The latest Xbox Partner Preview will be livestreamed on March 26, 2026, featuring known upcoming games and brand-new reveals.
For the past few months, Xbox has transformed its upper management with the retirement of long-time CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer and former president of Xbox, Sarah Bond’s resignation. Now, Microsoft has announced that their next upcoming Xbox Partner Preview will digitally take place on March 26, 2026, at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET/5:00 pm GMT. So far, they spotlighted updates for Stranger Than Heaven, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl. But they also mentioned in a social media post that there will be more reveals.
For those unacquainted, the Xbox Partner Preview highlights upcoming games from third-party developers. In this case, we know partners Sega, GSC Game World, and Owlcat Games will be among the known games for this event. Microsoft stated that this March 26 preview will feature “an in-depth look” at Ryu Ga Gotoku’s new project, Stranger Than Heaven, an update on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, plus new looks at The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. Additionally, the livestreamed event offers first looks at some third-party games that have never been seen before.
“That’s not all we’ll have for you, with first looks and announcements from more great games coming to Xbox consoles, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass,” Microsoft added. One of the most anticipated titles among these three is Stranger Than Heaven, developed by the same studio that worked on the Like a Dragon and Yakuza games. The game was originally revealed during The Game Awards in December 2024, under the Project Century codename. Very little is known about the game, other than it follows a man named Mako Daito in Japan across at least three different time periods. No one even knows if this is a standalone game or part of the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series.
As many gamers and industry fellows know, Spencer’s retirement was a heavy one for Xbox fans when announced about a month ago. The following news of Bond’s exit was also shocking, with many thinking she would take over. But now, former Microsoft CoreAI president Asha Sharma is the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming—with Matt Booty promoted to EVP and CCO. Just last week, the corporate vice president at Microsoft and Xbox, Lori Wright, also announced her departure from the company.
Wright dropped the news in a LinkedIn post on March 19: “I wanted to say a special thanks to the many colleagues, partners, and friends who shaped my journey. I leave with overwhelming gratitude for the adventure of a lifetime. As for what comes next, I’m hoping for a lot of beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and discovering what lies in the space in between,” she wrote. She primarily worked closely with business partners and any third-party relations. Perhaps this Xbox Partner Preview was her last project to set up.
With Sharma’s mission to restore the brand’s prominence by focusing on games that feature deep emotional resonance on Xbox hardware, this preview could show the labours of that goal. This would also align with the upcoming release of their next console, known as Project Helix for now. Be sure to catch this week’s Xbox Partner Preview, which will be streaming on the official YouTube and Twitch accounts.
