Upcoming Action-RPG from Pokémon Studio to Highlight Xbox’s Next Developer Direct Showcase

The next Xbox Developer Direct Showcase has been scheduled, and it’s set to air later this month. This event will spotlight two beloved Xbox franchises, Fable and Forza, alongside a fresh entry: Game Freak’s post-apocalyptic action RPG, Beast of Reincarnation.

On Thursday, Xbox announced that the upcoming Dev Direct will take place on January 22 at 1:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM UK. As with previous showcases, this one will provide in-depth looks at a select few titles rather than a broad overview. This time, Xbox is set to unveil new details about three games: Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation, all slated for release in 2026. Notably, Fable and Forza are both being developed by Playground Games.

Beast of Reincarnation stands out as an exciting addition to the lineup, coming from Game Freak, the studio behind Pokémon. It’s uncommon for Game Freak to develop for platforms outside of Nintendo, and this marks their first venture into a project of this magnitude that isn’t tied to the Pokémon series. Here’s the latest trailer for the game:

Initially revealed in 2023 as “Project Bloom” and showcased again in 2025 during a previous Xbox Dev Direct, Beast of Reincarnation is a post-apocalyptic action RPG drawing comparisons to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nier: Automata. The project is helmed by Kota Furushima, a veteran at Game Freak known for his work on Pokémon’s battle system, and it’s set to launch in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with availability on Game Pass as well.

While I remain skeptical about Fable’s 2026 release, I’d be thrilled to be proven wrong. On the other hand, a new Forza Horizon, especially one set in Japan, has me genuinely excited, and I’m eager to see more of what Game Freak is crafting. I’ll definitely be tuning in on January 22 to catch all the action—it’s part of the job!