Microsoft tapped Embracer-owned studio Eidos-Montreal to help with development A fable.
The reboot of the franchise has been in development for some time at Playground Games, best known for their work on the Forza franchise. It was presented as a short teaser back in 2020, but it was another three years before the studio offered another look at this long-term project during Xbox 2023 Game Showcase.
Another trailer was included in this year’s demo, this time focusing on the retired hero, played by British actor Matt King (who you might recognize as Super Hans in Peep Show), along with a fresh protégé. It also gave us a more detailed look at the world of Albion and the people, creatures, and monsters that call it home, but it was noticeably absent from the actual gameplay.
Microsoft and Playground are currently targeting a 2025 launch and have enlisted additional help to bring the project home. In a post on Xbox WireMicrosoft confirmed that Eidos-Montreal is working with Playground to support “ongoing development.” A fable. It is not yet clear when Eidos-Montreal joined the production.
In a separate message on X, the studio said it was “a blast working with the talented team at Playground,” but did not provide further details. It’s interesting to see Microsoft looking to help not only the Xbox Game Studios family, but also one of its core franchises.
Xbox turns to Embracer for development support
The company has recently expanded its list of internal studios seismic acquisitions of $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard, but this move signaled the beginning of a difficult period for the company. Studio closings and layoffs followed in the months that followed.
At the beginning of the year, Microsoft has laid off 1,900 employees through its video game divisions and then closed key studios within its subsidiary ZeniMax, incl Hi-Fi Rush produced by Tango Gameworks and Redfall developed by Arkane Austin.
There’s a sense that Microsoft is still looking for a global slam dunk after spending billions to expand its internal studios to support Xbox Game Pass and its growing platform ecosystem.
The Xbox 2024 Games Show contains a number of exciting updates and world premieres (including new discoveries such as Gears of War: E-Day and Doom: The Dark Ages), but it remains to be seen whether they will communicate with players when they eventually land.