Opinion: Xbox Dev Direct 2026 Was Great, And One Game Clearly Stole The Show

Xbox Developer Direct is always one of my favourite events of the year. Not only is it so much easier to cover from a Pure Xbox perspective than other showcases (!), but it also gives four games (or occasionally one or two more) a chance to breathe — a chance to escape from the rapid pace of the Xbox Games Showcase, Gamescom Opening Night Live or The Game Awards, and allow the developers to really offer us a proper overview of each title.

I was pleased to see that Xbox didn't change anything about the Developer Direct presentation for 2026, providing around 10-15 minutes each for Forza Horizon 6, Beast of Reincarnation, Kiln and Fable. It was a great showing for all four games in my opinion, but two in particular stood out - and one clearly stole the show for many people.

To be honest, I think Fable might have had the greatest showing of any Xbox Developer Direct title to date.

Is it bad to say I didn't have high expectations for Fable going into this? I think it's a combination of the game being announced almost six years ago along with cancellations for the likes of Perfect Dark in the years since — I had it in my mind that if it had taken this long to properly unveil, there must be something wrong behind the scenes.

That might have been the case at some point, but the Developer Direct reveal was stunning — incredible visuals, a world that appears to feel alive and full of opportunity, combat that seems pretty decent at the very least... everything's clicking with this game for me, and I'm not alone in feeling that way.

When we polled the Pure Xbox community last night, over 60% of you told us you were most impressed by Fable at Developer Direct 2026, and I've seen plenty of positive reactions across the wider web over the past few hours as well.

My wife, who typically isn't a gamer but becomes obsessed with games she really likes (Split Fiction, It Takes Two, Rise of the Tomb Raider) announced to me last night that she will "definitely be playing this" when Fable releases later in the year. The Fable franchise means nothing to her, but she's fascinated by what she's seen so far, and that kind of thing is surely music to Microsoft's ears. Make no mistake, the Fable reboot isn't just about appealing to fans of the series, but creating a huge audience of brand-new ones as well.

So, yeah — I love Xbox Developer Direct, and this year's version was no exception! Fable was the standout for me, but Forza Horizon 6 looked amazing too, Beast of Reincarnation will likely be a fantastic Xbox Game Pass addition, and I expect Double Fine to impress us once again with the creative multiplayer brawler Kiln.

Do you agree that Fable stole the show, or was something else more impressive to you? Come and let me know in the comments section, and I'll also throw the poll down below for anyone who missed it last night.

How are you feeling about Xbox Developer Direct 2026 after sleeping on it? Tell us in the comments.