Microsoft has announced a delay for the highly anticipated Fable reboot, shifting its release from 2025 to sometime in 2026. Along with this news, the company has unveiled a brief, brand-new look at the game's gameplay.
Fable is the reboot of the beloved Xbox franchise originally developed by the now-defunct Lionhead Studios. The new version is being developed by UK-based Playground Games, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Forza Horizon racing series.
In the latest episode of the Xbox Podcast, Craig Duncan, the new head of Xbox Game Studios and former Rare studio head, reassured fans that the additional development time will be worth the wait. Duncan stated, “I just want to start with, really excited about progress. Really excited about where Playground are. We previously announced the date for Fable as 2025. We are actually going to give Fable more time, and it’s going to ship in 2026 now. While I know that’s not maybe the news people want to hear, what I want to assure people of is that it’s definitely worth the wait.”
Duncan expressed his full confidence in Playground, drawing parallels to their work on Forza Horizon, noting the studio’s history of delivering critically acclaimed and award-winning games. He continued, “If you think about their history and legacy for Forza Horizon, the last few games, critically acclaimed, 92 Metacritic, award-winning, beautiful, play great. And just what they’re bringing to Fable as a franchise—think of the visuals of what you expect from Playground games, plus amazing gameplay, British humor, Playground’s version of Albion. It’s inspired by what’s gone before with the franchise but with their take, in quite frankly, the most beautifully realized version of Albion you’ve ever seen.”
Duncan assured the community that the delay is in the best interest of both the game and the development team, ultimately aiming for the best experience possible for players.
Alongside the announcement of the delay, Microsoft also shared 50 seconds of pre-alpha gameplay footage. The clip showcased combat with a variety of weapons, including a one-handed sword, a two-handed hammer, and a fireball magic attack. Players also get a glimpse of the main character riding a horse through a fantasy forest, exploring a city, and of course, engaging in the iconic act of kicking a chicken. The brief footage gives fans a glimpse of the visual fidelity Playground is bringing to the game, alongside the quirky humor and fantasy elements that made Fable a fan-favorite series.
The reboot was first revealed in 2020 as a fresh start for the Fable series, with additional glimpses of the game shown at the 2023 Xbox Game Showcase, and again at the Xbox Showcase in June 2024. This new Fable is the first mainline installment in the series since 2010’s Fable 3, and it stands as one of Xbox Game Studios' most highly anticipated upcoming titles.

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