Only three games were expected to be presented at the Xbox Developer Direct show, but there were actually four: Fable and Forza Horizon 6 from Playground Games, Beast of Reincarnation from Game Freak and Kiln from Double Fine.
Xbox Developer_Direct began 2026 by showcasing new gameplay and developer insights for four games set to release this year. Playground Games presented Fable and Forza Horizon 6; Game Freak showed off Beast of Reincarnation; and Double Fine announced Kiln. All of the games are Xbox Play Anywhere titles and will be available on Steam and PlayStation 5 too. All four games are included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one.
Forza Horizon 5, one of the most successful and popular Xbox games, is set to receive a sequel in May 2026. Set in Japan, the arcade racing game will feature the largest and most detailed map of any Horizon game to date (and the biggest city yet, Tokyo), filled with verticality, different biomes, seasonality, engaging driving experiences and a celebration of Japan's unique car culture. The cover cars are the 2025 Toyota GR GT Prototype, which is set to make its video game debut in Forza Horizon 6, and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser. In Forza Horizon 6, players start not as professional drivers, but as tourists with a dream to one day attend the Horizon Festival in Japan. This is a different approach to previous games: in Forza Horizon 5's Mexico, players are already at the apex of their career. Horizon 6 is more than just a fresh start, so players must work their way up through different race types to earn badges in order to participate in the festival.
However, it's still a Horizon game, with over 550 cars, improved audio (engine sounds) and updated steering animations with up to 540 degrees of wheel rotation. Players can also customise garages in Japanese homes and build freely in the open world at The Estate, a mountain valley. Favourite cars can be upgraded with body kits and new Forza Aero options, and players can also paint custom liveries on windows. New shared experiences include Drag Meets and Horizon Time Attack Circuits. Forza Horizon 6 will be released on 19 May 2026; the Premium Edition will be available from 15 May 2026. The game will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam and, later in 2026, on PlayStation 5.
Forza Horizon 6 © Playground Games & Xbox Game Studios
The UK-based studio Playground Games offered an in-depth look at its upcoming open-world action role-playing game, which is set in the fairy-tale world of Albion. Fable promises to deliver everything players loved about the original trilogy, including choice and consequence, dry British wit, and playful moral chaos. The game features a surprisingly deep living population of NPCs, with reactions to the player's actions. Xbox: "Beyond all the combat lies a living world where you can carve your own identity. Get filthy rich as a landlord or blacksmith, romance a villager (or three), have a bunch of kids, and watch as your reputation precedes you. Being a Hero is a bit like being a celebrity… if celebrities carried swords and occasionally battled giant fire-breathing chickens." Fable is set to launch in autumn 2026. It will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam and PlayStation 5.
Fable 6 © Playground Games & Xbox Game Studios
Developed by Game Freak and published by Fictions, Beast of Reincarnation is an action-strategy game with a touch of mystery. This "one-person, one-dog action RPG" follows Emma and her companion Koo as they embark on an adventure through a haunting, post-apocalyptic Japan. Emma has been afflicted by 'blight', which has erased her memories and emotions but given her the ability to manipulate plants. This has led her to meet Koo, a dog that has become a 'malefact'. Emma uses classic, fast-paced real-time attacks, while Koo offers additional skills that can be selected from a menu, slowing time and making the game more like a turn-based RPG. Beast of Reincarnation is launching in Summer 2026 and will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam, and PlayStation 5.
Beast of Reincarnation © Game Freak / Fictions
Created by Double Fine in San Francisco, Kiln is an online multiplayer pottery party brawler. It's a team-based arena battle game in which players craft ceramic battle armour on a pottery wheel. The kind of pot players make determines their abilities. According to Double Fine: "The shape of your pots affect your attributes and your play-style. Will you be big, or small? Wide, or tall? Will you make a plate, a jug, a cup or a bowl There are a multitude of different sizes and combinations to discover, each with unique abilities and attacks, along with new and surprising ways to play." Kiln is set to release in spring 2026. It will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam, and PlayStation 5.
Kiln © Double Fine Productions & Xbox Game Studios
This Xbox Developer_Direct show features just some of the games coming to Xbox this year. Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved have already been announced. And, as 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Xbox, there may be some surprises in store, too.
