LIVE: Everything Announced at Xbox Developer Direct 2026

Microsoft is kicking 2026 off with a new Xbox Developer Direct showcase, which will feature some of the biggest games it has coming out this year.

Confirmed to appear at the showcase is Playground’s Fable reboot, the UK studio’s other game, Forza Horizon 6, as well as Beast of Reincarnation, an action game from Pokemon developer Game Freak.

Could there be more to Xbox Developer Direct? Find out right here with IGN. The action starts at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK today, January 22.

Forza Horizon 6

Xbox Developer Direct 2026 kicked off with a look at Forza Horizon 6 from the developers at UK studio Playground Games. As we know, the game is set in Japan, where you start out as a tourist. Your first goal is to join the Horizon festival and progress your career from there, unlocking new areas as you go.

Japan is the Horizon series' largest map, Playground said. The studio worked with consultants to make sure its representation of Japan was authentic as possible. The developers themselves visited Japan to get plenty of reference material. There are hundreds of cars, with a better balanced roster and new cosmetic tyre wear.

Customizable garages are found at every playable house, Playground said. You can invite your friends over to see what you've built, too. Your Estate starts off empty and overgrown, but you can build directly in the open world, and everything can be visited by your friends. It all sounds very Animal Crossing! Based on the video shown during the Direct, Forza Horizon 6 looks impressive indeed.

Beast of Reincarnation

Next up was Beast of Reincarnation, a new action game from Pokemon developer Game Freak. This is an entirely new type of video game from the legendary studio. Directed by Kota Furushima, Beast of Reincarnation allows players to step into the role of Emma the Sealer as they journey through post-apocalyptic Japan to save humanity from extinction. It’s due out 2026 across Xbox Series X and S, PC, and PlayStation 5. It's also a day-one Game Pass title.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.