Fable Beating The Elder Scrolls 6 to the Punch Is Officially Downright Bonkers

So, Fable is set to launch on February 23, 2027, and The Elder Scrolls 6 doesn’t even have a known launch window, let alone a release date. Both Fable and The Elder Scrolls 6 have been anticipated for a long time at this point, but the wait for the latter has been significantly more grueling. While Bethesda has been working in deafening silence, Playground Games has managed to take over the Fable franchise and bring it to life before The Elder Scrolls 6 even gets a new trailer that has more to showcase than a few seconds of a rocky landscape and a mysterious city.

Granted, Bethesda has more franchises to work on than Playground Games. Fable is actually the first non-Forza Horizon game that Playground Games has had the chance to develop, which is pretty intriguing. Beyond The Elder Scrolls, games by Bethesda include industry heavyweights like Fallout, a new IP with Starfield, and plenty of publishing work for other developers that involves beloved franchises like DOOM and Wolfenstein. That is a lot for one company to have on its plate, but it’s still wild to realize how far ahead Fable is now compared to The Elder Scrolls 6.

Fable and the Xbox Series X25 Are a Match Made in Heaven

The Xbox Games Showcase revealed the Xbox Series X25 and a new look at Fable, and the two together sounds like a gaming dream.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is one of the top games that gamers have dubbed to be in “development hell.” Of course, progress on the game could be going completely smoothly, but Bethesda pulling the trigger way too early on the game’s announcement has covered the project in a thick fog of anxiety. The Elder Scrolls 6 announcement took place in 2018 during E3 with a short trailer that didn’t really give any significant details and ended with the title card coming into view before the short 37 seconds of footage cuts to black.

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It’s now been eight long years since that first and only reveal, and in that time, E3 no longer exists. When looking back at how gaming has changed in the past eight years, the evolution has been exponential, and it makes me wonder if The Elder Scrolls 6 will even be able to meet expectations when it finally arrives. Bethesda’s most recent game, Starfield, has had incredibly mixed reactions since its 2023 release, and the hype and anticipation surrounding The Elder Scrolls 6 news could be setting people up for disappointment.

Release Dates of the Last Fable and Elder Scrolls Entries

Fable 3 – October 2010
Skyrim – November 2011

The last entries of each franchise are only separated by a single year, but Fable feels like it has returned at lightning speed compared to The Elder Scrolls‘ snail’s pace. In the time that it has taken a new Elder Scrolls game to come out, Fable‘s original developer, Lionhead Studios, has closed down, the franchise has been taken over by a completely different studio, and a handful of exciting trailers and gameplay demos have been showcased at various gaming events. The Elder Scrolls 6 has remained under Bethesda’s ownership but still hasn’t brought forth anything new.

Fable‘s main antagonist is named Isabel and is played by MCU and Mission Impossible star Hayley Atwell, so the fantasy RPG also has the benefit of a strong cast on its side.

Game development is incredibly complex and time-consuming, but that simply makes it even more impressive and mind-boggling that Fable has managed to crawl its way back into the spotlight so much faster than The Elder Scrolls 6 after having to find a new developer to call home. No one even knows what main gameplay features The Elder Scrolls 6 has or where it’s even set. There are theories that the game is set in Hammerfell, but that’s merely speculation until Bethesda confirms or denies the claims.

On the flip side, gamers have already been gifted a lot in terms of what features to expect from Fable. A sneak peek at the main villain, glimpses of combat, and even the confirmation that there are around 1,000 romanceable NPCs in Fable have made it one of the most anticipated fantasy RPGs at the moment. There is always the chance that a game falls short of expectations, but Playground Games has been teasing a robust world that puts The Elder Scrolls 6 in a less-than-desirable position.

Even if Fable‘s release date puts it years ahead of The Elder Scrolls 6 (which hopefully isn’t the case), it still has the potential to be massive competition for the latter. What makes Fable so intriguing is that its world feels incredibly lifelike and fun-loving, and Bethesda could struggle to compare.

Game development is incredibly complex and time-consuming, but this makes it even more impressive and mind-boggling that Fable has managed to crawl its way back into the spotlight so much faster than The Elder Scrolls 6

Starfield didn’t exactly generate extra excitement for The Elder Scrolls 6. Granted, Starfield is a grounded sci-fi RPG, so that formula plays out differently than a fantasy-based one. However, the problems with Starfield quickly highlighted how dated some of Bethesda’s techniques are starting to feel. Some found the world lacking in compelling NPCs and content, which inadvertently made it far more obvious how bland the story can be. Strong gameplay and a compelling world can quickly save a weaker narrative, but Starfield struggled with both camps.

There have also been leaks and rumors that Bethesda could be working on remasters for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. The company has yet to officially confirm these projects, so all news about potential Fallout remasters should be taken with a grain of salt.

The big silver lining is that Starfield‘s ship building is incredibly fun and quickly became the highlight for a lot of players. Unless The Elder Scrolls 6 features customizable sailing ships, though, Starfield‘s strongest mechanic isn’t exactly useful for the fantasy title. Don’t get me wrong, I want The Elder Scrolls 6 to be a hit, especially after so many years of waiting. However, Fable‘s potential success could raise the bar even higher than it has already become in the eight years since Bethesda’s announcement.