This year, Xbox has begun moving away from big console exclusives. But the publisher still has some massive and beloved IPs under its belt, including Halo and Forza. But when it comes to fantasy, Xbox has one major hit in its repertoire, and that’s the Fable series. The first Fable released in 2001, but it didn’t really take off until its extended version arrived in 2005. Following on that success, Fable 2 and Fable 3 were released in quick succession. But now, it’s been 15 years since the last new installment in the series.
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Fable 3 released as an Xbox 360 exclusive on October 26th, 2010. The game received solid reviews, but didn’t quite stack up to the acclaim of its predecessor, Fable 2. It didn’t sell quite as well either, which may be part of why the series has been largely dormant ever since. Some spin-offs and remakes have come out, but fans are still waiting for the next true installment in the Fable franchise. The new Fable will be something between a series reboot and the long-awaited Fable 4, but it has been delayed to 2026. So, just what happened to put this great series on ice?
What Happened with the Fable Series After Fable 3?
Although Fable 3 fell a bit short of expectations, it wasn’t a failure by any means. The game still sold somewhere over 3 million copies, not quite eclipsing Fable 2 but still doing decently well. And the series remains popular with fans, suggesting a fourth installment could have been a hit. Yet it’s been 15 years since Fable 3, and we still don’t have a true new installment to show for it.
There are a few reasons for this. In part, it’s due to the fact that Lionhead Studios had different plans for its follow-up to Fable 3. Rather than go right into Fable 4, the developers instead engaged in a few experimental spin-offs. Multiplayer beat ’em up Fable Heroes is a hack-and-slash adventure set in the same universe, but with a very different art style and more arcade-style gameplay. The change led to pretty mixed reviews, though some fans do love the game’s more family-friendly playstyle. Overall, though, this experiment didn’t quite work out.
But Lionhead didn’t follow it up with another main series entry. Instead, the developer went on to create another spinoff. This, like many failed Xbox projects around the 2010s, was a tie-in to the Xbox Kinect. It returns to more action RPG gameplay, but with mechanics that center on using the Kinect to make real-world gestures to control magic. Given that the Kinect itself never became popular, Fable: The Journey was ultimately another failed experiment.
The Fable series was meant to continue on after these spin-offs, but in another experimental form. In 2013, Lionhead announced a new chaotic co-op game set in the Fable universe. The project was titled Fable Legends, but it never saw the light of day. Microsoft ultimately cancelled the project during a massive restructuring, and Lionhead Studios was closed soon after.
Since the cancellation of Fable Legends, the Fable series has largely remained dormant. We got a Kickstarter collectible card game released in 2016 by former Lionhead devs and not much else. But in 2020, Xbox officially announced that a new Fable game was in development. It’s not exactly Fable 4, but more of a new main series entry designed to revisit and reboot the beloved franchise. If we ever get to play it.
Fable 3 Was the Last Main Series Game, But We’re Getting a New One Soon
Many fans consider Fable 2 the best entry in the series. But Fable 3 was still a solid game, and it was the last truly good Fable game we got. It turning 15 really reinforces just how long fans have been waiting to return to this fantasy universe. In theory, we’re about to finally revisit it soon. Originally, the new Fable was slated to release late this year. However, it has been delayed to 2026, and some Xbox insiders fear it’ll miss that deadline, as well.
The new Fable is billed as a reboot of the franchise, bringing it up to contemporary standards. It’s being created by Playground Games, the developers behind other Xbox hits like Forza Horizon. Given that it’s coming from a new team, it makes sense to take this new main series Fable game in a new direction. But how much is it going to feel like the Fable fans knew and loved 15 years ago? That remains to be seen.
Thus far, we’ve had a few trailers that shed light on the new Fable game. The installment will introduce new characters and lore, so in some ways, it may feel more like a new fantasy series than a true successor to Fable 3. Hopefully, the game will manage to deliver on what fans loved about those original games. But if not, there’s always the option of revisiting the original trilogy, which can be played on Xbox Series X|S and is available with Xbox Game Pass Premium.
The next Fable game is expected to release in 2026. In its original conception, it was slated to be an Xbox Series X|S console exclusive, and Xbox has not yet confirmed plans to deviate from that strategy.
Did you play Fable 3 back when it came out? Have you revisited it since?
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