Fable

Microsoft is bringing Fable back from the dead, according to reports

It seems like Fable was really good at one thing–dying. The planned free-to-play instalment Fable Legends was shut down along with Lionhead Studios in 2015 after months of reports detailing stalled production and an unwillingness by staff to actually participate in development, and it looked like that was the final nail in the series’ coffin. However, it seems that Microsoft aren’t willing to let their massively commercially successful franchise die so unceremoniously.

According to a report by Forbes, Microsoft have enlisted Playground Games, the developers of the wildly successful Forza Horizon spin-off games, to give Fable the comeback it deserves. A now-deleted tweet by former Lionhead developer Don Williamson, captured by wffctech, seems to imply that Fable 4 has started development, reading: ‘Mmm ok, having no inside information, I totally know who’s building Fable 4 now. Interesting choice…’

When asked by the editor of wffctech whether the studio developing the game is based in Brighton, Williamson replied that there was no studio big enough in Brighton that could undertake a project of that size. Combining this information with that fact that Playground Games recently posted a job opening which refers to ‘a large-scale open world action / RPG AAA title’, it seems that Microsoft have found their champions.

Eurogamer reports that the game is in very early development, with Playground still recruiting talent to form a 200-strong team to work on the game over the coming years. It seems that development will be based at the studio’s newly-opened complex in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire and that it will not reuse and assets or details created for Fable Legends–a fresh start, as they say.

Details are still pretty scarce, and Microsoft have repeatedly said that they do not comment on speculation and rumours. But the chances of us hearing more about this in the course of the year are pretty high.