Microsoft kicked 2026 off with a new Xbox Developer Direct showcase, which featured some of the biggest games the company has coming out this year.
We got fresh looks at Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation, and a surprise appearance from Double Fine in the form of Kiln.
Below we have a roundup of everything announced, including all the trailers and videos from the showcase. Read on to find out all Microsoft had up its sleeve for Xbox Developer Direct 2026!
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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. For more, check out all the new details on Forza Horizon 6, which we’ve rounded up here.
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 summer 2026 across Xbox Series X and S, PC, and PlayStation 5. It’s also a day-one Game Pass title.
Here’s all the new details on Beast of Reincarnation revealed today. We’ve got plenty more on Beast of Reincarnation coming soon!
Kiln
Microsoft surprise-announced a new game from Double Fine Productions, called Kiln. Studio chief Tim Schafer revealed Kiln, which he said was all about creating with other players before destroying everything. Kiln is an online multiplayer “pottery” party brawler about pots that transform into playable characters via an in-game potter’s wheel. Expect high energy, “expressive” multiplayer action, Schafer added. Kiln is actually being re-revealed today. Double fine publicly talked about it as far back as 2017. Expect a launch in spring 2026 on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Double Fine said it will continue to update the game following launch, with a closed beta coming soon. Here’s everything revealed on Kiln today.
Fable
Microsoft ended its Xbox Developer Direct with the star of the show: Fable. Playground Games (the same dev making Forza Horizon series) has built a new team to make this Fable reboot, its first open world action RPG. It’s carrying on the work of Lionhead, which Microsoft shut down in 2016.
You begin the game as a child gorwing up in a sleepy rural village. You are Albion’s first hero in a generation. You set off on an adventure, venturing out into the open world. This is a true open world, Playground said, which means you’re free to go where you want from the start of the game.
We got a decent look at character customization, combat, and of course, kicking chickens. Combat combines melee and ranged attacks, as well as powerful spells. Hobbes return, as you’d expect. Outside combat, you can buy a house, get a job, make money, and romance a villager. You could buy another house, buy more houses, marry loads of people and have even more kids. It’s a game within a game, Playground said.
The ‘living population,’ as Playground calls it, includes 1,000 NPCs who go about their business. You can talk to each of them in fully-voiced conversations. You could even hire them to work in your businesses, or evict them as a landlord. They’ll comment on your actions, too, as part of the new reputation system. Some of your choices will actually change the world of Albion for the rest of the game.
Fable is due out on Xbox Series X and S, PC, and PlayStation 5 autumn 2026. For more, check out IGN’s interview with Playground studio head and Fable director Ralph Fulton.
And that’s it! Four games for Xbox Developer Direct 2026, all coming out this year. What are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
