There’s nothing more frustrating as a gamer than seeing a mouthwatering showcase of your favorite franchises… only to have to wait years to play them. That’s exactly what happened at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase. After an hour of slick trailers for Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, and Forza Horizon 6, the one thing I kept hearing? None of them hit until 2026. I want to be excited. But, honestly, it’s impossible to ignore the looming gap this leaves for Xbox over the next two years.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| Release Date | 2026 (all titles) |
| Genres | Action RPG (Fable), Third-Person Shooter (Gears of War: E-Day), Racing (Forza Horizon 6) |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X|S, PC |
From a pure hype perspective, the Xbox Showcase was a banger: Fable’s lush fairy-tale world has fans clamoring for a proper comeback since Lionhead shuttered. Gears’ new prequel, E-Day, promises a brutal, boots-on-the-ground origin story—something hardcore shooter fans have been demanding for years. And Forza Horizon? Nobody does open-world racing with as much polish or flair—each new entry sets the benchmark.
But Microsoft didn’t just show new footage. They also quietly confirmed what many hardcore Xbox players have been fearing: these tentpole exclusives are all at least two years away. That means 2024 and 2025 look pretty barren, especially for players who bought into the Series X|S lineup for flagship experiences. No matter how good Game Pass is, that’s a tough sell for your most loyal players.
As someone who has championed the Xbox ecosystem for years, I can’t help but feel like we’re watching history repeat. The rough launch of the Xbox One was defined by droughts between exclusives, and these long gaps led to the “PlayStation has all the good games right now” meme that Xbox has spent years trying to shake. Why highlight this? Because even the best showcase sizzle reel can’t mask the stark reality: if you’re a diehard Xbox fan wanting new worlds and stories, the wait will be painful.
Let’s be real—I’d rather wait and get a polished classic than a half-baked launch. We’ve all seen what happens when studios are rushed, and in that sense, Microsoft deserves some credit for resisting the urge to meet arbitrary deadlines. But there’s risk here. As PlayStation and Nintendo keep rolling out major exclusives, the Xbox community could lose momentum, and that loyal fanbase might start to look elsewhere in the meantime. I’m already seeing it in my own gaming circles—friends trading off their Series X for a Switch or PS5 simply because there’s stuff to play.
Of course, Microsoft’s big hope is that Game Pass and third-party partnerships will keep people subscribed and engaged. But if you’re an RPG fan craving Fable’s charming British humor, or someone itching for more Locust-slaying action in Gears, these next 18 months are going to feel like an eternity. Forza might hold racing fans over with seasonal events, but even that magic wears thin without fresh content.
The wait itself isn’t new—big AAA games keep taking longer as budgets and expectations soar. But for Xbox, the stakes are higher. This is a console platform that’s struggled to build a consistent pipeline of must-have games each year. Announcing another multi-year wait feels especially tone-deaf when it’s been a running joke in the community for years. It raises a fair question: Will Xbox players stick around, or will 2026 be just a little too late?
I want these games to succeed—and yes, Fable and Gears both deserve the extra time to shine. But in the meantime, Xbox gamers need reasons to stay excited and invested. Maybe Xbox will surprise us with some under-the-radar hits in the next year. But what we saw at the showcase was both dazzling and worrisome, and it puts the pressure firmly on Microsoft to deliver something—anything—that reminds players why they bought into the green brand in the first place.
Xbox’s showcase had the “wow” factor, but these long waits could test even the most loyal fans. If high-profile games keep getting pushed into the distance, Microsoft risks making 2024 and 2025 a desert for exclusives—even as the competition keeps scoring. Here’s hoping Xbox finds some way to keep the spark alive before 2026 finally brings the heavy hitters home.
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