A lot of eyes are on the upcomingFablereboot, but not all of them are watching for the best reasons. Of course, there’s the disappointing but predictable backlash from certain gamers with respect to theappearance ofFable’s protagonist—discourse that is misogyny masked as criticism—but there are other reasons to be wary of the game as well. Indeed, the optics surroundingFablehave been far from universally positive.
Among the most common concerns raised aboutFablerelates to the snail’s pace of its promotional strategy. It’s slated for a 2026 release date, but virtually no gameplay has been shown. Every once in a while, Playground Games will release a trailer, which may look promising, but does virtually nothing to illuminate how the game will actually play. These trailers have all been focused on the tone and broad-strokes narrative ofFable, rather than its mechanical or structural particulars. This has drawn comparisons betweenFableand the likes ofThe Elder Scrolls 6, another game that is infamous for its premature reveal and dearth of meaningful public information. WithFablesupposedly coming out next year, there’s no better time for Playground Games to change the narrative.
It’s worth noting that many have also grownconcerned aboutFabledue to its developer: Playground Games is best known for its work on theForza Horizonfranchise which, while great in its own right, has little to no overlap with the open-world fantasy RPG space.
Why Now Is the Right Time To Pull Back the Curtain On Fable
Fable Needs To Give Audiences Something Tangible Soon
Right now, some folks are groupingFabletogether withthe likes ofThe Elder Scrolls 6,Mass Effect 4, and other games that are widely considered to have been revealed before they should have been. This isn’t totally unreasonable, asFablewas first revealed back in 2020 with a flashy logo animation, not unlike howThe Elder Scrolls 6was unveiled in 2018. ButFableis undeniably further along in its development thanThe Elder Scrolls 6, and it’s about time that its marketing reflects that.
Providing audiences with another trailer, or better yet, a proper gameplay showcase, could do a lot to silence theElder Scrolls 6comparisons. MaybeFablewas indeed revealed too early, but Playground Games surely has something meaty to show after all these years of development, and this sort of exhibition would help nab public favor. It would also serve to assuage the concerns ofPlayground Games struggling withFable’s development, which is a story that was circling in games media a few years ago.
What Should Fable’s Next Trailer Focus On?
Gameplay is the most crucial element to expose in the next bit ofFablepromo content. Modern audiences simply aren’t impressed by pretty CGI trailers at this point: they need to see how the game actually functions in real-time. As such, the nextFabletrailer ought to be mostly or entirely composed of in-engine gameplay footage, which could help to reveal what the “meat” of the game will look and feel like. More specifically, an extended look at gameplay would be nice—quick shots of combo finishers or explosive spells won’t do much to paint a vivid picture of the final product.
Additionally, a closer look atFable’s storyand RPG elements would be nice. These are design pillars that have varied quite radically across theFablefranchise, and with thisFablereboot releasing so long after the last proper entry in the series, it can be expected to be a particularly significant departure in these respects. By being a bit more forthright, Playground Games has a chance to completely change the narrative aroundFable, for the better.
Fable
WHERE TO PLAY
Fable is an RPG developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft. Set in Albion, the game challenges players to define what it means to be a hero.
