other Xbox Developer Direct A senior Microsoft official confirmed that it is scheduled for January and has named one of the studios to be featured at the event. The upcoming live stream will be the first Xbox gaming showcase of 2026.
The first Xbox Developer Direct will take place in early 2023. Microsoft has since turned this into an annual event, always held in January, previewing a variety of first-party, third-party, and third-party Xbox games that are nearing completion. This trend is now set to continue for the fourth consecutive year.
The leaker claims that more of the Xbox 360's popular games will be playable on the new console and PC.
More fan-favorite Xbox 360 games could be coming to the latest console and PC, according to new insight from a prominent leaker.
Fourth Xbox Developer Direct confirmed for January 2026
In a recent interview with Variety, Microsoft Studios head Matt Booty confirmed that the company is planning another Xbox Developer Direct for January 2026. As was the case with the first three editions of the show, the event will focus on previewing various Xbox titles coming over the year ahead. But this time things are a little different. Because Microsoft is tackling a good problem. “There’s more content coming out this year than we can fit into one Dev Direct show,” Booty explained, hinting that Xbox’s run of generational games will continue until 2026.
Xbox Developer Direct 2026 includes Forza Horizon 6, Fable, or both
In addition to sharing big content promises for 2026, Microsoft executives also revealed Playground Games, one of the studios that will be showcasing at the January showcase. Given the event's focus on upcoming titles, this suggests that the next Xbox Developer Direct will be featured. fable, Forza Horizon 6Or both. fable It was postponed to 2026 in February this year. Forza Horizon 6 It was announced in September with a 2026 release window. If only one person appears in the showcase, a new forza horizon There have already been rumors of a release in the first half of 2026, but with no word on a specific release window yet, the title appears to be a more likely candidate. fable Reboot.
mostly [Xbox] Dev Direct is all about highlighting what's to come. This year we have more coming than we can fit into one Dev Direct show.
Xbox Developer Direct 2026 could take place on January 22nd.
The last two iterations of Xbox Developer Direct took place on the second-to-last Thursday of January. If this pattern holds, the 2026 showcase will take place on January 22nd. In this case, Microsoft is expected to officially announce the showcase with a specific date between January 8 and 13, following the normal flow of communication. The announcement may also include confirmation of some of the games that will be featured at the event, as has been the case in past years. Most, if not all, of these titles will likely be Xbox Game Pass' day one launches during the 2026 Xbox Developer Direct.
Microsoft has no shortage of candidates to showcase at its next Xbox event.
While the first three Xbox Developer Directs featured plenty of games from Microsoft-owned studios, third-party titles ranging from small indie games to ambitious projects also regularly appeared at the annual event. For example, one of the highlights of Xbox Developer Direct 2025 is Claire Obsker: Expedition 33turned out to be one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and globally beloved games of the year. The following was revealed at the same event: Ninja Gaiden 4The previous two versions featured all of the following: Vision of Mana to Ara: The Unknown HistoryThis suggests that the 2026 Xbox Developer Direct may feature a variety of noteworthy content.
First- and third-party Xbox games currently in development
|
game |
developer |
first presentation |
Released in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Elder Scrolls 6 |
Bethesda Game Studios |
June 2018 |
❌ |
|
Project: Mara |
ninja theory |
January 2020 |
❓ |
|
State of Decay 3 |
Undead Lab |
July 2020 |
❓ |
|
fable |
playground games |
July 2020 |
✅ |
|
clockwork revolution |
InXile Entertainment |
June 2023 |
✅ (Rumor) |
|
marbles blade |
Arcane Lyon |
December 2023 |
❌ |
|
O.D. |
kojima production |
December 2023 |
❓ |
|
Gears of War: E-Day |
United, people can fly |
June 2024 |
✅ |
|
Forza Horizon 6 |
Playground Games, Turn 10 Studios |
September 2025 |
✅ |
Looking at the list of hot first- and third-party Xbox games currently in development, several titles appear to be strong candidates for January's showcase. furthermore fable and Forza Horizon 6inXile Entertainment, as directly hinted at by Booty. clockwork revolution and of the union Gears of War: E-Day Both are scheduled for release in 2026. Gears of War While entries for that release window have already been officially confirmed, inXile's steampunk RPG has only been rumored to debut in 2026, based on a recent mention on the LinkedIn profile of one of its developers.
