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Xbox Game Studios Update With Craig Duncan | Official Xbox Podcast - Xbox Wire

In this episode of the OIn this episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, we sit down with the head of Xbox Game Studios, Craig Duncan, to discuss Avowed, South of Midnight, multiplatform releases, Fable, and more!

news.xbox.com

CRAIG DUNCAN: So, I just want to start with really excited, really excited about progress, really excited where Playground are. We previously announced the date for Fable as 2025, we are actually going to give Fable more time and it's going to ship in 2026 now. While I know that's not maybe the news people want to hear, what I want to assure people of is that it's definitely worth the wait. And I just, I have unequivocal confidence in the Playground team. If you think about their history and legacy for Forza Horizon, the last two games critically acclaimed (inaudible) --

 

[truth411]

"Wait till next year!"

 

[Mephisto40]

 

[Senua]

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

And here goes quite a lot of so called insider credibility.

Also this was obvious for anyone with half a brain. You don't hire an entire Eidos Montreal as a support if things are smooth.

 

[BlvckFox]

 

[JayK47]

How long have they been working on this garbage? No way this game looks anything like a Fable game by time it comes out.

 

[Sebastian1295]

We haven't seen an ounce of gameplay from this game and it was announced in 2020. What a mess.

 

[Kacho]

So, I just want to start with really excited, really excited about progress, really excited where Playground are.

Easy, big fella. Don't oversell your confidence.

 

[Represent.]

GTA6 Fall 2025 confirmed, trailer 2 late march

Represent™ exclusive, you heard it here first

 

[Topher]

Damn......game has been in development for what......seven years now?

 

[FoxMcChief]

Fine by me.

 

[nial]

We had 6 untainted gaming years without a new Fable. God gave us another one.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Damn......game has been in development for what......eight years now?

And is still in bad shape

I don't believe this is an attempt to avoid GTA, its in deep doo doo

 

[Luipadre]

Game is in dev hell no doubt about it.

 

[mansoor1980]

maybe peter molyneux can help speed things up.................

 

[Sebastian1295]

Easy, big fella. Don't oversell your confidence.

Playground games are great devs but this is a completely different genre of game they're dealing with and they haven't proven anything in terms of being able to write a story, characters, etc. I don't understand where all the confidence comes from honestly.

 

[Topher]

And is still in bad shape

I don't believe this is an attempt to avoid GTA, its in deep doo doo

Should have stuck to racing games, I guess.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Good delay. They don't need it this year with 2 Obsidian RPG releases.

And is still in bad shape

I don't believe this is an attempt to avoid GTA, its in deep doo doo

Oof.

 

[ReyBrujo]

If they don't hurry up there will be no more Xbox to play it in.

 

[jshackles]

"Wait till next year!"

At this point, Xbox is like the little league coach for the team of retards. "We'll get um next year guys, don't worry".

 

[Gonzito]

My reaction

 

[Schmendrick]

another game where Schreier is already wiggling with anticipation about his next "what went wrong / development hell" article.

 

[adamsapple]

TINA AMINI: So where are we at with Fable?

CRAIG DUNCAN: So, I just want to start with really excited, really excited about progress, really excited where Playground are. We previously announced the date for Fable as 2025, we are actually going to give Fable more time and it's going to ship in 2026 now. While I know that's not maybe the news people want to hear, what I want to assure people of is that it's definitely worth the wait.

 

[Sebastian1295]

Should have stuck to racing games, I guess.

It was dumb to give this to playground games to begin with. Wouldn't of Obsidian made more sense for an RPG like this instead of a racing developer that's never wrote a story, characters etc lol. It made no sense to begin with when the developer of this project was announced.

 

[Thief1987]

Seems like things are quite a mess if they definitely know so yearly in the year that it won't make it

 

[nial]

maybe peter molyneux can help speed things up.................

He can and I'm tired of pretending he can't.

 

[Punished Miku]

Disappointing but I have plenty to play. I'd prefer it this year but I can wait if it needs the time. I still haven't even played BO6, Stalker 2, Sniper Elite and Avowed. And they just announced the release date for 33 Immortals.

If they can finally confirm Replaced for Fall its okay for me.

I think we'll see it at the dev direct in January if it is actually going to make it in 2026.

 

[clarky]

Maybe MS are learning not to shit out half finished games that are a mess?

(Who am I kidding)

 

[NickFire]

My reaction

Think about this for one second. The same people who think that design will sell games are making the game. No wonder it’s delayed.

 

[Varteras]

And is still in bad shape

I don't believe this is an attempt to avoid GTA, its in deep doo doo

Frankly, what little they showed never gave me much confidence. Two of my friends loved the first two Fables and neither of them thought much about the more recent things shown. Personally, my hope is that they are doing significant changes. To quote one friend who saw that whole Jack and the Bean Stalk moment, "Dude... what the fuck is this??"

 

[struggler_guts]

 

[jshackles]

It was dumb to give this to playground games to begin with. Wouldn't of Obsidian made more sense for an RPG like this instead of a racing developer that's never wrote a story, characters etc lol. It made no sense to begin with when the developer of this project was announced.

I mean, if Microsoft was planning on making a new Fable game then why did it even shut down Lionhead Studios back in 2016? Development for this one supposedly started in 2018.

 

[FeralEcho]

He can and I'm tired of pretending he can't.

 

[Draugoth]

No one is buying it anyways

 

[Spitfire098]

Timing it with the PS5 release

 

[Kacho]

Playground games are great devs but this is a completely different genre of game they're dealing with and they haven't proven anything in terms of being able to write a story, characters, etc. I don't understand where all the confidence comes from honestly.

Playground is a legit studio. I just think they bit off more than they can chew here. Similar to The Initiative who also needed to bring in an external studio to help them complete their game. Microsoft has no business being in gaming anymore.

 

[Sebastian1295]

I feel like this game, state of decay 3, and perfect dark are all in development hell and all of them are sinking ships right now. These games were announced so long ago and we've seen nothing from any of them. The footage we did get of perfect dark last year looked like fake gameplay to me and not something that was even being close to complete. Microsoft/Xbox have the worst management i've seen and they simply can't get big quality games out the door consistently.

 

[Not_A-Cop_Maybe]

Sad for the people if this was the only game they were going to buy or play this year.

but, honestly I'm not bothered by this. Fable is a game that has traditionally had long legs in terms of playing and replayability. This year is pretty packed with releases, and if you are an xbox player there seems to be a big release every other month or two. Im fine with a game like Fable being a tentpole game for next year.

 

[ByWatterson]

Man, Sony is really fumbling the bag this gen.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

The footage in podcast is pre-alpha. In 2025. Pre-alpha.

It could easily slide to 2027 at this point.

 

[clarky]

We haven't seen an ounce of gameplay from this game and it was announced in 2020. What a mess.

Pretty Standard for this type of game. Look at Horizion ZD that took seven years from concept to retail and that came from an established dev. They fired up a new studio for this and don't forget Covid for 18 months on top.

 

[Topher]

Is this game still being built using ForzaTech?

 

[Randall365]

Giving other games a chance - fairplay to them.

Should be time to make the characters sexier too - just in time for the culture wars to swing back the other way!

 

[RedC]

Timing it with the PS5 release

I wouldn't be surprised if this is also the case.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Looking forward to the next mild success, whenever that happens.

 

[NeverYouMind]

I expected this and look forward to a polished new entry in 2026. Playground Games has not let me down yet.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Probably everyone avoiding GTA 6

Look for more delays of any games that were thought to be end of 2025

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

There it is O Ozriel

I was spot on with this call

 

[Fake]

Probably having a development hell.