Fable’s first deep dive showcased the "truly open-world" of Albion, which is set to release this Fall. Check out the latest updates on the whimsical sandbox RPG, and how it lines up with the existing Fable franchise.
Fable Developer_Direct Deep-Dive
Coming Fall 2026 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC
Fable, the long-awaited reboot of the classic Xbox title, is now scheduled for release this Fall 2026. During the Xbox Developer_Direct 2026 livestream on January 22, developer Playground Games shared its first deep dive of the upcoming open-world action RPG.
In a historic shift for the franchise, the new Fable will be the first entry in the series to launch on PlayStation 5, arriving same-day with the Xbox and Steam versions. This move places Fable alongside other former Xbox exclusives, such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Doom: The Dark Ages, in the company’s new multi-platform era.
A New Beginning for the Fable Franchise
It has been over fifteen years since the original Fable trilogy ended with Fable III in 2010, and Fable Game Director Ralph Fulton felt that it was the perfect time to reboot the franchise. In an Xbox Wire interview on January 22, Fulton explained how this upcoming title fits in with the series.
According to him, the new Fable marks the beginning of a new era for the magical action-adventure franchise, opting to create something entirely fresh and unique. "So, we’ve chosen not to be beholden to the timeline of the original games – the events, the characters – really just to allow ourselves the freedom to build our own Albion and tell our own, new story within it," Fulton stated.
Honoring the Original Trilogy
While Playground Games aims to deliver a fresh vision of the whimsical sandbox, the developers are committed to honoring the iconic world originally crafted by Lionhead Studios. Fulton emphasized to his team that, although they are taking deep inspiration from Lionhead’s trilogy, they must create something that only Playground Games can make.
"It would be pointless, I think, for us to try and ape that. And that’s really at the heart of the reboot question, right? It felt imperative to me that this was a reboot because we’re starting again as Playground Games, and making Playground’s Fable," he stated.
The "Truly Open-World" of Albion
Much like the previous Fable titles, players start as a child and are introduced to the main conflict or objective of the story. This opening sequence becomes the catalyst for the entire game, as everyone in Briar Hill, including the players’ grandmother, was turned into stone when they were young.
The game then transitions into adulthood, where the protagonist returns to their roots to continue their journey of discovering a way to save those who were petrified long ago. From here, players are free to explore the open world of Albion as they see fit.
"But the nature of our game is that as soon as you leave your village, you can go pretty much anywhere. It’s truly open world, so the world is yours to explore. And we’ve written the story so that although there are stakes – your grandmother, your village – there’s no ticking bomb," Fulton stated.
Fluid Combat
Fable’s combat mixes the original series’ combination of "Strength, Skill, and Will." Fulton explained that they have made a frictionless and seamless system that allows players to swap between melee, range, and magic "without even a frame’s delay on it."
Furthermore, there is a wide variety of enemy compositions, pushing players to strategize and navigate each combat differently to conquer different types of adversaries. "You can still self-express when you’re in combat in our game, but it is all about cycling through and tactically using the different options available to you," he said.
Morality System and the Living Population
Regarding the morality system, Fulton harked back to the original trilogy’s mechanics, emphasizing that this core pillar remains essential to the identity of the Albion odyssey. However, instead of the typical "Good vs. Evil" tracker, players are introduced to the new Repuration system, which takes note of their decisions in all aspects of the game.
"Our version of morality isn’t a sliding scale – we’ve chosen to anchor this around the actions you do, and specifically the things you do in Albion that are witnessed by at least one other person. So, if the things you do are seen by one or more people, you’ll start to earn a reputation for that thing," the game director elaborated.
This goes hand in hand with Fable’s Living Population, which features over 1,000 handcrafted NPCs with their own name, routine, and a "moral worldview." These NPCs will react to player actions, gossip about them, and even change the local economy based on their choices.
This is also the avenue for a more robust social simulation, allowing players to socialize with different citizens, marry and start a family with whomever they choose, buy real estate and let people rent it, and a plethora of other activities and events that add to the realism of the game.
More Details to Come In Future Updates
With the targeted Autumn 2026 launch on the horizon, Playground Games intends to keep fans informed with new details regarding this British comedy RPG in the coming months. The developers acknowledge that many questions remain unanswered, particularly as anticipation for the game has continued to build since its initial reveal in 2020.
"As you heard in Developer_Direct, we launch in the autumn and before that we’ll be talking more about our cast, more about our story, and we can’t wait to go deeper into gameplay aspects like combat, progression, weapons, exploration, the social and economic sims and all that good stuff," Fulton said.
Fable is set to be released in Fall 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
Xbox Developer_Direct 2026
Fable Gameplay Teaser - Xbox Developer Direct 2026
