Fable 4 is delayed into 2027 and we all know why

Fable — Richard Ayoade stars in the latest Fable trailer, as an exhausted farmer who, in a just world, would be considered more heroic than the gallivanting adventurer class. Also, he's a giant. — (Image credit: Playground Games)

Just over a month after denying a rumor that Fable would be delayed into 2027 to avoid the Grand Theft Auto 6 behemoth, Fable has been delayed into 2027 because "the year is packed with incredible games," one of which just happens to be Grand Theft Auto 6.

"Packed" is maybe overstating it a bit, based on the list rolled out by the official Xbox account on X, including Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Control Resonant, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and—finally—Grand Theft Auto 6. Modern Warfare 4 is going to suck up some oxygen, sure, but overall I feel like it's a list that leaves room for a big-name release like Fable. Except for one of them, I suppose.

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 holidays, in a way that works best for players, we&rsquo;re moving Fable to February 2027 so it can have the dedicated moment it deserves. We&rsquo;re excited to be giving players a major new look at Fable, as well as our broader lineup, at XBOX Games Showcase on June 7. — (Image credit: Microsoft (Twitter))

"In order to plan our game launches through the holidays, we're moving Fable to February 2027 so it can have the dedicated moment it deserves," Microsoft said. "We're excited to be giving players a major new look at Fable, as well as our broader lineup, at Xbox Games Showcase on June 7."

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While we don't have a solid new release date at this point, the February 2027 target is at least a little more precise than the previous launch window of fall 2026. Will it actually arrive in February? Maybe—maybe even probably—but given that we've been talking about Fable 4, as it was known in those days, since at least 2019, which was a full-on decade after the release of Fable 3, I'm going to mark my calendar in pencil, just in case.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.