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When it came to video games, 2025 was a pretty good year for Xbox.
We saw the triumphant return of Ninja Gaiden with Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Ninja Gaiden 4. Obsidian Entertainment released two games: The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed. The Gears of War franchise made its return. We also saw the release of more first-party Xbox games on the PS5.
What’s remarkable is that there are even bigger games on the horizon this year. So with that in mind, we want to take a glimpse at what we can expect from Xbox this year. Here are all the Microsoft games currently announced for Xbox and PC, slated to release in 2026.
9 Towerborne
Release Date: February 26th, 2026
Developer Stoic, best known for The Banner Saga franchise, is set to release its first game in eight years.
Towerborne, originally planned to be a free-to-play game, is a «fully priced» ($24.95) side-scroller action RPG beat ’em up that has been in Early Access for over a year.
Thus far, most early impressions are positive, especially when it comes to the gameplay. The beat ’em up genre has seen some great games as of late, most recently Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Seeing another possible hit in the genre warms my old-school retro heart. Towerborne will launch simultaneously on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5.
8 Forza Horizon 6
Release Date: May 19th, 2026
It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the release of Forza Horizon 5. To be fair, if you’re a PS5 owner, it was just last year, but the point remains. We’re at a point in the Forza franchise where the Horizon games are better than the «traditional» Motorsport series.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see that trend continue with Forza Horizon 6, which is finally taking the series to Japan. After the success of Forza Horizon 5 and the open world playground that was Mexico, fans have all the expectations in the world to see what an open world Japan will look like.
Given the positive reception that the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5 had, proving that the gameplay still holds up today, Forza Horizon 6 has all the makings of another smash-hit racer. Currently, it’s slated for a 2026 release for PC and Xbox this May, with a PS5 date still «TBA.»
7 Kiln
Release Date: Spring 2026
One of the surprises from this year’s Xbox Developer Direct is the announcement of Kiln, the latest game from Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions.
In typical Double Fine fashion, Kiln takes a unique, over-the-top concept and finds a way to make it your own. I can’t think of anyone else capable of making a pottery game sound fun. Then again, technically, Kiln is an, and I quote, «online, multiplayer, pottery party brawler.»
Given Double Fine’s track record of successfully implementing unique ideas combined with fun party games (looking at you, Gang Beats), Kiln is easily one of my most anticipated multiplayer games of 2026.
6 Fable
Release Date: Autumn 2026
Despite the amount of hype I have for Forza Horizon 6, it’s not my most anticipated 2026 Xbox title from Playground Games. That would be the long-awaited reboot of Fable.
First announced in 2020, the return of Fable brings back one of Xbox’s best exclusive franchises. Ironic, considering the company’s current stance on exclusive games (they don’t see a point in them), but the point remains. When it works, Fable is one of the best action RPGs you can play. The original failed to live up to the hype, but it’s still a solid Xbox RPG, and Fable 2 is even better.
Now the franchise is no longer under the purview of Peter Monyleux and his lofty promises. We know what Playground Games is capable of, and I can’t wait to see what they do with this one.
5 Gears of War: E-Day
Release Date: 2026
The Gears of War franchise made its glorious return in 2025 with Gears of War: Reloaded, the remaster of the original Gears of War game.
It turns out that Gears of War is still a blast to play, which is good news since we’re getting a prequel later this year. Gears of War: E-Day takes place 14 years before the events of the original game and follows Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago during the events of Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde emerged and attacked the surface world of Sera.
E-Day has long been an important moment in history for the Gears of War franchise, and playing through the events that shaped the world of Gears of War has been a long time coming. Sure, there’s still that unresolved cliffhanger following Gears 5, but for now, it’s just nice to see that the franchise still has a place on the Xbox release calendar.
4 Halo: Campaign Evolved
Release Date: 2026
Fable and Gears of War aren’t the only major Xbox franchises with new games in 2026.
Halo may not have the same cache and prestige today that it did in the past, but Halo: Combat Evolved is still one of the best FPS games of all time. Even though the shooter saw a remaster in 2011 with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo: Campaign Evolved is a from-the-ground-up remake of the original Halo game. Expect reworked level design, mission structure, and the introduction of new abilities to the Combat Evolved campaign, first introduced in later entries in the series.
In addition to releasing on Xbox and PC in 2026, it will also be coming to the PlayStation 5.
3 Grounded 2
Release Date: TBA
One of Obisidian Entertainment’s biggest strengths for Xbox and Microsoft has been their ability to focus on several projects simultaneously.
In addition to releasing Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, the studio also launched Grounded 2 in Early Access. A sequel to the cult classic survival game, Grounded 2 delivers more of the «Honey, I Shrunk the Kids» style of gameplay, where you’re tasked with being shrunk down to the size of an ant and surviving in a public park.
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Grounded 2 looks to up the ante with a larger world, a stronger narrative, and even more to see and do. Technically, again, the game is already out in Early Access, with a small chance of a 1.0 release in 2026. Don’t hold your breath, though; the first Grounded was in Early Access for two years.
2 Clockwork Revolution
Release Date: TBA
We’ve reached the portion of the 2026 Xbox games list where these titles don’t have an official release date. The game most likely to be released this year is inXile Entertainment’s Clockwork Revolution.
For lack of a better term, Clockwork Revolution looks a lot like a Steampunk version of BioShock. Of course, that’s not a bad thing. If anything, I’m hoping that we see more of this game sooner rather than later, especially since it was first revealed in 2023.
2025 saw a gameplay trailer release during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, so there’s a chance Clockrock Revolution launches in 2026.
1 State of Decay 3
Release Date: TBA
State of Decay 3 was first announced in 2020 through a cinematic trailer. Since then, however, it’s been mostly radio silence, probably because it was announced during preproduction.
We know that the game is using Unreal Engine 5. In terms of concrete details, however, it’s still a mystery.
On the one hand, the game wasn’t canceled as part of the mass layoffs from Microsoft and Xbox in 2025. On the other hand, the fact that we’ve seen or heard virtually nothing about the game in five years is a cause for concern. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a shadow drop this year?
