Fable 4 is currently in development and is set to reboot the beloved Xbox title 20 years after its 2004 debut. While Xbox Studios developed the original classic, Fable 4 is being developed by Playground Games, known for their work on the ForzaHorizon franchise. As with any reboot, Fable 4 has the opportunity to connect with its past in various ways, reintroducing and reenvisioning the franchise's lore to create a bold new experience. When the original Fable was in development, Xbox promised that the player could turn into a Balverine, a werewolf-like creature that has appeared in every Fable game since but has yet to be playable. Should Fable 4 decide to come full circle with the first game, it could let players turn into Balverines and make good on that promise.

Fable 4 received its first proper trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2023. In addition to revealing IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade to be playing a giant called Dave, the trailer featured the return of various fan-favorite elements from the Fable universe, and fans' first true glimpse of the rebooted Albion. Gameplay reveals have confirmed that players will take on the role of their own unique hero, once again, and can utilize a range of physical and magical attacks in combat. While little else is known about the title, Fable 4 is among the most highly anticipated titles in Xbox’s future slate of releases.

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The Original Fable’s Balverine Feature Fell Through The Cracks

Fable’s Balverines are essentially the lore’s take on the classic werewolf curse. Any human who is bitten by a Balverine during the Midnight hour acquires the Balverine curse, turning into a wolf-like monster. However, the lore differs in that the Fable series has introduced various levels of sophistication to Balverines, with the highest forms capable of changing between human and monster at will and utilizing human speech in both forms. While these various forms have appeared as enemies and NPCs, players have yet to get the chance to wield the power of a Balverine.

Early in the original Fable’s development cycle, the concept of Balverines was introduced, with developers promising that player characters could be infected with the curse. However, the final release did not feature this opportunity. Instead, players encountered enemy Balverines who only used their claws to attack - never biting the player. The creatures would go on to appear in every iteration of the Fable series, making them likely to be featured among those who return in Fable 4’s rebooted universe. The nature of their interactions with the reboot’s player character is still unknown, leaving the door open for the franchise to finally deliver on its promise.

Fable 4’s Balverine Curse Could Be a Game Changer

Fable 4 could change any number of ways to adapt Balverines for a modern audience, but allowing Fable's player characters to become Balverines could become one of its most game-changing features. Whether the infection occurs as part of the narrative, a side quest, or a direct result of a rare encounter, having players become Balverines, and progress through the various levels of sophistication could introduce a variety of unique features to the reboot. Were Playground Games to reveal the feature in the build-up to Fable 4’s release, it could go a long way in building anticipation for release. However, another option exists that would make a playable Balverine curse even better.

While an announced Balverine feature would be a hit, it would be more on-brand, and outright hilarious, if Fable 4's playable curse was a surprise feature. After years of development and marketing, Fable fans could fire up their copies of the reboot, before encountering a Balverine, just as they have countless times before. However, that night their character could endure a shocking transformation sequence, trapping players as a Balverine until the following morning. It remains to be seen whether Fable 4 will feature playable Balverines, but fans hold out hope that the next entry in the franchise will finally make good on one of the series' oldest, and most compelling, promises.

Fable (2025)

Franchise

Fable

Platform(s)

Windows , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Developer(s)

Playground Games

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

Genre(s)

Action RPG , Adventure