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, from The Outer Worlds 2 to Avowed to Perfect Dark. Yet another project that doesn't have a release date is Fable. In spite of how badly fans want Playground Games' Fable reboot to come out, it's really hard to say exactly where Fable is in development. Aside from occasional updates on new staff that Playground Games has hired to work on Fable, there's not much to go off of.
However, there's one solid piece of evidence that reigns in Fable's potential release window a little. In July, Xbox head Phil Spencer discussed Fable on an IGN podcast, mentioning that Xbox plans for Fable to release before fellow fantasy RPG The Elder Scrolls 6. Xbox fans don't know for sure when The Elder Scrolls 6 will 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 for Elder Scrolls lovers, it could be a boon for Fable fans. Maybe Fable 4 is 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 a Fable release date is to look at The Elder Scrolls 6's release window. Notably, both Todd Howard and Pete Hines have said that another game will release before The Elder Scrolls 6, and that game is Starfield. The claims from both of these Bethesda figures were reinforced at E3 2021 when fans learned Starfield's release date but saw neither hide nor hair of TES6. Starfield's late 2022 release date means TES6 probably 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 for Fable, however. If Elder Scrolls 6 manages to release in 2023, then Fable must be moving along very smoothly, potentially chugging toward a late 2022 release alongside Starfield. Less optimistic estimates still suggest that Fable fans 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 that Fable fans 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 for The Elder Scrolls' fanbase that 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 for The Elder Scrolls 6, and there's apparently still more waiting to go. On the bright side, though, Fable might be just the thing to tide over that fanbase while they wait for Bethesda's game. A snappy 2023 Fable release would contribute a lot to the fantasy RPG fanbase while waiting for Elder Scrolls to take its big next step.
Even if it's coming out before Elder Scrolls 6, Fable fans are definitely going to have to be a little patient. Playground Games has been hiring for Fable throughout 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 that Fable will beat Elder Scrolls 6 to release. Fable hasn't had a new game in the main franchise for a long time either, while Elder Scrolls has at least maintained its presence through the immortal Skyrim. It's about time that Fable fans scored a victory, and a prompt Fable 4 release would be a win for sure.
Fable is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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