Microsoft has announced that the next Xbox Developer Direct is taking place on Thursday, January 22nd, at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK.

The event will include the first look at gameplay for Forza Horizon 6 and an extended look at Fable. The show will also feature a new look at Beast of Reincarnation, a new game from Pokémon developer Game Freak.

Announced last year, Forza Horizon 6 takes the open world racing series to Japan, a location that’s been highly requested from fans. Also in development at Playground Games is Fable, with the series’ highly anticipated return first announced in 2020 as part of the Xbox Games Showcase.

The Developer Direct will also feature an in-depth look at Beast of Reincarnation, a new game from Game Freak. Best known for the Pokémon series, Game Freak have also produced several independent titles, including Pocket Card Jockey, and Tembo the Badass Elephant.

Their latest game, Beast of Reincarnation, is an action RPG set in post-apocalyptic Japan directed by Kota Furushima. The game is set to release on Xbox, PlayStation and PC in 2026.

It’s worth pointing out that previous Developer Directs have featured four games, while this year’s only features three. While it’s reasonable to assume that this year’s presentation is slightly leaner than previous years, surprise, unannounced titles have appeared in previous years, most notably Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush.

Could we see another surprise title at this year’s showcase?