Fable has officially been delayed until 2026, but head of Xbox Game Studios Craig Duncan says the title already “feels amazing.”
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Developed by Playground Games, Fable is a reboot of the beloved franchise that shone in the Xbox 360 era and was tentatively given a 2025 release window. However, following a period of radio silence, it’s now been confirmed the title will be pushed back until 2026. Speaking on the Official Xbox Podcast, Duncan announced Fable was being given “more time” and will now be shipped in 2026. Though the news will come as a blow, he added it was “definitely worth the wait” and he has “unequivocal confidence in the Playground team.”
The delay does make sense. Image via Playground games
Playground, known for their work on the Forza Horizon franchise, took control of Fable five years ago and Duncan is excited for players to see how the studio will bring to life “the most beautifully realized version of Albion you’ve ever seen.”
The news also came along with a look at new footage showcasing visuals in the game, including sprawling meadows, large cities, horseriding, and combat, with Duncan then revealing he has played various aspects of the game already, including quests, combat, and boss battles. Though he kept tight-lipped on details to avoid spoilers, he did tease that the new era for Fable “felt amazing” and the visuals were “genuinely beautiful.”
The news of Fable’s delay is not too surprising given there’s been little showcased since a teaser trailer last June which announced the previous release window, and there has been ample opportunity to issue an update on development in the months since.
Pushing back to 2026 is a smart move considering Fable would have surely been at the back-end of the year anyway, a period of the calendar which has a large Grand Theft Auto 6 cloud hanging over it which could be the death-knell for any title that goes head-to-head in the release window.
Xbox has also already had one big RPG release on Game Pass this year in the form of Avowed, while the year ahead still has the likes of Outer Worlds 2 on the release calendar. Due to that, giving Fable more time to cook and making it the flagship release for Xbox in 2026 makes sense.
Players on other consoles will also now be wondering whether the Fable delay opens the door for a crossplatform release given Microsoft’s change in approach that has already seen Forza Horizon, another Playground Games title, making the jump to PlayStation later this year.
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Fable delayed to 2026 but Xbox chief says it already ‘feels amazing’
