2026 is undoubtedly a stacked year for new Xbox first-party games, and we already know that Forza Horizon 6 is arriving in May and Fable is arriving in the fall, but what about the rest of the lineup?
Well, The Verge's Tom Warren has shed more light on this today in a new report, pointing out that there's a "big effort internally" for Microsoft to release new Forza, Fable, Gears and Halo games on time in 2026.
Warren says that Halo: Combat Evolved is aiming to launch in Summer 2026 as things stand, while Gears of War: E-Day is scheduled for some point in the second half of the year — with Xbox "keen to avoid being too close" to GTA 6.
"I understand Microsoft has a good idea of when both should launch, but it’s also keen to avoid being too close to Grand Theft Auto VI’s November 19th date."
Beyond the big four, it's believed that Double Fine's Kiln will be releasing in April 2026, and new Starfield content will also arrive during that month. We first heard about planned improvements for Starfield back in December, and then earlier today it was suggested that a PS5 release could happen in April as well.
Finally, the other potential major release that Warren mentions for 2026 is Fallout 3 Remastered, but although he mentions that it's in "active development", he doesn't commit to a 2026 launch — mentioning that "Bethesda is keen to ensure it’s as well polished as the surprise release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered last year."
So, it sounds like Xbox is serious about trying to make sure that Forza, Fable, Gears and Halo release this year, and there's plenty more good stuff potentially on the way as well. Bring on those release dates, Microsoft!