- Fable has been delayed to 2026
- Xbox Game Studios lead Craig Duncan confirmed he's giving Playground Games "more time"
- New pre-alpha footage was also revealed, giving us a first look at the gameplay
Xbox has officially confirmed that Fable has been delayed to 2026, but also offered a first look at gameplay.
This comes from the latest episode of the Xbox Podcast, where Xbox Game Studios lead Craig Duncan revealed that Playground Games' next fantasy role-playing game (RPG) will no longer be released in the planned 2025 launch window and instead arrive in 2026.
When asked by Xbox's Tina Amini where the development is at with the game, Duncan said, "We're really excited about [Fable's] progress and where Playground are. We previously announced Fable as 2025.
"We are actually going to give Fable more time. It's going to ship in 2026 now. While I know that's not maybe the news people want to hear, what I want is to assure people that it's definitely worth the wait."
Duncan added that he has "unequivocal confidence" in Playground Games and referenced the studio's legacy with its popular Forza Horizon series.
"Just what they’re bringing to Fable as a franchise, just think of the visuals of what you expect of Playground games plus amazing gameplay, British humor, Playground’s version of Albion," he said. "So inspired by what’s gone before with the franchise but their take, in quite frankly the most beautifully realized version of Albion you’ve ever seen.
"So, really excited about the plans and really excited about the future. I want the community to understand that we do these things for the best of the games and the teams, and ultimately that results in the best game for the community."
Duncan then went on to showcase a few clips of pre-alpha gameplay footage captured in-game. There are moments of the playable character walking through stunning forests, riding a horse, shots of cityscapes, a few cutscenes, and even some combat featuring some monsters, like a werewolf.
He also confirmed that he's played some of the game, including some of the "city elements", and some quests, he's also engaged in combat and a boss battle, as well as "used magic".
"It felt amazing," Duncan said, "and I had a great time."
Fable is the fourth installment in the franchise and was announced in 2020. Development updates remained quiet until the game was re-revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 with a new, comedic trailer. We then received another cinematic trailer last year, which offered a deeper look at the game's characters and fantasy world.
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