Xbox kicked off 2026 with the Developer_Direct by sharing the first deep dives at Game Freak’s new game, Beast of Reincarnation, and Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 6 and Fable. There was also the surprise reveal of the next game from Double-Fine, a online multiplayer pottery-party brawler called Kiln.
Forza Horizon 6 is set to release on May 19, 2026. This entry takes place in Japan and is the largest and densest map of any Horizon game to date, full of verticality, diverse biomes, seasonality and breathtaking driving experiences – all elevated by Japan’s unique car culture.
Forza Horizon 6 will bring in several new features including customizable garages and the estate, an overhauled car roster (with 550 cars to collect and customize at launch. There will also be new shared experiences, Drag Meets, and Horizon Time Attack Circuts.
Game Freak is chaning things up from what they normally do with Beast of Reincarnation, a blend of action, strategy, and mystery. The game revolves around Emma and her companion Koo as they journey through post-apocalyptic Japan circa 4026 AD.
Game Freak categorizes Beast of Reincarnation as a “one-person, one-dog action RPG” with Emma providing classic, fast-paced, real-time action and Koo adding skills that can be used from a menu that slows time, making it more like a turn-based RPG.
Kiln is a 4v4 team-based arena battle game which has players craft ceramic battle armor on a realistic pottery wheel, where abilities are determined by the shape and size of the crafted pot. The game is set to launch this Spring.
Fable will make its long-awaited return later this year in Autumn with Playground Games giving us their version of the fairytale world of Albion. They wanted to focus on bringing everything players love about the original trilogy – choice and consequence, dry British wit, and playful moral chaos – all reimagined for a new generation of players.
During the Direct, Playground Games shared tidbits of how the story begins, their take on the morality system, and how they wanted to maintain the franchise’s combat with a focus on being able to fight the way you want to.
Playground Games also talked about some of the enemies new and old coming to the game and the unique living population of NPCs, all of which have their own unique personality and path they take throughout the day.