How to watch the Xbox Developer Direct: Start times, games, and more 

⚠️This page mixes confirmed information with industry rumors and speculation. We’ll keep it updated as new details and leaks come to light.

2026 has begun, and it’s time for developers and publishers to reveal their crop of titles for the upcoming year. Things should be a lot smoother than 2025, considering the threat of Grand Theft Auto 6 is still penciled in for the end of the year, so studios are free to fill out the rest of the schedule without fear of their games being swallowed whole.

Microsoft is drawing first blood, as its January 22 Xbox Developer Direct is leading the charge. The first Xbox Developer Direct is bringing a mix of first and third-party titles, all of which are highly anticipated and could help elevate the Xbox brand, assuming they actually launch in 2026. 

The Escapist recaps

• Microsoft is holding an Xbox Developer Direct on January 22, 2026.
• Three games have been confirmed for the show, with rumors of a fourth title that will be debuted. 
• The three confirmed titles at the show will appear on Game Pass. 
• 2026 marks Xbox’s 25th anniversary, so fans are expecting big things from the show.

How to watch the Xbox Developer Direct (Times, platforms)

The next Xbox Developer Direct will take place on January 22, 2026, at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern / 6 PM GMT on January 22. It’s currently unknown how long the show will last, but it will feature segments hosted by the developers of each main title. 

You can check out the Xbox Developer Direct on the official Xbox YouTube and Twitch accounts. 

Confirmed games and announcements

Microsoft has confirmed that three games will appear during the January 2026 Xbox Developer Direct. 

Fable will be headlining the show. This long-awaited revival of one of Xbox’s premier RPG franchises was first announced in 2020 and has been repeatedly delayed. Hopefully, the January 2026 Xbox Developer Direct will finally provide a solid release date, preferably this year. 

Fable has a loose 2026 release window, but given the turmoil at Microsoft over the past year and the canceled projects, there’s a lot of concern it will be pushed back to 2027. The Xbox Developer Direct will give Microsoft the chance to calm these fears.

Forza Horizon 6 is taking the series to Japan, and while we haven’t seen much of the gameplay, it promises to be a spectacle for the eyes. The Forza Horizon series has grown in popularity, owing to its recent shift to multiplatform, so all eyes are on the Xbox Developer Direct to see if Sony fans will get it at the same time as Xbox owners. 

Of the three games on show, Forza Horizon 6 is the one we know the least about. It’s also the one that’s easiest to imagine, as it’s likely to be another realistic racing game with incredible visuals. This means the show could pleasantly surprise fans with cool new features, or go the easy route and impress people with high frame rates/ray-traced reflections on shiny cars. 

Beast of Reincarnation is the latest title by Game Freak, the studio behind the Pokémon franchise.

Beast of Reincarnation is a single-player action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, where monstrous giants and messed-up robots rule the land. The player takes on the role of Emma the Sealer, a samurai who may have the power to destroy the monsters that have nearly wiped out humanity. 

Beast of Reincarnation has only had a single gameplay trailer, but what was shown was surprisingly high quality, at least for Game Freak, which has often been accused of lazy production values in its Pokémon titles.

Hopefully, the gorgeous world and impressive monsters of Beast of Reincarnation spell good things for future Pokémon games. 

Expected announcements and games

While Microsoft has confirmed only three games for the Xbox Developer Direct, there are rumors and leaks about a fourth title that will be shown at the event. Details are scant, but it’s supposedly a first-party Xbox Studios title, but on a much smaller scale than the other games shown at the event. 

Outside of the official announcements, there’s also a chance there will be more Game Pass reveals. The January/February 2026 Game Pass lineup already has a few high-profile games (most notably Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Star Wars: Outlaws), but more would certainly be welcome. 

It has been confirmed that Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation are all coming to Game Pass on day one, which means that solid release dates will be extra welcome, as subscribers will know exactly when they can jump in.

Fans should probably temper their expectations for other games, such as Gears of War: E-Day or the next Halo title. Chances are, these will be discussed later in the year, once the summer gaming season is in full swing. 2026 marks Xbox’s 25th anniversary, so there are another eleven months for Microsoft to fill with announcements. 

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References

1. [4K] Developer_Direct 2026 (YouTube)
2. Xbox (Twitch)