Way back in 2004, Lionhead Studios released the first game in theFablefranchise,Fable. Four years later, the studio released the game’s first direct sequel,Fable 2,before moving on toFable 3in 2010. Sadly it was to be the last main installment of the franchise and the series was stuck in limbo for several years.
TheFableworld is one that can aptly be described as a bizarre one. For the most part, it is a straightforward fantasy story with heroes and villains using swords, bows, arrows, and magic.Fable 2would expand this to include guns beforeFable 3all but abandoned the medieval fantasy setting altogether for an industrial revolution-inspired story. Furthermore,Fable 3involved the player character becoming the king of Albion, further divorcing it from traditional fantasy elements. However, some of these fantasy elements stuck around and one can often find their inspiration in the real world.
RELATED:Former Massive Entertainment Writer Is Fable 4’s New Narrative Lead
In a recent post, Reddit user anykindofpeanuts shared an image of a mushroom circle surrounding a small mound. The caption for the post suggested that someone would have to dig into the mound for a silver key. Silver keys are found all over the world ofFableand are used to unlock treasure chests. It is worth noting that these mushroom circles, known as fairy rings, are virtually nonexistent in the game itself.
After the release ofFable 3,a fourth game was planned by Lionhead Studio but never materialize. Series creator Peter Molyneux had plans for future installments that sadly never came to be and whatever games it was developing were quietly axed.Lionhead Studio was eventually shut down in 2016by parent company Microsoft, seemingly taking the fantasy franchise with it. However, valuable intellectual property rarely stays dead forever.
In 2020,Microsoft announced that a new game in theFablefranchise was in development. Details for the new game are scarce, but it will reportedly bring the franchise back to its traditional, medieval fantasy roots. This new game is being developed by Playground Games which is known for its work on theForzafranchise. The developer’s resume currently consists ofForza Horizon,Forza Horizon 2,Forza Horizon 3, andForza Horizon 4.
While it has been nearly 12 years sinceFable 3was released, posts like this show that an audience for the franchise still exists. The upcoming installment, simply titledFable, currently does not have a release date and its development is reportedly coming along slowly. One of the reasons that have been cited is the fact that the newFabledeveloper has no experience with fantasy RPGs. The game is currently expected to be released sometime in 2024 and hopefully will be included with more fairy ring mushroom circles full of silver keys.
