After years of “just wait until next year” and “the pipeline is coming,” Microsoft decided to kick off the new year by actually showing up. The latest Xbox Developer Direct was a deep, meaty look at the games that are actually going to define the next twelve months of your social life – between the long-awaited return of Fable and a surprising detour into post-apocalyptic Japan with Game Freak, the message was loud and clear: 2026 is going to be an incredible one for gamers and content creators.

Forza Horizon 6

Forza Horizon 6 is finally taking the festival to Japan, and it is arguably the most requested location in the history of the franchise. Playground Games isn’t just giving us a few cherry blossoms and calling it a day; this is the series’ largest map to date, built with obsessive attention to authentic detail. Oh, and there’s Gundam.

Instead of starting as a world-class superstar, you begin your journey as a humble tourist, forced to earn your stripes and progress through the festival ranks to unlock new areas of the archipelago. The technical leap is evident in the new cosmetic tyre wear systems and the “Estate” feature, which allows for customisable garages at every house you buy. These empty, overgrown spaces can be built up and visited by friends.

With hundreds of cars and a more balanced roster, the drift culture of Tokyo and the scenic mountain passes look ready to set a new bar for the open-world racing genre on May 19, 2026.

Beast of Reincarnation

In what might be the biggest curveball of the show, Pokémon developer Game Freak revealed Beast of Reincarnation, an action RPG that looks nothing like the pocket monster adventures of the past – but does take a little inspiration from the franchise we all love.

The game casts players as Emma the Sealer in a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic Japan. This isn’t a turn-based stroll through tall grass; it is a gritty battle for human survival that looks to leverage the studio’s creature-design expertise in a much darker, more mature context. As Emma, you explore a world reclaimed by nature, using unique sealing abilities to combat threats that have pushed humanity to the brink of extinction.

The surprise announcement that it will launch Summer 2026 as a day-one Game Pass title – and significantly, on PlayStation 5 as well – shows that Game Freak is ready to expand its horizons far beyond the Nintendo ecosystem.

Kiln – The Surprise of The Show

Double Fine Productions is back to its signature brand of “wait, they’re making a what?” with the re-reveal of Kiln. Described by Tim Schafer as a pottery-based party brawler, the game revolves around an in-game potter’s wheel where players literally sculpt their own playable characters.

These clay creations aren’t just for show; the way you shape your pot directly influences its physics and combat capabilities once it transforms into a fighter. It is an online multiplayer experience focused on high-energy destruction, where the goal is to create something beautiful before smashing it into a thousand pieces.

Originally whispered about nearly a decade ago, Kiln has evolved into a polished, expressive brawler that leans into the studio’s love for tactile, quirky mechanics. Scheduled for a Spring 2026 launch on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5, the game will feature a closed beta soon, allowing players to test their sculpting skills before the official launch. It is the kind of creative weirdness that keeps the industry interesting.

Fable

The show ended with the heavy hitter everyone was waiting for: the Fable reboot. Playground Games is successfully reviving the spirit of Albion, taking the torch from the now-defunct Lionhead Studios to deliver a true open-world action RPG. You start as a child in a sleepy rural village, eventually growing into Albion’s first hero in a generation with total freedom to explore where you want from the jump.

The “Living Population” system is the standout feature here, boasting 1,000 NPCs with fully-voiced conversations who react to your reputation. You can buy houses, get jobs, start businesses, or become a tyrannical landlord who evicts everyone in town just for the fun of it. Combat looks like a fluid mix of melee, ranged attacks, and the iconic Will spells, all while maintaining the series’ trademark British wit.

With choices that genuinely alter the state of the world and a release window set for Autumn 2026 on Xbox and PlayStation 5, Fable looks like it might finally deliver on the decades-old promise of a truly reactive fantasy world.

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