Fable Legends is officially dead, as Microsoft has confirmed developer Lionhead Studios may be getting shut down. In addition to Lionhead, developer Press Play Studios is also shuttering.
“After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK,” Microsoft’s Hanno Lemke said in a press statement. Lemke is the General Manager of Microsoft Studios Europe. “Additionally, we will close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on Project Knoxville.”
Lionhead is the iconic studio that gave the world the Fable games, and was at one point headed up by Peter Molyneux. Press Play Studios is responsible for the smaller games Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Kalimba .
The reason for the business decisions, Microsoft says, is so the company can focus on exclusives and franchises “that fans find most exciting and want to play.”
The interesting thing here is that Microsoft owns the rights to Fable. That means it is entirely possible a different studio could get the green light to make a new game in the franchise at some point in the future. Microsoft has yet to make any announcements about the future of the franchise, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the property.
iDigitalTimes wishes the best of luck to those affected by the studio closures.
So what do you think? Are you sad to know you’ll never play Fable Legends? Do you think a different studio will take over the Fable license? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
