Fable, Microsoft's action-RPG franchise set in a fantasy world, has been dormant for years - ever since the third entry in 2010, in fact (no, we're not counting Fable Heroes or Fable: The Journey).
With original studio Lionhead shuttered, the IP has been taken up by Playground Games of the Forza Horizon franchise. Fable marks the first title the studio has developed which isn't part of the popular racing series, but it sounds as though the ForzaTech engine could power the new game.
In any case, here's all we know about an entry that the Microsoft Store says is "a new beginning for the legendary franchise" – which sure sounds like a reboot to us.
- Read More - All 2022 video game release dates
Latest News
October 21, 2022 -
A recent GeForce Now leak suggests Fable is launching in October 2023.
20 May 2022 -
With no E3 presentation taking place in 2022, the next Xbox showcase takes place on June 12. With news on titles from Xbox Game Studios, is there a chance we hear more information on Fable?
8 July 2021 -
Phil Spencer told IGN's Podcast Unlocked that Playground Games' Fable will remain "light-hearted" and will be "a little more British" than Avowed or The Elder Scrolls. Hopefully, that means we'll be chasing chickens all over again.
What Is Fable?
The Fable franchise is a series of action RPG games that were originally developed by Lionhead Studios before the studio closed in 2016.
The Fable series takes place in the fictional nation of Albion, a state that, at the time of the first game, is composed of numerous autonomous city-states with vast areas of countryside or wilderness in between. The setting originally resembles medieval Europe.
While the games all take place in the same universe, the stories are not related - with the sequel happening 500 years after the original and the third take place a further 50 years later.
Rumours surrounding Fable 4 have circulated since before the release of the Xbox One, but the lack of a number in the title of Playground Games' entry suggests it's likely to be a reboot.
Release Date
Bad news folks - Playground Games were hiring a team of scriptwriters as late as October 2019, so we're unlikely to see a new Fable anytime soon.
In an interview, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty had suggested that original titles have been affected more by COVID than upcoming sequels. Find out more here.
In addition, GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring has stated that the game could be a way off. Speaking on VGC's 'Off The Record' podcast, Dring explained that “Those games that they [Microsoft] announced - Everwild, Perfect Dark, Fable - are so far away. As in, there might even be a new Xbox (a mid-tier upgrade) by the time those games come out."
Engine
With Playground Games developing Fable, the studio is using its ForzaTech engine used in Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsport titles. A job listing says the developer is "enriching the toolset to support an open-world action RPG" widely believed to be Fable.
Confirmed Platforms
With this being a Microsoft Studios game, we would be very surprised to see it on anything other than Xbox One, Series X and PC when it launches.
That said, never say never - especially with Microsoft's recent track record of putting their games in as many places as possible.
In any case, it'll launch directly into Game Pass.
Trailer
Here's a look at the teaser from the Xbox Games Showcase in 2020
Multiplayer
While Fable has been a traditionally single-player franchise, it has had its dalliances with multiplayer in the past, including Fable: Legends, a cancelled asymmetrical multiplayer game.
A recent report has suggested that there may be the potential for online elements such as co-op, but rest assured – Fable won't be an MMO.
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