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Playground Games confirmed that its long-awaited reboot of Fable will arrive in autumn 2026. The studio, best known for the Forza Horizon series, lifted the curtain during the Xbox Developer Direct presentation and showed extensive gameplay while outlining the project's direction.
Ralph Fulton, creative director on the title, paid explicit respect to Lionhead Games and the original Fable trilogy, describing the release as both a continuation of the franchise's spirit and a new beginning. Fulton framed the game's ethos around the question, "What does it mean, to you, to be a hero?" and said the team wants to carry forward the series' legacy into an open-world action RPG format.
Story and structure
The opening places the protagonist in Briar Hill as a child before the character learns they are a rare hero. A calamity turns the village's inhabitants — including the protagonist's grandmother — to stone, setting off the central quest. The reveal suggested the wider open world becomes available relatively early in the campaign, with the player quickly finding themselves between two rival gangs vying for power.
Gameplay and systems
Gameplay footage showcased varied locales: imposing castles, wide fields, oversized vegetables and phosphorescent mushroom forests. Exploration includes horseback travel, while an on-screen HUD and animations indicate a combat system split between melee, long-range and magical options. Combat appears to retain familiar Fable rhythms, with light and heavy attack differentiation for close-quarters engagements.
Customisation options allow creation of a personalised hero, including appearance and clothing choices. The reveal did not include a canine companion, a notable element of Fable II and Fable III, although other party and companion systems were not ruled out during the presentation.
Development and context
Playground Games first teased work on a new Fable in 2017 and has developed the project alongside its continued expansion into open-world RPG development. The studio emphasised fidelity to the franchise's tone while modernising systems and world design for current-generation platforms.
The title is slated for release in autumn 2026. Further platform and distribution details were not confirmed during the showcase.