When is the Fable release date? The Fable reboot was announced during the Xbox Games Showcase back in 2020 with a cinematic teaser. Since then, fans of Lionhead Studio’s original fantasy franchise have waited with bated breath for the new Fable game on Xbox Series X|S, which is being developed by Playground Games this time around.
When you look at Microsoft’s lineup of upcoming Xbox exclusives, Fable is certainly one of the most important and hotly-anticipated. Given the pedigree of the series, and the talent on show at Playground, it has the potential to join the likes of Elden Ring and Dragon’s Dogma 2 as one of the best RPGs of this console generation. So, when will Fable finally arrive, and what do we know about it so far?
Fable release date window
The Fable release date will arrive in 2025, according to the game’s official trailer from the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase.
Fable will be launching on Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC only. Because it is a first-party Xbox game, it won’t be coming to PS5 – not straight away, at least. Like all other first-party titles, it will join the ranks of the best Xbox Game Pass games on day one.
While it was officially revealed for the first time in 2020, Playground’s work on the Fable reboot started in 2018, according to various media reports. While it’s no-doubt an ambitious game, it’s clear that at has been worked on for a very long time.
In February 2023, it was confirmed that Fable is in a playable state according to former producer Vijay Gill on LinkedIn.
We then finally got our first official mention of a release date window from its aforementioned trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase, which aired on June 9, 2024. Currently, all we have is a vague 2025 window, but that’s better than nothing. Taking into account what we’ve seen of the game so far and how long it’s been in production, we’d estimate that within this window, Fable will arrive in the summer, which would also see it dodge the GTA 6 release date window.
Fable gameplay
While gameplay details are still fairly limited, we do know that the game is a reboot focusing on the RPG elements of the original Fable series. Playground Games is also using the same engine that powers its beautiful open world racing game, Forza Horizon 5. It’s proven that this tech can create stunning environments and is very versatile, and that bodes well for an open-world game like Fable.
While both trailers contain mostly cinematics, everything seen in Fable’s trailers from the 2023 and 2024 Xbox Showcases captured in-engine. However, there are small segments of gameplay to be found in each of them.
The 2023 trailer below, which sees Richard Ayoade of IT Crowd fame playing a giant, shows a few extremely brief snippets of third-person gameplay, including a shot of the female lead character running and jumping through some flames. However, it’s not much to go on right now.
Meanwhile the 2024 trailer – which is embedded further up this page and also features a British comedy icon, Peep Show’s Matt King – gives us some brief looks at our protagonist exploring a bustling town, talking to a few NPCs, and walking through a forest. We also see some blink-and-you’ll-miss-them snippets of combat, which sees her suspend three enemies in mid air with a magic ability, aim a bow and arrow, use a throwing knife, and pull off a brutal takedown with a sword.
Fable latest news
In February 2024, it was revealed that Playground Games had teamed up with a new co-developer to help get Fable over the line. Third Kind Games, the studio behind Blankos Block Party, has worked with Playground before, lending assistance on the development of Forza Horizon 4.
Following the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, it was also revealed that Eidos Montreal (the studio behind the likes of the Deus Ex series, Marvel’s Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy) is supporting Playground as well. Clearly, the scope of Fable is massive if it needs this many extra pairs of hands.
So, there you have it, everything we know about Fable right now. While we wait for that broad window to narrow down into a proper Fable release date, consider checking out our best Xbox games list to find something excellent to play in the meantime. You can also check out our list of all the new Xbox games that are set to arrive in the near and far future.