Bad news Fable fans, the next game has been somewhat unexpectedly delayed, confirmed by Xbox in a new X post.
It’s not the biggest surprise in the world as the game was originally supposed to launch later this year, and yet almost halfway through hardly a word about it has been spoken.
While talking about its upcoming first-party line-up Xbox revealed Fable won’t be launching this year after all.
When Is Fable Actually Launching?
In a new X post, Xbox teased the rest of 2026 to be “packed with incredible games” from the newly announced Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, to Halo Campaign Evolved and Gears of War E-Day just to name a few.
More info on the line-up will be shared next month on 7 June, when an official Xbox Games Showcase will debut alongside the Summer Game Fest celebrations.
However this came with unfortunate news, as the post continued: “In order to plan our game launches through the holidays, in a way that works best for players, we’re moving Fable to February 2027 so it can have the dedicated moment it deserves.”
This is year is packed with incredible games for XBOX players to enjoy, from Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 to Control Resonant, Star Wars: Galactic Racer and Grand Theft Auto VI. In order to plan our game launches through the… pic.twitter.com/eNXiA9ebn4
— XBOX (@XBOX) May 29, 2026
The official Fable X account quoted the post, adding: “We know this stings, but it won’t be much longer before you’re back in Albion making morally questionable decisions.”
We know this stings, but it won’t be much longer before you’re back in Albion making morally questionable decisions.
We’ll be sharing some big Fable reveals @XBOX Showcase on June 7th, so be sure to tune in.#Fable #FableTheGame https://t.co/eyEQOGCn4w
— Fable (@fable) May 29, 2026
More information on the game will be shared via the aforementioned Xbox Game Showcase.
While it’s obviously being done for the right reasons this is still quite the blow to Xbox’s first-party game line-up for 2026.
Fans aren’t taking the news too well, but again they’re understanding of the reasons why the game was delayed.
“I think it’s a good decision. That way all of us can give Fable our full attention when it releases” said therealOWG.
Lexboxey followed up by saying “We knew from the moment you wouldn’t give a release date that it wasn’t going to be this year.”
While Xbox’s reasoning of a staggered release line-up makes sense there are also concerns that Grand Theft Auto VI is to blame, following a recent report by Jeff Grubb.
Following a recent Take-Two Interactive earnings call GTA VI’s release date is officially locked in for 19 November, no more delays are going to change that (we hope).
Now we don’t know what date Fable was targeting for its 2026 release but it was clearly sometime towards the end of the year, meaning it might have clashed with GTA VI’s launch.
This is something no studio wants to do at the moment, even huge new RPGs like Fable. Honestly the only game that could even come close to competing with GTA VI at this point is The Elder Scrolls VI but even that would probably struggle.
We don’t know for sure if GTA VI is to blame for this delay, but it was most likely a factor in the decision.
Either way Fable being delayed isn’t the end of the world. It just gives the game more time to cook and ensure it gets the spotlight it deserves come launch day.
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