The Fable series’ most horrifying antagonist is back in action in the upcoming series revival, according to a dark new story trailer that eschewed the goofy tone of most of the previous teases to give us a longer look at the story and a more firm release date of February 23, 2027.
The trailer opens with a woman speaking to the camera: her name is Isabel of Wraithmarch, and she narrates throughout. She tells the story of acquiring her “powers” while trying to save her sister from drowning, which sounds quite a bit like a Fable hero origin story, then starts talking about the concept of “heroes,” and who gets to be a real hero and who doesn’t amid a number of clips of characters from the rest of the game.
We get a look at some cool monsters, some shots of towns, and one of my favorite things from Fable: a Demon Door, those giant stone faces in the wall. This one tells the player they’re “dressed like a twat.” Isabel ends by saying that Albion doesn’t need heroes, it needs “a hero,” and that hero is her.
A little coda on the end of the trailer following the release date reveals Fable’s notorious ongoing villain: Jack of Blades, the villain of the original Fable and a looming presence throughout all the games. When we last checked, Jack was dead…unless the player of the original Fable was villainous, in which case he survives. Canonically we’ve assumed he’s been dead ever since, but…who knows what’s going to happen in the fourth Fable?
Update 3:00pm ET: In an announcement that weirdly wasn’t in the showcase today, Xbox also revealed Fable will get at least one post-launch expansion entitled Order of the Hero. Order of the Hero will bring a new region to the game and send you on a search for power in an ancient cult, which seems to have a weird vacancy for a heroic leader. Order of the Hero will launch sometime after Fable’s initial release, and will be included automatically in the Premium Edition of the game.
Fable is planned for release on PS5, Xbox, and PC on February 23, 2027, barring any further delays.