Fans have been eagerly awaiting a Fable 4 announcement for years, and after a rocky decade for the franchise, folks were hoping that we would finally get some good news during the Microsoft Xbox E3 2019 conference. While the three main titles of the Fable franchise were very popular and much praised for their innovative gameplay, since Fable 3 was released in 2010 the series hasn’t been able to find its footing. The only silver lining in the cloud hanging over Fable was the release of Fable Anniversary; a remaster of Fable: The Lost Chapters, in 2014, and even that had its share of problems.
When the developer behind the franchise, Lionhead Studios, closed in 2016, many thought that spelled the end for the Fable series. However, rumors have abounded about Fable 4 being in development for some time now. Despite this, we unfortunately did not get confirmation that a fourth main Fable title will be releasing sometime in the next few years. In fact, the game was totally absent from the Microsoft E3 2019 conference, not even appearing in the opening and closing sizzle reels.
As the game was a no-show, we didn’t get a Fable 4 release date, either. Of course, it’s still possible that we’ll see this game as a launch title for the next Xbox console when the system releases during the holiday period of 2020. A big action-RPG would be an excellent lure for those on the fence about upgrading to a new console, and even though it’s not on the level of Zelda in terms of popularity, it would give Xbox gamers a launch title akin to what Breath of the Wild did for the Switch.
With the Xbox One’s launch being so rocky, Microsoft is likely stacking its cards to make its next console debut a lot smoother. If Fable 4 captures the spirit of the previous main titles, we can’t wait to play it.
