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Playground general manager Ralph Fulton admits that delaying Fable initially led to a "bit of disappointment" among the developers, but hopes that getting out of the way of GTA 6 and other games maneuvering around it can help give the RPG the moment it deserves.
Xbox had plenty to show during the latest run of video game conferences, though one announcement that caught the eye was the confirmation that Fable is indeed delayed. Rumors of just that had persisted before the event, though the original release window of late 2026 was reaffirmed until now.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, Fulton says that, naturally, developers working on Fable were initially a bit bummed about delaying the game.
"The team has spent this year absolutely gunning for a date, which is, you know, no longer in this year," he says. "I think there was initially a little bit of disappointment around that. You know, a team gets really focused on that."
Now that everyone has had "a little bit of time to digest it," though, some positives are coming through. Even if it doesn't feel the best.
"We could all absolutely see the benefits of that movement," Fulton says. "First of all, moving out of that really congested period towards the end of this year, obviously avoiding Grand Theft Auto. And honestly, the thing I love about it now, and the thing I've tried to sell the team on, is going in February, having a much less contested window allows us the opportunity to go out and really make a moment for ourselves, and I think the attention this game deserves."
Delaying a game to get out of the way of another has been somewhat of an evergreen topic over the past year or so. On the indie level, the likes of Silksong and Slay the Spire 2 have made many games change their release plans.
Naturally, on a triple-A level, GTA 6 has been the one to make publishers think twice about their plans. The result has been a very congested September and, to be honest, February, as everyone has tried to avoid Rockstar's behemoth at the same time.
I can't imagine delaying your game because another might take all the oxygen out of the room is easy, though we'll just have to wait and see if such a delay gives Fable the "moment" that Xbox is hoping for. Let's just hope, for the sake of Xbox and many more, that Rockstar doesn't delay GTA 6 again, hm?
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