For the last four years running Xbox have kicked off the year with a more intimate style of showcase. One that puts the attention on the people who create the art form we love as they work in their space and give viewers a behind the scenes look at some of the biggest games coming from its studios.
Today, Microsoft announced that the 2026 edition of the Developer Direct takes place on Thursday January 22 and will feature two of their biggest and most historic franchises, both developed by Playground Games, Fable and Forza Horizon 6. Plus, famed Pokemon developer, Game Freak, brings Beast of Reincarnation as a third-party title as well.
Its interesting the dichotomy between the two titles being worked on by the UK based Playground Games. The team has three studios at their Royal Leamington Spa headquarters. One of them is working on their original franchise, the newest title in their world famous game series they Forza Horizon 6. The other two studios are working on a major franchise as well, but its one they inherited and in a genre foreign to them.
This is of course Fable, a reboot of the series that’s been around...
