Earlier this month a highly circulated rumor suggested that Fable 4 is in the development at a UK studio. While many questioned the validity of the leaked information, a new report has lent the speculation some credibility and offers some new details about the next Fable game.

A big-budget Fable game is currently in developmentaccording to sources close to the project who spoke with Eurogamer. The game is in the works at UK-based developer Playground Games, which is also the team behind the much-loved Forza Horizon racing games.

Playground is reportedly planning to make the game an open-world action RPG that is focused on characters and story. A "significant investment" is going to be made in the development of this new Fable game, including a huge increase of staff at the developer. 200 people are set to work on the game at Playground's recently opened second studio in Leamington Spa and the developer is currently on a major hiring spree. Though, that hiring spree means that it could be a long time until players get their hands on the title.

Rumor: Fable 4 is Being Developed by UK Studio - Fable box art

Fable fans may be surprised by this news as Microsoft canceled the last game in the franchise before it got a proper release. In 2016, Microsoft canceled Fable Legends and shut down its developer, Lionhead Games. Although that game was set to be an asymmetrical multiplayer title rather than a traditional, story-based Fable experience, fans were still disappointed. Many also took the closure of Lionhead as confirmation that the franchise was being killed off too.

However, this report says that Fable fans have the success of PS4 exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn to thank for the revival of the franchise. Guerrilla Games' open-world RPG has sold over 3.4 million copies, highlighting the clear interest in that sort of large-scale, story-focused game. While Legends' multiplayer game may not have gotten the response that Microsoft was looking for, there is still a place in the market for classic Fable gameplay.

This news won't just go down well with Fable fans, however. Microsoft has been criticized heavily recently by fans who argue that there just aren't enough Xbox One exclusives. They have urged the Xbox One platform holder to do more. So this new Fable game may still be a long way off from release yet, but hopefully, it is a sign that Microsoft is taking fan feedback seriously.

Source: Eurogamer