Fable director Ralph Fulton says the franchise’s importance to Xbox helped protect Playground Games during the reboot’s lengthy development cycle.

The upcoming Fable has spent years in development and faced multiple delays, but Fulton says strong internal belief in the franchise gave Playground Games the time it needed to pursue its vision.

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, Fulton explained just how important the series remains within Xbox.

Fable Is ‘Vital to the DNA’ of Xbox

According to Fulton, support from within Xbox played an important role in allowing Playground Games to continue working on the project throughout its extended development.

“So many people within Xbox view Fable as vital to the DNA of the platform.”

Fulton went further, describing Fable as “important to video games as a whole” because of elements he believes aren’t found elsewhere.

That importance appears to have given Playground Games room to focus on quality rather than rushing the reboot out the door.

“We have relentlessly pursued quality.”

Fulton also teased that this philosophy extends to the game’s choices, including one decision that could have significant consequences for the player.

“It culminates in a choice that really challenges you to think about who you are, with a real personal cost to weigh against the outcome.”

From Forza Horizon to Fable

Fable represents a major change for Playground Games after years of developing the Forza Horizon series, but Fulton believes some of the studio’s experience translates naturally to the RPG.

While Fable obviously doesn’t feature cars, both franchises rely heavily on open-world design, giving the team skills it could carry across genres.

Fulton also admitted there was some pride within Playground Games in proving that the studio could successfully move beyond racing games and take on one of Xbox’s most recognizable RPG franchises.

Fable is currently scheduled to launch in February 2027.