Summary
At the end of the Xbox Games Showcase, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer confirmed that thenewFablegame, a newForzagame, andGears of War: E-Daywill all be launching in 2026 as part of the company’s 25-year anniversary celebration. On top of those three games, Spencer teased that 2026 will also see the “return of a classic that’s been with us since the beginning.” Unless Spencer is referring to one of the Xbox’s lesser-known launch titles, many have taken this to mean thatHalois making a comeback in 2026 as well.
4 Huge Xbox Franchises Are Coming Back in 2026
Fable,Halo,Gears of War, andForzaare easily four of the biggest Xbox franchises, and so all of them returning in the same year should be absolutely massive for the brand. We know that the newFablegame is being developed by Playground Games and will play like a natural evolution of the franchise’s quirky action-RPG framework, andGears of War: E-Dayis a prequelstarring fan-favorite characters Dom and Marcus. However,Forzais a bit more mysterious, as is the “returning classic” Spencer has alluded to.
As far asForzagoes, it’s entirely possible that the new game is thelong-awaitedForza Horizon 6, but with Playground Games busy withFable, it may be a newForza Motorsportgame instead. Then again, the newForzacoming in 2026 could be something else entirely. Until Xbox itself decides to divulge more information, all fans can do is speculate.
Assuming the returning classic is indeedHalo, the smart money is on theHalo: Combat Evolvedremake being real. According to the leaks, theHalo 1remake is being built with Unreal Engine 5, but otherwise there aren’t many details about what it will entail. Just like withForza, fans will have to wait and see when it comes to the newHalo, but regardless, Xbox’s four biggest franchises are all coming back next year, and that is incredibly exciting.
