Ever since theFablefranchise went dark with thecancellation ofFable Legends, there have been rumors of a resurgence of the RPG series. Microsoft has never outright denied that it was working on a new game in the series, but after several E3 events passed without aFablereveal, many began to lose hope.
Now, Microsoft has seemingly stoked theFablefires once again via a series of messages on Twitter. While the social media post could easily be Microsoft having a little fun with its fans, some are taking this to be the first hints thatFablemight return with the Xbox Series X.
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The rumor mill started when the Microsoft social media account posted a message poking fun at cutscenes that feature a player’s customized avatar. The ASCII art features three NPCs and what is presumed to be the player character wearing a chicken mask (or could they have a chicken head?). It’s a funny piece of commentary on the way video games try to blend fully customized characters into cutscenes where the tone is supposed to be more serious.
However, some took the choice of a chicken head to be a reference toFable. In the Lost Chapters andAnniversary versions of the classic Xbox RPG, players could unlock a Chicken Hat by winning the Chicken Kicking Competition in Oakvale. It might seem silly at a glance, but the Chicken Hat fits perfectly with the tone and approach of Fable, which tried to blend absurdist humor with high fantasy.
Those that picked up on the detail tried to get more information out of the Microsoft account, and rather than pass the message off as a one-off joke, the account doubled down.
Of course, a reference toFableis by no means an outright confirmation that a new game is in development for Xbox Series X. That hasn’t stopped fans from taking the baton and running with it, though. Considering that the franchise was thought dead and its original developer,Lionhead Studios, is closed,there is no reason to have gamers thinking aboutFable.
It may very well be the worst kept secret at Microsoft, with rumors regularly surfacing and claiming that a new game is in the works. Fromsupposed screenshots of a newFableto rumors that Forza dev Playground Games is heading up the project, there is a lot to sift through and attempt to make heads or tails of.
But if Microsoft did want to get the ball rolling, now would be as good of a time as any. There is anXbox Series X showcase planned for Juneand fans expect to see what some of Microsoft’s first party studios are working on.Halo Infiniteis a guarantee, and a few other titles are expected, but if Fable is revealed for the next-gen console it would certainly be a major announcement.
