Microsoft has quietly begun preparations for a massive event. Xbox executive Matt Booty confirmed in an interview with Variety that the company will be holding a new presentation in January. The Xbox Developer Direct 2026 event aims to kick off this special year, which will celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary.

Playground Games will be on stage

While Matt Booty didn’t give a full list of the event’s content, he mentioned a very critical studio. Playground Games, which is working on Fable and Forza Horizon 6 (confirmed to be coming to PS5), will be the star of the January show. Booty noted the content density, saying, “I can say that Playground Games will be at Dev Direct, but we have so much to release next year that we can’t fit it all into one show, so this is a good place to be.”

2026: “The Year of Anniversaries” for Xbox
Next year holds significant symbolic importance for the Xbox brand. 2026 is not only the 25th anniversary of Xbox; It’s also the year Bethesda celebrates its 40th birthday and Blizzard its 35th. Diablo was released 30 years ago.

Booy noted that announcements like the “Halo Campaign Evolved” collection have been made for this special year, and there’s much more to discuss soon. Microsoft is positioning 2026 as a “flagship year” for both its own brand and the biggest franchises in the industry.

So, what are your expectations for the Xbox Developer Direct 2026 event in January? Would you prefer to see a new gameplay video from Fable or an announcement for Forza Horizon 6? Share your thoughts in the comments!