What to expect from Xbox in 2026: Fable, Gears of War, and several huge anniversaries that Microsoft should celebrate

Not many people could say that 2025 was a spectacular year for Xbox. While we saw the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally and some fun exclusives like Avowed and Blue Prince, there were Xbox Game Pass price rises, and even the console ended up costing more. We also saw exclusives like Gears of War and Forza Horizon 5 make their way to PlayStation 5 reducing the must-have reasons to own an Xbox in the first place.

But with a new year ahead, Xbox seems keen to dust itself off and make 2026 a much bigger year for the brand. As confirmed by Jason Ronald, VP of next generation at Xbox, there are a "lot of exciting things" ahead – and he might be right. Here's a look at what we can expect from Xbox in 2026.

Expect a "lot of stuff" in the Xbox Developer Direct

Microsoft's president of game content and studios, Matt Booty, also promised a big start to the new year in an interview with Variety. An Xbox Developer Direct showcase is penciled in for January 2026, which will hopefully highlight a lot of what is to come for the games giant.

One surefire thing is that "Playground Games is going to be in the Dev Direct" with "more stuff next year to ship than we can fit into one Dev Direct show". Playground Games is best known for the Forza Horizon series and the next game in the Fable series so we're expecting the focus to be on these two hefty parts of the Xbox catalogue. We already know that Forza Horizon 6 will be released in 2026 and it's set in Japan. Much less is known about the new Fable game although there have been a couple of in-game trailers in the last two years. Hopefully we'll see just how far it's progressed since then.

Will we see anything else? I'd certainly hope so, given such lofty promises! Already confirmed as 2026 releases, we could see more from Gears of War: E-Day as well as Halo: Campaign Evolved – the appropriate name for the remake of the original game, Halo: Combat Evolved. Fingers crossed we'll see more of Clockwork Revolution at last too.

Other games we should see on an Xbox console in 2026 include a little game called Grand Theft Auto 6, assuming there are no more delays, along with other multiplatform games like Resident Evil: Requiem, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, and Enshrouded.

Here's hoping that the Developer Direct makes up for a relatively quiet turnout from Xbox at The Game Awards in December 2025.

Are we due news about a new console?

It's been 5 years since the Xbox Series X/S launched in November 2020 and all eyes are on what the future could hold. There was a seven year gap between Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S so it would make sense if we saw a look at what will be next as part of the fifth generation of Xbox consoles. There's the ROG Xbox Ally for handheld needs, but a new console? Maybe. In October, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella suggested that the next Xbox could effectively be more like a PC than a rigid console. Phil Spencer added to that speculation by suggesting that the "melting pot approach to cloud gaming, console gaming, and the PC experience" could be the future for the next Xbox. Presumably, Microsoft is keen for the Xbox to be the only gaming device you need in your life and we might yet learn more about that vision in 2026.

Don't count on it being cheap though, with Xbox president Sarah Bond suggesting it'll be a "very premium and high-end curated experience". A system that brings together cloud gaming, Xbox gaming, and maybe even Steam accessibility if rumors are true, could be a true one-stop shop. Maybe start saving your pennies?

Birthday celebrations galore

2026 is a big year for milestone anniversaries. November 2026 will mark 25 years since the original Xbox was launched and Microsoft threw its hat into the gaming market. It's also 20 years since the Xbox 360 launched and I lost a huge amount of free time to achievement hunting, and it's 25 years since Halo was launched too.

Further afield – and demonstrating just how much Microsoft owns – it's also the 40th anniversary of Bethesda and the 35th anniversary of Blizzard. Oh, and it's 30 years since the original Diablo.

Reckon that's enough big anniversaries for one company? It seems incredibly likely that we'll see at least some celebrations, and I'm not just talking about Halo: Campaign Evolved. I'd put good money on learning more about the forthcoming celebrations when the Xbox Developer Direct happens. Let's hope for more information about The Elder Scrolls 6 tied into the celebrations and not another Skyrim remaster (which I'll still end up buying).

Don't want to wait? We've ranked the best Xbox Series X games you can play today