Xbox Developer Direct Will Air January 22, Fable and Game Freak Confirmed

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Microsoft has announced that the Xbox Developer Direct will happen on January 22, 2026. Matt Booty, head of Microsoft Studios, initially shared the news in December 2025, and now the date and three upcoming reveals are confirmed.

The Xbox Developer Direct, launched in January 2023, has quickly become a key event for gamers. It starts the year by giving players a look at upcoming Xbox games, typically those planned for release within the next year. While the showcases have largely highlighted games made by Xbox’s own studios—like Forza Motorsport, Avowed, and Doom: The Dark Ages—they’ve also included games from other developers who are collaborating with Xbox, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ninja Gaiden 4.

Xbox Developer Direct Will Take Place on January 22, 2026 and Will Feature Fable, Forza, and Beast of Reincarnation

Image via Xbox

  • Airing January 22 at 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm GMT

The 2026 Xbox Developer Direct is scheduled to stream live on January 22nd at 10am Pacific Time, 1pm Eastern Time, and 6pm GMT on the official Xbox YouTube channel. Xbox has also revealed some of the games that will be featured: the highly anticipated Fable and Forza Horizon 6. We’ll get a longer, more detailed look at Fable, and Forza Horizon 6 will showcase its first gameplay footage and new features.

During the 2026 Xbox Developer Direct, Game Freak showcased Beast of Reincarnation, an action-RPG originally revealed at the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase. The presentation will include new details about the game’s main character, Emma, and her unique ability to control plants in innovative ways.

The Xbox Developer Direct has officially announced three projects, but rumors suggest there could be more reveals. Previous Developer Direct events featured five games in total, and Xbox plans to showcase even more this year. In addition to the confirmed Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day are also expected in 2026, potentially making an appearance at the event. While still unconfirmed, industry insider Jez Corden believes it’s “highly likely” we’ll see news about Xbox’s four main franchises – Halo, Fable, Gears of War, and Forza – sometime during the broadcast.

Xbox’s four major franchises are just a glimpse of the many games currently in development at its studios. Officially announced titles include Marvel’s Blade, The Elder Scrolls 6, State of Decay 3, and Clockwork Revolution. Recent rumors also suggest that Bethesda may be working on remasters or remakes of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

While showing more of games like Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation would still be great, Xbox has a lot of options to make its 2026 Developer Direct truly memorable. Historically, these events have included surprise game releases – like Hi-Fi Rush in January 2023 and Ninja Gaiden 2 Black last year. There’s no confirmation of another surprise launch this year, but Xbox hasn’t ruled it out.

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2026-01-08 19:05