According to Eurogamer.net, the first proper look at Playground Games’ Fable reboot was revealed this week, with the game expected in 2026. This marks over 16 years since the last mainline entry, Fable 3, released in 2010. The reboot is a “new beginning” set in the familiar, whimsical world of Albion, now as a seamless open-world. It promises the series’ classic mix of humour, action, moral choices, and reactivity, where player decisions affect the world and its inhabitants. The showcase confirmed the game is in development at Forza Horizon studio Playground Games, their first action-RPG. However, the presentation has sparked internal debate about whether the series is sticking too closely to its past.
The nostalgia trap
Here’s the thing: after 16 years, you can’t just pick up where you left off. The gaming landscape is completely different. And Bertie’s point in the Eurogamer piece really hits home for me. The original Fable games, for all their infamous over-promising, felt like they were trying to do something new with RPGs. They were weird, ambitious, and a bit messy. What I’m seeing from this reboot so far looks polished, pretty, and… safe. It’s like a greatest-hits album. All the bullet points are checked—the British humour, the moral spectrum, the quirky world—but where’s the new track? Where’s the sense that Playground is asking, “What does a Fable game mean in 2026?” Instead, it feels like they’re answering, “Remember 2004?” That’s a risky bet.
playing-it-safe”>The case for playing it safe
Now, Victoria’s counter-argument is totally valid, and I think a lot of people will agree with her. The Fable brand isn’t Skyrim or The Witcher. For a whole generation of gamers, it’s a hazy memory. Playground’s job isn’t just to make a good RPG; it’s to reintroduce and re-establish what Fable even is. In that context, leading with a confident, faithful homage makes a ton of sense. You win back the lapsed fans first. You prove you get it. Trying something “radical” could backfire spectacularly and alienate the core audience that’s been waiting all this time. So maybe this familiar approach is the necessary first step. But it does make me wonder what the long-term plan is. Is this a one-off revival, or the start of a new saga that will eventually spread its wings?
The real test isn’t the past
For me, the biggest question mark isn’t about nostalgia versus innovation. It’s about execution. The Eurogamer piece nails it by pointing out the series’ historical weakness: the actual adventure. Fable 1 was famously incomplete at launch. Fable 3’s third act was a rushed mess. So honestly, if Playground can deliver a sprawling, open-world Albion that’s packed with content and doesn’t fizzle out in the final stretch, that will feel revolutionary for this franchise. All the charming thatched roofs and chicken-kicking in the world won’t matter if the main quest feels thin or truncated. They’ve had nearly a decade in development. That should, in theory, be enough time to bake the cake fully, not just make it look delicious from the outside.
A wait-and-see hero
So, are they making the right move? It’s impossible to say from a single showcase. The safe play might be the smart commercial play, especially for a franchise reboot. But I get Bertie’s trepidation. The magic of the old Fable wasn’t just in the features list; it was in the feeling that Peter Molyneux and Lionhead were swinging for the fences, even when they struck out. This new Fable looks like it’s aiming for a clean single. That’s fine. It might even be great. But after 16 years, I think fans were secretly hoping for a home run. We’ll have to wait until 2026 to see if this careful, nostalgic hero’s journey has the heart to match its undoubtedly gorgeous looks.
