Everything we know about Fable: gameplay, story, developers, and more
Ready to return to Albion in the company of a giant Richard Ayoade?
When will the new Fable game be released? Nearly 20 years after we made our first dubious moral choice that would forever change the land of Albion, Fable is officially coming back with a series reboot! It's been many, many years since a main series Fable game was released (and a fair while since the spin-offs dried up, to be fair), so long-time fans and newcomers alike are no doubt keen to learn all about the upcoming revival.
We don't know much about the new Fable game just yet, but I've scoured everything we've seen so far to ensure that you don't miss out on a single juicy detail. Read on below for everything we currently know about the next Fable game, from gameplay and setting to platforms and who's on the development team.
Fable trailer
Here's the first look trailer for the new Fable game, as seen at Summer Game Fest 2023:
As you can see there's not much in-depth detail yet, but we do know the key fact that Richard Ayoade is the latest well-known actor to lend his talents to the Fable series, following on from the all-star cast featured in Fable 3.
Fable expected release date and platforms
Currently, there is no official word on a release date for the next Fable game. Indeed, four years after the 2019 announcement, we've only seen one more trailer so far, so we don't even really have enough information to make an informed guess at this stage.
Note that we've created the tag Fable (2024) in an attempt to differentiate this game from the original Fable (2004), but that's not indicative of any knowledge of a release date on our part, and is likely to change as we get more information.
One thing we do know is that due to being published by Xbox Game Studios, Fable will be exclusive to Microsoft platforms. It's expected to launch on PC and Xbox Series X|S, but not on Xbox One as far as we know.
Is this Fable 4?
Back when rumours of a new Fable game started to do the rounds in 2017-18, many sites (including RPS) used "Fable 4" as a placeholder title. While not an unreasonable assumption — it is the fourth mainline Fable game, after all — it's now been confirmed that the upcoming game is a series reboot following the franchise's long hiatus, and thus will simply be called "Fable". Again.
So yes, this is the game that you might have heard referred to as "Fable 4" up until recently, but we now know that isn't its official title.
Fable gameplay
Fable is an action RPG, returning to the series' roots after the last few titles in the franchise were spin-off games in quite different genres. By the looks of things, you'll be able to customise your playable hero's physical appearance; and as in older games in the series, your actions will create a reputation for your character that will have a lasting impact on the events of the game.
Fable setting and story
Once again — and contrary to initial rumours prior to the game's official announcement — the next Fable game will take place in the land of Albion: a high fantasy/fairytale version of medieval Britain that's more Discworld than Lord Of The Rings. Expect plenty of silly moments and irreverent jokes, as well as likely some tongue-in-cheek Britcom references (especially since the Fable series seems cheerfully determined to cast every actor ever to feature on a UK TV comedy program).
Who is making Fable?
With the closure of series originators Lionhead Studios, the upcoming Fable game is being developed by Playground Games, best known for the Forza Horizon series. As with every other Fable game to date, the publishers will be Xbox Game Studios.
The development team features a number of notable individuals, including Remedy Entertainment alumnus Anna Megill (Control, Dishonored: Death Of The Outsider) as narrative lead, alongside senior writer Andrew Walsh (Horizon Forbidden West).
That's all we know about the new Fable game right now, but be sure to keep an eye on Rock Paper Shotgun (and our Fable (2024) tag) to see all the latest news as we learn it!