Microsoft has officially confirmed that Xbox The Developer Direct will take place on January 22, 2026. Microsoft Studios head Matt Booty first confirmed the Xbox Developer Direct in December 2025, and now the broadcast date and three of its reveals are officially locked down.
Beginning in January 2023, the Xbox Developer Direct has become a new staple of the gaming industry, kicking off the year by showcasing several Xbox games that are typically slated for release in the next 12 months. While the three previous Xbox Developer Directs primarily focused on first-party titles such as Forza Motorsport, Openand Doom: The Dark Agesthey also showcased third-party projects that work with Xbox in some way, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ninja Gaiden 4.
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The Xbox Developer Direct will take place on January 22, 2026 and will include Fable, Forza and Beast of Reincarnation
- Airs January 22nd at 10:00am PT/1:00pm ET/6:00pm GMT
The 2026 Xbox Developer Direct, which will officially begin airing on January 22nd at 10:00am PT/1:00pm ET/6:00pm GMT, will be available to watch live via the Xbox YouTube channel. Along with confirming the broadcast date, Xbox announced three projects that will be shown during the event, with two of them coming from Playground Games. Both Fable and Forza Horizon 6 will be shown at the Xbox Developer Direct in 2026 with Fable get your “first extended look” and Forza Horizon 6 reveals its debut look at gameplay and “new features.”
Third game confirmed to appear in 2026 Xbox Developer Direct Beast from Reincarnationa game first announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Beast from Reincarnation is an action RPG developed by the company Pokemon studio Game Freak. During the Developer Direct, Game Freak is set to reveal never-before-seen details Beast from Reincarnationprotagonist Emma, who will have access to “innovative plant manipulation actions”.
While only three projects have been officially confirmed to appear during the Xbox Developer Direct, more secrets may be in store if recent industry shakeups are to be believed. All three previous Developer Directs have featured a total of five game shows, and this year Xbox has more to show than ever before. Together with Forza Horizon 6 and Fableboth Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day they're also set to arrive in 2026, meaning they have a good chance of appearing in at least some capacity during the Developer Direct. While it's purely speculation at this point, Windows Central's Jez Corden recently shared his expectations for Xbox in 2026, saying that while he doesn't know what will emerge during the Developer Direct, it's “highly likely” that the four pillars of Xbox franchises will emerge. Halo, Fable, Gears of Warand Forza.
These four pillars of the franchise are also just scratching the surface of what Xbox is currently cooking up in all of its first-party studios. As for officially confirmed games, there is Marvel's Blade, The Elder Scrolls 6, State of decomposition 3and Mechanical revolution in development per minute. There have also been rumors in recent days that Bethesda might have Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remasters/remakes in production.
Although extended views of Fable, Forza Horizon 6and Beast from Reincarnation it would still be an exciting showcase, there's a lot Xbox could draw on to make its 2026 Xbox Developer Direct truly one for the ages. The Xbox Developer Direct also has a history of incorporating the Shadow Drop into its lineup, with Hi-Fi Rush day and date of retirement in January 2023 a Ninja Gaiden 2 Black surprise launch at the end of last year's Developer Direct. Of course, there's no guarantee it will happen again this year, but Xbox hasn't officially said otherwise yet.
Source: Xbox Wire
