double Exposure was unveiled backmost during the Xbox Showcase successful June 2024.

For much connected what stands to beryllium a precise engaged twelvemonth for Microsoft, cheque retired my What to Expect From Xbox successful 2026 piece, and articulation america each Thursday for a caller occurrence of Podcast Unlocked.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's enforcement exertion of previews and big of some IGN's play Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, arsenic good arsenic our monthly(-ish) interrogation show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, truthful it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him connected Twitter astatine @DMC_Ryan.