Playground GamesA Fable reboot will bring Peter Molyneux’s colorful creation back for a new era, so here’s everything we know about our return to Albion.
Announced back in 2020, there’s still much to learn about Fable’s next chapter. The future of the franchise looked uncertain following the folding of developer Lionhead Studios in 2016.
Things seemed particularly bleak after Fable Legends failed to materialize on the Xbox One, leading many to believe the series was gone forever.
Now, however, a Fable reboot is in development with developers Playground Games and Eidos Montreal at the helm. Here’s everything we know so far.
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Playground GamesFable reboot: Latest news
During an interview at PAX West, Xbox exec Matt Booty revealed that progress is being made with Fable and that Playground Games are introducing “a lot of cool stuff” to the franchise.
The interview also highlighted that while the choice to make Playground Games the developer was a “head-scratcher,” Matt Booty is confident the match will be successful, saying the developers have “proven that they get it” when it comes to creating a game as anticipated as Fable.
Fable made another appearance at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 event, where fans got another cinematic trailer with the first bits of gameplay sprinkled in.
Apart from a release window trailer uploaded in June 2024, Xbox remained silent about the new Fable until announcing its delay out of 2025. Notably, pre-alpha gameplay footage accompanied the news.
Does the Fable reboot have a release date?
As of writing, there is no set release date for the latest installment in the Fable franchise. Xbox Games Studios previously had the reboot slated for a 2025 release window, but it has since been delayed to an unspecified date in 2026.
Head of Xbox Game Studios Craig Duncan shared news of the delay during an appearance on the Official Xbox Podcast on February 25, 2025.
Duncan said the following about the release date change,
“So, I just want to start with really excited, really excited about progress, really excited 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. And I just, I have unequivocal confidence in the Playground team.”
Fable reboot: Platforms
While very little is known so far, just as with its predecessors, Fable’s reboot will be an Xbox-exclusive game, meaning that it will only launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Whether or not that will change given Microsoft’s willingness to publish first-party games on Nintendo and PlayStation hardware, such as Playground’s own Forza Horizon 5, remains to be seen.
Fable trailers
Announcement Trailer
First debuted at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2020, this short clip provides a window into the wonderful world of Albion.
Promising a “world filled with stories of legendary heroes and treacherous villains, fantastical creatures and wonderous places” the trailer showcases an adorable Tinkerbell-inspired fairy taking to the spectacular blue skies of a magical world. However, it doesn’t exactly end well for her.
Xbox Games Showcase 2023 trailer
Fable got another cinematic trailer, mixed with bits of gameplay, during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 event. The trailer featured British writer, actor, and comedian Richard Aoyade.
Aoyade, as Dave the Vegetable Enthusiast, waxes on about heroes, while we see footage of what may very well be the game’s main protagonist.
Eventually, our heroine runs into Dave, who’s revealed to be a giant. After attacking the mysterious hero the trailer ends on a cliffhanger before we get to see their fate.
The trailer’s description reads: “What does it mean to be a Hero? Well, in the fairytale land of Albion, that is entirely up to you. With a dark threat looming, and in a world where your reputation precedes you, your choices will change Albion forever.”
So that’s everything we know about the Fable reboot. For more on Xbox’s future slate of game releases, check out the rundown on its January 2025 Developer Direct.
