Xbox Developer Direct 2026 Live Date, Games, And What To Expect

Xbox Developer Direct 2026 will return next week with a live broadcast scheduled for Thursday, January 22, at 10 a.m. PT. Microsoft confirmed the details after Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty signaled the showcase’s return last month.

The showcase will feature Playground Games with two projects confirmed for the broadcast: Forza Horizon 6 and Fable. Both titles are expected to release later this year and represent two of Xbox’s largest first-party launches for 2026. Neither game has yet received a full gameplay reveal. Microsoft has confirmed that the Developer Direct will include in-depth gameplay footage for both, marking the first substantial look at how each title plays.

The event will stream live on the Xbox YouTube channel.

Forza Horizon 6 is the latest entry in Playground’s open-world racing series, following Forza Horizon 5’s 2021 release. Fable, a reboot of the long-running fantasy RPG franchise, has been in development for several years and remains one of Xbox’s most anticipated exclusives. The Developer Direct is positioned as the first opportunity to evaluate both projects beyond cinematic trailers.

Also confirmed for the broadcast is Beast of Reincarnation, an upcoming action RPG from Game Freak. The studio, best known for the Pokémon series, revealed the project during the Xbox Showcase in June last year. The Developer Direct presentation is expected to expand on that announcement with gameplay and development details.

Microsoft has not confirmed any additional titles for the event. Projects such as Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel set before Emergence Day, and Halo: Campaign Evolved, an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Halo campaign, remain unannounced for the lineup. Previous Xbox Developer Direct events have included at least one unannounced or unexpected title, though Microsoft has not indicated whether that will happen again this year.

The broadcast will air live, with no indication of a prerecorded format, maintaining the structure used in recent Developer Direct presentations.