When it comes to the fantasy genre, there are few gameplay styles that fit quite as perfectly as an RPG. While an adventure game can capture the scale of a fantasy world well, and an action game can deliver some breathtaking fantasy set pieces, an RPG can truly make the player feel like they're living in a fantasy world. Fantasy RPGs can be some of the most impressive video games on the market, and Avowed and Fable look as though they might be two perfect examples.
Both announced in 2020, Avowed and Fable are two upcoming fantasy RPGs being developed by first-party Xbox studios. Though few concrete details are available for either one, they've both cropped up repeatedly on "most anticipated games" list for the last few years purely due to the pedigree behind each game. But with no news in almost three years, things are starting to get a little worrying for both Avowed and Fable.
Avowed and Fable Have Both Gone Radio Silent
One of the most well-respected developers currently working in the industry, Obsidian Entertainment already has quite the resume. Though they weren't technically finished, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Fallout: New Vegas are still considered to be some of the best RPGs of all time, and titles like Dungeon Siege 3 and Pillars of Eternity set the studio up nicely for a return to the fantasy genre. And while Obsidian's last few games haven't quite been commercial hits, The Outer Worlds, Grounded, and Pentiment show the studio's versatility, and its willingness to push the boundaries of the industry.
While Playground Games isn't quite as well-known as Obsidian, it also has quite a storied history. Since 2012, Playground Games has worked hand-in-hand with Xbox to produce the phenomenal Forza Horizon series, which it's continued to work on for the last 10 years. Though the Forza Horizon series belongs to a completely different genre, Playground is still an extremely talented studio, and the next Fable title seems to be in good hands.
As of April 2023, Avowed and Fable are in the same boat. Both games were announced in June 2020, and both games have been practically radio silent since their first reveals. No gameplay trailers, no cinematic trailers, and not even an official screenshot has released for either game since their 2020 announcements. This approach to marketing isn't uncommon in the current gaming industry, with many AAA titles being announced years before they ever hit store shelves, but it still worries fans, and rightly so.
There's a lot riding on both Avowed and Fable. For the last few years, Xbox has been continuously criticized for its lack of first-party exclusives. While PlayStation has Spider-Man, God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, and Horizon, Xbox only really has Forza, Gears of War, and Halo, and the latter two aren't quite the industry juggernauts they once were. For a while now, Xbox has promised that its first-party line-up is going to get dramatically better, and Avowed and Fable were meant to be part of that initial push. That being said, Xbox's 2023 might be just fine without them. Tango Gameworks' surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush released just a few months ago, Redfall is set to release in just a few weeks' time, and Bethesda's long-awaited Starfield is finally set to hit Xbox consoles in September. So although the Xbox could certainly use Avowed and Fable, it doesn't desperately need them just yet, and in this particular case, no news might be good news.
Avowed and Fable are in development.