In a game industry that’s increasingly dominated by early game announcements, release dates have become much harder to nail down. Xbox Game Studios, for instance, is packed with coveted games that don’t look like they’ll get release dates anytime soon, fromThe Outer Worlds 2toAvowedtoPerfect Dark.Yet another project that doesn’t have a release date isFable.In spite of how badly fans want Playground Games’Fablereboot to come out, it’s really hard to say exactly whereFableis in development. Aside from occasional updates on new staff that Playground Games has hired to work onFable,there’s not much to go off of.
However, there’s one solid piece of evidence that reigns inFable’s potential release window a little. In July,Xbox head Phil Spencer discussedFableon an IGN podcast, mentioning that Xbox plans forFableto release before fellow fantasy RPGThe Elder Scrolls 6.Xbox fans don’t know for sure whenThe Elder Scrolls 6will come out, but most estimates presume that it won’t release for several more years; potential release windows put it in the middle of the 2020s. While that sounds unfortunate forElder Scrollslovers, it could be a boon forFablefans. MaybeFable4is further along in development than Playground Games has indicated.
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Fable’s Release Could Be Drawing Near
With Spencer’s comments in mind, the best way to sketch aFablerelease date is to look atThe Elder Scrolls 6’s release window. Notably, both Todd Howard and Pete Hines have said that another game will release beforeThe Elder Scrolls 6,and that game isStarfield.The claims from both of these Bethesda figures were reinforced at E3 2021 when fans learnedStarfield’s release date but saw neither hide nor hair ofTES6.Starfield’s late 2022 release datemeansTES6probably won’t release until 2023 at the absolute earliest; it wouldn’t be unrealistic if the game didn’t release until 2024 or later, though.
All of this information adds up to a pretty optimistic release window forFable,however. IfElder Scrolls 6manages to release in 2023, thenFablemust be moving along very smoothly, potentially chugging toward a late 2022 release alongsideStarfield.Less optimistic estimates still suggest thatFablefans can expect to return to the franchise sometime around 2023, which is closer than some fans may realize, considering that there are only a few months of 2021 left. All in all, there’s a good chance thatFablefans won’t be left hanging for several years on end, even if there’s still some waiting to do.
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Patience for Fable is Still Important
It’s a shame forThe Elder Scrolls' fanbasethat another fantasy RPG is taking a significant lead ahead of the much-demanded sixth entry in the series. Fans have already been waiting a decade forThe Elder Scrolls 6,and there’s apparently still more waiting to go. On the bright side, though,Fablemight be just the thing to tide over that fanbase while they wait for Bethesda’s game. A snappy 2023Fablerelease would contribute a lot to the fantasy RPG fanbase while waiting forElder Scrollsto take its big next step.
Even if it’s coming out beforeElder Scrolls 6,Fablefans are definitely going to have to be a little patient. Playground Games has been hiring forFablethroughout 2021, suggesting that it still has a long way to go, even if it’s secretly making much more progress than fans realize. Even so, it means a lot to know for certain thatFablewill beatElder Scrolls 6to release.Fablehasn’t had a new game in the main franchise for a long time either, whileElder Scrollshas at leastmaintained its presence through the immortalSkyrim.It’s about time thatFablefans scored a victory, and a promptFable 4release would be a win for sure.
Fableis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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