[STEAM] Fable deserves a "chance to shine" – which is why Xbox should delay it one final time

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is a regular column dedicated to all things Xbox from GamesRadar+'s Editor-in-Chief. This week, Josh is (regretfully) arguing for Fable to be delayed once again.

If Xbox is serious about wanting to return to growth in 2027, then chief content officer Matt Booty should make one more difficult decision before year's end – he should delay Fable one final time.

When I spoke with Booty following the Xbox Games Showcase, the CCO told me that part of his job "is making sure that every game has a place to shine." He reasoned that

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"can be a game that pushes through in September" as it leads Xbox's return to console exclusivity.

And as for

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, Booty told me: "We really want to give it its own space – its chance to shine. It made more sense to move it out of the year, instead of having to come right at the end of it."

The

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was pushed to February 23, 2027 – moving it clear of the

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vortex. When the decision was made in May to

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, its new release window was relatively clear of competition. Now it looks like the sort of month where time goes to die.

• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, February 12
• God of War Laufey, February 16
• Persona 4 Revival, February 18
• Fable, February 23
• Metro 2039, February TBC

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The

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for Feb 2027 reflects one of the strongest months of the console generation. It's an exciting lineup, and I have no idea how I'm going to play them all. God forbid Rockstar relaunches GTA Online within this timeframe.

I wouldn't advocate for a Fable delay were it not for Sony Santa Monica deciding to date

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for February at SDCC. It's hard not to feel as if PlayStation Studios has made an active decision here. It swerved clear of the relatively clear January and March windows to position its first PS5 exclusive of 2027 a week before one of Xbox's most important upcoming titles.

"We really want to give it its own space – its chance to shine"

Matt Booty, Xbox CCO

Remember, Fable is a multiplatform release. Xbox is surely hoping that positive reception from the massive audience of PS5 players will help push this long-awaited franchise revival to new heights – reestablishing Fable as a core pillar of the Xbox platform, one which could (whisper it) draw PlayStation owners to Xbox when it inevitably comes time for a platform-exclusive sequel to

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.

The situation is complicated further by Xbox granting five days of early access to whomever pre-orders the Premium Edition. So, come February 18, PS5 owners will have a tough choice to make. If Xbox is serious about wanting to return to growth in 2027, having recorded a $1.7 billion decline in revenue last year, then it needs to give Fable the clearest runway to succeed on both platforms.

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(Image credit: Xbox) When I spoke with Playground Games' general manager in June, he noted that there was "a little bit of disappointment" within the studio

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. I'm certain that another shift would be similarly received internally, but the argument for Fable's original delay still rings true today:

"We could all absolutely see the benefits of that movement – moving out of that really congested ******* towards the end of the year, and obviously avoiding Grand Theft Auto," said Ralph Fulton. "The thing I love about it now, and the thing I've tried to sell the team on, is that going into February and having a much less contested window allows us the opportunity to go out and really make a moment for ourselves, and get the attention that I think this game deserves."

Fulton is correct in his assessment. Fable is deserving of attention. Everything I have personally seen of the game so far is exceptionally promising, and I firmly believe that it has the capacity to reshape the way we think about RPGs through its expressive, interlocking living population and social systems.

What Fable needs is the space to shine. Room for discussion to flourish out of it, rather than risk getting caught in the inevitable, exhausting 'Kratos vs. Laufey' debate that's surely (and sadly) going to dominate February.

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