Playground Games and Microsoft showed the first official gameplay for Fable during Xbox Developer_Direct. The footage lays out the game’s structure, core systems, and the studio’s goals for tone and player freedom. The studio described Fable as built on three pillars: Fairytale, Britishness, and Choices. Playground Games said those pillars are the framework for the new entry and tie it back to the spirit of the original series, even though the characters in this game are not connected to the earlier Fable titles.
Players begin the journey as a child, which is when heroic powers first appear. After a time jump, the player reaches adulthood and the starter settlement of Briar Hill. From there the world is open to explore. The team emphasized that the game is a truly open world and that the story will not force players down a single path. Players may travel across Albion, take on local jobs, and pursue long-term choices such as settling down and marrying NPCs.
Combat is divided into three core types called Strength, Skill, and Will, which correspond to melee, ranged, and magic. The footage shows smooth transitions between sword strikes and spellcasting, and the system is framed around using those three approaches together for crowd control and finishing enemies. The presentation suggested players will be encouraged to mix melee, ranged, and magic during encounters rather than specializing in only one.
The moral and reputation system depends on witnessed actions. A character’s reputation in Albion will change based on what the player does in front of other people, and different NPCs will react in varied ways. Playground Games did not confirm whether an unrestricted evil path – for example, killing NPCs to become a villain with dark abilities – is fully supported. Microsoft lists Fable’s release window as Autumn 2026. No exact release date or further platform specifics were provided during the presentation.
Watch the main gameplay clip below for the full segment from Developer_Direct.
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Fable
Developed by Playground Games
A new beginning for the legendary franchise. Explore a land of fantastical creatures and wondrous places.
- Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2026-12-31
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
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Age Rating:
ESRB RP
