Xbox Developer Direct 2026: the biggest games and announcements – The Verge

Fable is coming to PS5 when it finally launches this fall

2026-01-22T14:18:24-05:00

Xbox showed off new footage of its Fable reboot during its Developer Direct on Thursday and announced that the game is set to launch this autumn for Xbox, PC, and PS5.

The new Fable is an open-world action RPG. In addition to letting you customize your character and your combat skills, you can also do not-heroic things like build a house (or many) and romance and marry a villager (or many). Characters in the game will react to how you've treated them or your reputation - if you've evicted a villager from one of your houses, they might greet you with disdain.

There is a morality system, but it seems like it will be more nuanced than it was …

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Here’s a new look at Beast of Reincarnation, from the team behind Pokémon

2026-01-23T17:10:05-05:00

It's been a bit of a wait, but a big new game from Pokémon developer Game Freak is almost here. During the Xbox Developer Direct showcase, the studio showed off more gameplay for its action RPG Beast of Reincarnation, and confirmed that it will be launching in the summer of 2026 on the PS5, Xbox, and PC.

Here's the overview that aired during the event:

Beast of Reincarnation is set in a postapocalyptic Japan in the year 4026, and it's described as a "one-person one-dog action RPG," with a world and gameplay designed to evoke the feelings of "warmth, trust, and loneliness." In practice, it looks a little like a cross between Dark Souls and …

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Forza Horizon 6 launches in May

2026-01-22T13:30:22-05:00

Forza Horizon 6 will launch on Xbox Series X / S and PC on May 19th, Xbox and developer Playground Games announced during Thursday's Developer Direct showcase. If you preorder the Premium Edition, you can play starting May 15th. The game will come to PS5 later this year.

The game has the largest map in a Forza Horizon game, Playground Games said during the event. In the stream, Playground showed off a bunch of different environments, including dense urban areas and lush natural landscapes. Forza Horizon 6 will have more than 550 cars at launch, more than has ever been available at launch for a Forza Horizon title.

Xbox and Playground Game …

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Xbox’s Developer Direct returns on January 22nd with Fable and Forza Horizon 6 gameplay

2026-01-22T12:59:19-05:00

Microsoft's annual Xbox Developer Direct event is taking place on January 22nd this year. The fourth Developer Direct will provide a closer look at two of Microsoft's biggest Xbox games this year, Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, as well as a first in-depth look at Beast of Reincarnation from Game Freak.

Playground Games will debut the first gameplay of Forza Horizon 6 during the Developer Direct show, after first revealing that the next installment in the Forza Horizon franchise is set in Japan. Forza Horizon 6 players will be able to experience the neon lights and buildings of Tokyo City, as well as an open world set in various other parts of J …

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