Fable Delayed to 2026 as New Gameplay Footage Debut

Slowly but surely, Microsoft‘s massive investment is beginning to bear fruit. Its ecosystem is now filled with numerous first-party studio projects worth anticipating, including the revival of previously dormant franchises. Unfortunately, for those eagerly awaiting the return of Fable, you will have to wait a while more.

Fable has been officially pushed to 2026, with the Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios project being a reboot of the franchise that form a strong pillar for the early Xbox ecosystem. The news was confirmed by Craig Duncan, Xbox Game Studios Head during the Xbox Podcast

“I just want to start with, really excited about progress. Really excited about where Playground are. We previously announced the date for Fable as 2025. We are actually going to give Fable more time, and it’s going to ship in 2026 now,” said Duncan.

“While I know that’s not maybe the news people want to hear, what I want to assure people of is that it’s definitely worth the wait. I have unequivocal confidence in the Playground team. If you think about their history and legacy for Forza Horizon, the last few games, critically acclaimed, 92 Metacritic, award-winning, beautiful, play great.

“And just what they’re bringing to Fable as a franchise, just think of the visuals of what you expect of Playground games plus amazing gameplay, British humor, Playground’s version of Albion. So inspired by what’s gone before with the franchise but their take, in quite frankly the most beautifully realized version of Albion you’ve ever seen. So really excited about the plans, and really excited about the future. I want the community to understand that we do these things for the best of the games and the teams, and ultimately that results in the best game for the community.”

The delay announcement for Fable was accompanied by brand new gameplay footage, albeit in alpha stage. There is combat to check out, some environmental visuals, and more importantly, the kicking of a chicken. While it is nothing extensive, it does give us a feel of just what to expect from Playground Games.

Unfortunately, beyond confirming a 2026 launch window, Microsoft did not specify a more precise release date. Fable is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with availability on Game Pass from day one.