It would seem that a brand new Fable title is in the works.
As revealed by Eurogamer, UK-based Playground Games is reported to be behind the new title. The site says that this is a story and character-focused open-world action RPG game, with some 200 people at the Leamington Spa-based developer hard at work on the project. The outfit's second studio - which said it was working on an open-world RPG game last year - is behind this. The studio had previously said it was looking to double its workforce.
It's early days for this new Fable game, but it's likely we won't see anything from this title for some time to come. It seems that Sony's PS4-exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn provided renewed interest in the open-world RPG genre for Microsoft.
This follows Microsoft shutting down franchise creator Lionhead back in 2016, and ending development on Fable Legends. That title was a free-to-play service-based project, with an emphasis on multiplayer. The series' return after that studio's closure is no doubt depressing news for former staff.
Ex-Lionhead staff have said that they had hoped to make a single-player adventure alongside Legends, but this sadly never came to be.
"I have slightly mixed feelings," Fable co-creator Dene Carter told Eurogamer.
"On the one hand it's great for the UK games industry, and very pleasing that Fable isn't dead; indeed, it will be lovely to play one as a punter, without coming out in hives.
"On the other hand it is a little curious to get rid of the team that is uniquely expert in making Fable, and then try and make Fable. Fable is a weird game, and a tough one to deconstruct for a new team. That said, the team in question is very talented, and I'm sure they'll do a fantastic job."