Playground Games, the Leamington Spa studio behind the Forza Horizon series, is reviving the beloved British RPG franchise Fable after a decade in limbo, following Microsoft's 2016 closure of original creator Lionhead Studios. The project matters because Fable was a cherished blend of quintessentially British comedy and fantasy, celebrated for its droll writing and world-altering player choices, and its abandonment after the cancelled multiplayer spin-off Fable Legends left a gap that fans have long hoped would be filled by a worthy successor.

Playground signed the deal with Xbox in 2017 and had to rapidly build a huge new team, blending its racing-game specialists with RPG developers, many of whom relocated purely because they were fans of the series. Game director Ralph Fulton described the challenge of proving the studio could succeed outside its comfort zone of driving games. At a hands-on session at Gamescom, the Guardian's writer praised the game's weighty combat, spectacular spellcasting and sharp, characteristically British writing, suggesting the revival captures the tone that made the original so distinctive.