Award-winning writer Anna Megill was already part of Fable 4 (opens in new tab)‘s writing team, but confirmed on Friday that she had recently been promoted from lead writer to narrative lead on the highly-anticipated reboot.

Megill boasts an exceptional back catalog of story-driven games on her resume, and has been part of the writing teams for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Murdered, Guild Wars 2, and the excellent Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

She was also the narrative lead on Remedy’s mind-bending Control, too.

Some exciting news to end the week. I’m now the Narrative Lead on #Fable. Wooo! 🧚‍♂️💫 (Let’s just pretend I did one of those little title-change videos) pic.twitter.com/Ab2DyXhIIaJuly 8, 2022

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In case you missed it, one of Fable 4’s senior producers recently clarified why the game’s ongoing development had been “scaled down” due to technical difficulties (opens in new tab).

After claims online that Fable 4’s development had to be scaled down as the team was having trouble with the engine, a senior producer on Fable 4 took to Twitter to “clear up” that scoping “is a normal, necessary, and healthy part of game development,” which they guarantee is something any AAA game goes through as part of natural development. 

Crunch and delays occur when games haven’t been scoped correctly, Amie Loake explained, and as developers managing an ongoing project want to avoid this wherever possible, scoping is intended to bring focus to the game and streamline the entire project.

Playground Games’ Fable reboot first surfaced back in July 2020 and while highly anticipated, it’s been very quiet on that front since then. We do, however, know that Fable 4 is coming to Xbox Series X and is being developed on the same engine that brought us Forza Motorsport.

For all the very latest Fable-flavored news, you should keep an eye on our guide to everything we know so far about the new Fable game (opens in new tab).

Read up on our new games 2022 (opens in new tab) guide for a complete look over all the other games launching over the next few months.

The post Fable reboot appoints a new narrative lead appeared first on Game News.

Through investment and acquisitions, Xbox Game Studios is now an enviable force in the industry. There are more upcoming Xbox Series X games in development than ever before – something that is unlikely to change anytime soon, particularly with Microsoft Gaming on the precipice of purchasing Activision Blizzard. 

While the $70 billion acquisition is yet to be finalised, there are still 23 of the industry’s leading game developers creating new Xbox exclusive games – each of which will be available in Xbox Game Pass from its day of release. 

Below you will find the full Xbox Game Studios list, a breakdown of what each developer is famous for, and some insight into what they are working on next. 

Xbox Game Studios list

Every Microsoft-owned, first-party studio and what they are working on:

• 343 Industries
• Alpha Dog Games
• Arkane Studios
• Bethesda Game Studios
• Bethesda Softworks
• Compulsion Games
• Double Fine Productions
• id Software
• Inxile Entertainment
• MachineGames
• Mojang Studios
• Ninja Theory
• Obsidian Entertainment
• Playground Games
• Rare
• Roundhouse Studios
• Tango Gameworks
• The Coalition
• The Initiative
• Turn 10 Studios
• Undead Labs
• World’s Edge
• Xbox Games Studios Publishing
• ZeniMax Online

343 Industries

• Notable releases: Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One, 2015), Halo Infinite (Xbox Series X, 2021)
• Working on: Halo Infinite (live service)
• Founded in: 2007

343 Industries has stewardship over the Halo franchise. The studio most recently released Halo Infinite on 15 November, 2021 for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. The studio is set to continue working on Halo Infinite for the next decade, expanding Master Chief’s journey on Zeta Halo with campaign expansions, and continuing to maintain the Halo Infinite multiplayer live service experience with additional seasons of content. 

Alpha Dog Games

• Notable releases: Wraithborne (iOS, 2012), MonstroCity Rampage (iOS, 2017)
• Working on: TBC
• Acquired in: 2021

Alpha Dog Games is a mobile-focused developer that was actually acquired by Bethesda in late 2019 to support the publisher’s growing interest in the iOS and Android market. Given Microsoft’s investment in mobile and cloud gaming, it’s likely that Alpha Dog will continue working behind the scenes on the initiative.

Arkane Studios

• Notable releases: Dishonored (Multi, 2012), Prey (Multi, 2017)
• Working on: Redfall (Xbox Series X, 2023), Deathloop (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Acquired in: 2021

Arkane Studios is known for building complex immersive sims, experiences that weave a reactive sense of choice and consequence right through the action. Arkane most recently released Deathloop as a timed-exclusive on PS5, and the studio is thought to be working on an Xbox Series X port now. Arkane is also developing Redfall, a co-op shooter which’ll let you and your friends hunt vampires across a sprawling open world – it’s expected to launch early 2023.

Bethesda Game Studios

• Notable releases: Fallout 3 (Multi, 2008), The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (Multi, 2011)
• Working on: Starfield (Xbox Series X, 2023), The Elder Scrolls 6 (TBC)
• Acquired in: 2021

By acquiring Bethesda Game Studios, Microsoft has added one of the most successful and influential outfits in the industry to its arsenal. This is the studio responsible for overseeing the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls franchises, although it also has a brand new IP in the works called Starfield. Starfield is a sci-fi RPG that is expected to launch in early 2023.

Bethesda Softworks

• Notable releases: N/A
• Working on: N/A
• Acquired in: 2021

Microsoft didn’t just acquire eight development studios, it also brought ZeniMax Media’s publishing wing into the fold too. That means that ‘Bethesda’ as you traditionally know it will continue to exist, with Microsoft allowing it to work semi-autonomously where it will continue to publish the games that are born from its portfolio of partners. 

Compulsion Games

• Notable releases: Contrast (Multi, 2013), We Happy Few (Multi, 2018)
• Working on: TBC
• Acquired in: 2018

Compulsion Games has only released two games since its formation in 2009, Contrast and We Happy Few, which are polar opposites in terms or theme and genre, although they are connected by a shared value: an undeniable sense of style. Compulsion Games is yet to reveal what it is working on now.

Double Fine Productions

• Notable releases: Brutal Legend (PS3/Xbox 360, 2009), Psychonauts 2 (Multi, 2021)
• Working on: TBC
• Acquired in: 2019

Double Fine Productions creates cult-classics. Ever since its formation in 2000, Double Fine has always made games its own way, with an unwavering desire to provide windows into weird and wonderful worlds. Double Fine released Psychonauts 2 to rave reviews in 2021, and the studio is yet to announce what it is currently working on.

id Software

• Notable releases: Doom (Multi, 2016), Doom Eternal (Multi, 2020) 
• Working on: TBC
• Acquired in: 2020

They don’t come more legendary than id Software. This is the studio that essentially created the first-person shooter with Wolfenstein 3D in 1992, Doom in 1993, and Quake in 1996, and is known for having the industry’s greatest shotgun. id is yet to reveal what it is working on following the release of Doom Eternal. 

inXile Entertainment

• Notable releases: Tides of Numenera (Multi, 2017), Wasteland 3 (2020, Multi)
• Working on: TBC
• Acquired in: 2018

inXile is a studio with speciality in c-RPGs, founded by Brian Fargo – director of Wasteland and executive producer of the original Fallout. inXile hasn’t revealed its next project, although it’s rumored that the studio is is building a ‘AAA-RPG’ for Xbox Series X. Given that Wasteland 3 released two years ago, hopefully it won’t be long before the studio shows us what it has been up to.

MachineGames

• Notable releases: Wolfenstein: The New Order (Multi, 2014), Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (Multi, 2017)
• Working on: Indiana Jones (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Acquired in: 2021

MachineGames was founded in 2009 by former members of Starbreeze Studios, before being handed the reins to the Wolfenstein series in 2010. The studio made a name for itself with its subversive and tightly-designed first-person shooters. It was recently announced that Bethesda will be collaborating with LucasFilm Games to create a brand new Indiana Jones game, with MachineGames handling development.

Mojang Studios

• Notable releases: Minecraft (Multi, 2011), Minecraft Dungeons (Multi, 2020)
• Working on: Minecraft (Multi, 2011)
• Acquired in: 2014

Mojang is the Minecraft company. Acquired by Microsoft in 2014 for 2.5 billion dollars, Mojang has been dutifully updating and evolving Minecraft across all of its supported platforms since. While the studio rarely operates outside of the core Minecraft experience, it did release a family-friendly dungeon-crawler in 2020 called Minecraft Dungeons. 

Ninja Theory

• Notable releases: DmC: Devil May Cry (Multi, 2013), Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Multi, 2017)
• Working on: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox Series X, TBC), Project: Mara (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Acquired in: 2018

Ninja Theory built its reputation creating beautiful, detailed action-adventure games like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and DmC: Devil May Cry. Since its 2018 acquisition, Ninja Theory has invested heavily into state-of-the-art motion capture, Unreal Engine 5, and other new technology to help drive forward Xbox Series X fidelity. The studio is working on Hellblade 2, and a new experimental horror game codenamed Project Mara. 

Obsidian Entertainment

• Notable releases: Pillars of Eternity (PC, 2015),  The Outer Worlds (Multi, 2019)
• Working on: Grounded (Xbox One, 2022), Avowed (Xbox Series X, TBC), The Outer Worlds 2 (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Acquired in: 2018

Obsidian Entertainment is a legendary developer of RPGs. Whether it’s action-heavy, like Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, or leaning more heavily into the strategy-side with Pillars of Eternity, the name ‘Obsidian’ is a mark of quality. The studio currently has Grounded in early-access, which is working towards a 2022 release. The studio is also developing a new RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe named Avowed, and has begun early work on The Outer Worlds 2.

Playground Games

• Notable releases: Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One, 2018), Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox Series X, 2021) 
• Working on: Fable 4 (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Acquired in: 2018

Playground Games was given the keys to the Forza franchise back in 2010, with Forza Horizon developed in collaboration with series stalwarts Turn 10. Ever since, Playground has consistently delivered open-world racing games that go above and beyond that of the competition. Following the release of Forza Horizon 5 in 2021, the studio is now full focused on its reboot of an iconic Xbox RPG – Fable. 

Rare

• Notable releases: Viva Pinata (Xbox 360, 2006), Sea of Thieves (PC/Xbox One, 2018)
• Working on: Everwild (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Acquired in: 2002

Rare is a legendary British studio. So much so, it’s difficult to know where to even begin. So let’s skip the history lesson and fast-forward to the present. Rare continues to support and update Sea of Thieves, one of the best multiplayer games out there right now, while it works on a brand-new co-op adventure called Everwild. 

Roundhouse Studios

• Notable releases: N/A
• Working on: TBC 
• Acquired in: 2021

Roundhouse Studios is an unknown quantity. This is a studio created by Bethesda in 2019, staffed by developers that were with Human Head Studios right to the bitter end. Given that staff has experience in everything from FPS to RPGs, it’s impossible to know what it is working on – but whatever it is, it’s bound to still be in the very early stages of pre-production. 

Tango Gameworks

• Notable releases: The Evil Within (Multi, 2014), The Evil Within 2 (Multi 2017)
• Working on: Ghostwire Tokyo (Xbox Series X, 2023)
• Acquired in: 2021

Tango Gameworks is Shinji Mikami’s studio, the famed creator of such classics as Resident Evil and Dino Crisis. Tango’s first two releases were confident, terrifying psychological horror games, although its latest is a little weirder. Ghostwire Tokyo launched as a timed-exclusive on PS5 in 2022, and the studio is expected to release an Xbox Series X port in 2023. Tango is yet to reveal what it is working on in the meantime. 

The Coalition

• Notable releases: Gears of War 4 (Xbox One, 2016), Gears 5 (Xbox One, 2019)
• Working on: TBC
• Founded in: 2010

When Microsoft acquired the rights to Gears of War from Epic Games in 2014, it was handed off to The Coalition. The studio now leads production on the franchise, pushing the scope of the series with each new installment. The Coalition’s most recent release was Gears 5 in 2019, although it has since launched an updated version of the game for Xbox Series X. The studio is yet to confirm what it’s working on now, although it is known to be investing heavily in Unreal Engine 5.   

The Initiative

• Notable releases: N/A
• Working on: Perfect Dark (Xbox Series X, 2022)
• Founded in: 2018

The Initiative is a brand new video game developer, founded by former Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher. The studio is packed with talent from BioWare, Naughty Dog, Respawn Entertainment, and others, and is being touted as a key player in Xbox’s future. The Initiative is currently developing a reboot of the Perfect Dark series, which was revealed in 2020. Due to the scope of the project, Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics has been brought in to co-develop Joanna Dark’s long-awaited return.

Turn 10

• Notable releases: Forza Motorsport 7 (Xbox One, 2017)
• Working on: Forza Motorsport (Xbox Series X, TBC)
• Founded in: 2001

Ever since its formation, Turn 10 has been known for its meticulous attention-to-detail, working to create the most realistic and engaging racing sims imaginable. It’s currently building a next-generation Forza experience for Xbox Series X, although Microsoft is yet to give the project an official title or release window – let alone any details. Given the five year wait, Forza Motorsport is expected to return sooner rather than later. 

Undead Labs

• Notable releases: State of Decay (PC, 2013), State of Decay 2 (Xbox One, 2018)
• Working on: State of Decay 3 (Xbox Series X, 2022)
• Acquired in: 2018

Undead Labs has had its sights on delivering the ultimate zombie survival experience ever since its formation. The studio is currently working on State of Decay 3 for Xbox Series X, which will be its first release since becoming a first-party Xbox studio in 2018. The game is thought to still be early in development, so we’ll likely be waiting a little while before we see any more of it in action. 

World’s Edge

• Notable releases: Age of Empires 4 (PC, 2021)
• Working on: TBC
• Founded in: 2019

While World’s Edge isn’t directly responsible for making new games, it has been positioned as a caretaker for one of Microsoft’s biggest franchises. The studio coordinates development for Age of Empires, working to ensure external studios such as Relic Entertainment and Forgotten Empires are properly aligned. To that end, World’s End helped to ship Age of Empires 4 in 2021 for PC, and is yet to reveal what it’s working on next.

Xbox Game Studios Publishing

• Notable releases: N/A
• Working on: N/A
• Founded in: 2000

Xbox Game Studios Publishing is an internal group within the Xbox Game Studios group that supports external developers, and those under the wider first-party group. In the past, the global publishing team has worked with partners like Insomniac and Dontnod to bring Sunset Overdrive and Tell Me Why to the platform; it’s currently helping Avalanche Studios with its co-op smuggling game Contraband. 

ZeniMax Online Studios

• Notable releases: The Elder Scrolls Online (Multi, 2014), Fallout 76 (Multi, 2018)
• Working on: N/A
• Acquired in: 2021

ZeniMax Online Studios is responsible for creating and overseeing Bethesda’s online-focused games, such as The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76. The studio isn’t known to have any brand new games in development, although it is continuing to support, develop, and grow Bethesda’s MMORPGs. ZeniMax Online Studios’ most recent release was the The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle expansion.

Extended Reading: What the Xbox acquisition of ZeniMax could mean for games like The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, and Deathloop? (opens in new tab)

The post Xbox Game Studios list: The Microsoft-owned studios and the exclusives they are developing appeared first on Game News.

• Xbox E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Microsoft Xbox at E3 2019
• Nintendo E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Nintendo at E3 2019 
• Bethesda E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Bethesda at E3 2019
• Ubisoft E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Ubisoft at E3 2019
• Square Enix E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of Square Enix at E3 2019
• EA E3 2019 (opens in new tab) Recap: Best of EA at E3 2019
• Sony E3 2019 Recap (opens in new tab): Why Sony skipped E3 2019

The Elder Scrolls 6 

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA

Elder Scrolls 6 (opens in new tab) is still a long, long way off by the sound of things, and we already knew it wouldn’t be at E3 2019 (though Todd Howard did dare to speak its name during the Bethesda E3 2019 show). Given how little we have to go on at the moment, it’s very likely that Elder Scrolls 6 will arrive on the next generation of consoles ushered in by the PS5 (opens in new tab) and Xbox Project Scarlett (opens in new tab), so it’s totally understandable that it’d have nothing to show at E3 2019. Still, that doesn’t make the waiting any easier, especially considering we won’t be getting it until after the launch of the equally mysterious Starfield. 

Gears Tactics

Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBA 

At E3 2018, Microsoft pushed the Gears of War franchise harder than it has ever done in the past. Alongside the reveal of Gears 5 and Gears Pop! it also showed pre-alpha footage of Gears Tactics in action. The game, set to be a real-time strategy game for PC looked pretty awesome but it was sadly absent from Microsoft’s E3 2019 briefing. Microsoft has since confirmed that Gears Tactics is still in development in an effort to quell fears that the game had been cancelled – it hasn’t been seen for a year after all – but provided no further clarification as to when the upcoming game would come back into the public eye. 

Death Stranding 

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: November 8, 2019

Sony E3 2019 was an underwhelming affair because, well, PlayStation wasn’t there. Thankfully, Death Stranding (opens in new tab) went big in the weeks leading up to E3 2019. Hideo Kojima got to throw fans a bone with a huge new Death Stranding trailer (opens in new tab) two weeks before E3, but its absence was felt at this year’s show after it featured so prominently since its big debut at E3 2016. The good news is that the Death Stranding release date (opens in new tab) is locked in for later this year, so Kojima fans won’t have to wait long to see the game in full. The bad news is that we have no idea when we’ll get to hear about those other PlayStation exclusives, as Sony continues work on the PS5 lineup behind the scenes. 

Metroid Prime 4 

Platform(s): Switch
Release date: TBA

All it took for Nintendo to make people’s heads explode at E3 2017 was a logo reveal for Metroid Prime 4 (opens in new tab), confirming that a new game in the sci-fi FPS series starring Samus Aran is in development. But this past January, Nintendo delivered the bad news that the game needed to be delayed and rebooted (opens in new tab) after it was failing to meet internal standards. On the upside, Metroid Prime 4 is now being developed by Retro Studios, which made the original Metroid Prime trilogy, though the team is still looking to fill some key roles (opens in new tab). With Retro Studios needing to restart everything from scratch, there was no way Metroid Prime 4 could ever be ready to be shown at E3 2019. 

Starfield

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA

Bethesda had a fairly strong showing at E3 2019, but many of us were left disappointed by the lack of Starfield (opens in new tab) and The Elder Scrolls 6 information. Todd Howard gave both titles a passing mention in the Bethesda E3 2019 conference, confirming that development was moving forward, but failed to share any further details. This isn’t a huge surprise, the studio told us the pair of games wouldn’t be at E3 ahead of the show starting, but that didn’t stop any of us from hoping that we were being lied to. Here’s hoping that we get more info on Bethesda’s ambitious sci-fi game before the year’s end. 

Beyond Good and Evil 2 

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA

Beyond Good and Evil 2 (opens in new tab) went from leaked trailer vaporware (remember Jade parkouring around that nondescript city?) to an actual, in-development project in 2017, but it’s still tough to get a bead on Ubisoft’s plans for the game. Case in point: a Beyond Good & Evil 2 stream that took place the week before E3 2019. Most companies would use that kind of time slot to get out ahead of the publicity blowout and share some big news about their projects. Beyond Good and Evil 2 used that time to show us to concept art of animal-human hybrids dying and some pot-smoking rhinos (opens in new tab). Once that stream was over, it was pretty clear that Ubisoft had no big intentions for Beyond Good and Evil 2 at E3 2019. Maybe it will kick back into gear once the new console generation begins? 

Bayonetta 3 

Platform(s): Switch
Release date: TBA 

It’s a miracle Bayonetta 3 (opens in new tab) is in development at all given the rocky road Bayonetta 2 faced, but Platinum Games says the sequel is coming along well despite skipping E3 2019. In an interview with NintendoLife (opens in new tab), studio head Atsushi Inaba said: “Things are going well and I know a lot of people are asking for it. Giving updates for everything at E3 isn’t the smartest PR strategy to begin with. So just because we’re not showing it here, doesn’t mean it’s not going well.” He also assured concerned players that “it’s going to be a high-quality title and we’re putting our all into it,” which is precisely why the studio’s staying silent for now. Bayonetta was great and Bayonetta 2 was phenomenal, so there’s little doubt Bayonetta 3 will be worth the wait. In the meantime, Switch owners have Platinum’s Astral Chain coming this August.  

The Last of Us: Part 2

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: TBA 

We are desperate for more information on The Last of Us: Part 2 (opens in new tab). Naughty Dog has been hard at work on the highly anticipated sequel for years now and many had hoped that Sony would give The Last of Us: Part 2 the State of Play treatment during the week of E3 in an effort to pull some attention away from Microsoft and its slew of announcements. Sadly, that didn’t come to be. The time will soon be upon us, however, for more details to be revealed; questions regarding its supposed 2019 release date are starting to be asked, as too are questions over whether it will be a PS4 game or positioned as a PS5 launch title. 

Session 

Platform(s): Xbox One, PC
Release date: Late 2019

In our timeline where EA vehemently refuses to confirm Skate 4 (opens in new tab), Microsoft used that absence to its advantage by channeling all that skateboarding game hype into Session (opens in new tab) with an impressive trailer the Xbox E3 2018 press conference. This 3D skating game has a similar emphasis on lifelike tricks, and looks great despite being made on a Kickstarter budget rather than EA’s deep pockets. But as developer Vincent Da Silva posted in a Kickstarter update (opens in new tab) near the end of May, the team decided to skip E3 to keep plugging away on the game. “With early access getting closer every day, we knew it would have an impact on the development,” said Silva, “so we decided to stay focused on developing Session instead.”  

Skull and Bones 

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: TBA

Here’s another no-show we knew about ahead of time, but anyone who didn’t hear the news about the latest Skull and Bones delay (opens in new tab) might’ve been thrown when it didn’t show up in the Ubisoft E3 2019 show. The multiplayer ship-vs-ship battles between pirates and naval officers in Skull and Bones (opens in new tab) need more time in the dock, with producer Karl Luhe saying “We will be back as soon as we can with exciting new updates.” Until then, the earliest you can expect to play Skull and Bones is April 2020, as the recent Ubisoft earnings call placed its release date sometime in the 2020/2021 fiscal year.

Need For Speed

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

EA had a pretty light showing at E3 2019. While we knew we were never going to get the Skate 4 we’ve all been dreaming of for a decade, we were hoping to get a sneak peak at the new Need for Speed (opens in new tab) game that’s in development. Criterion has since confirmed that the new entry to the long-running series is happening and, amazingly, will be launching later this year. Details are thin on the ground, but it sounds as if Criterion opted to skip E3 2019 to continue working on the game. Stay tuned, basically! Need for Speed is coming back and we truly do hope that the studio is able to get it back into the right lane after a divisive few entries. 

Nioh 2

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

Here’s the thing, Nioh 2 is technically – technically – a PS4 console-exclusive, which meant developer Team Ninja opted to follow suit with Sony and skip out on showing its latest samurai action game off at E3 2019. Revealed at last year’s Sony E3 conference, the game seems to be moving through development nicely. In fact, word out of the recent Nioh 2 closed alpha (opens in new tab) were positive enough and a good sign that the game is still on the right path. Nothing to worry about here, it’s business as usual over at Team Ninja even if we were a little disappointed we didn’t get to see a new Nioh 2 trailer. 

Age of Empires 4 

Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBA

RTS fans have been dying for news on Age of Empires 4 (opens in new tab), a new entry in the legendary strategy series featuring a wide range of civilizations and time periods of war. It’s being developed by Relic Entertainment, the same studio behind beloved RTS series like Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. In an interview with PC Gamer (opens in new tab), Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained why we didn’t get to see Age of Empires 4 during the Xbox E3 2019 show. “We’ll talk about it more this year,” he said, adding “Relic’s great as a studio, [and] we’re making good progress with it.” To tide Age of Empires fans over, Microsoft is launching Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition later this year, which remasters the 1999 original with 4K-ready visuals and a new campaign called The Last Khans. 

In The Valley of Gods 

Platform(s): PC
Release date: TBA

Firewatch (opens in new tab) was a humdinger of a debut game for Campo Santo: it was evocative, funny, and expertly subverted expectations. In The Valley of Gods (opens in new tab) looked like a fantastic follow-up when it was announced in 2017. Then Valve bought Campo Santo (opens in new tab) and all expectations of a normal development schedule dissolved into the quantic phenomenon known as Valve time. The developers formerly known as Campo Santo announced the acquisition with assurances that In The Valley of Gods was still their top priority, and I don’t doubt that’s still the case. But with how long it’s been since we’ve heard anything new about the game, it’s hard not to imagine them all just wheeling their desks over to this project for a few weeks, then that project for a few weeks… until it’s E3 2019 and we still barely know anything about it. 

Dragon Age 4

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

Back in December 2018, BioWare revealed that Dragon Age 4 (opens in new tab) – as we’ve taken to calling it, in lieu of an official name – was a real game that was definitely in development. Then Anthem happened and, well, you know the rest. While it was reported that the Anthem creative leads had moved to working on Dragon Age 4 full time (opens in new tab), and that BioWare was pushing for Dragon Age 4 live-service elements (opens in new tab) internally, it also sounds like development has been tricky. BioWare is still very early in production, which made its absense from E3 2019 expected but no less disappointing. 

Fable 4

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

What happened Microsoft? The fact that Playground Games is working on Fable 4 (opens in new tab) is practically an open secret in the wider games industry now, thanks in no small part to numerous Fable 4 leaks (opens in new tab) and clear signs that the studio is working on a third-person open-world adventure game. Playground was purchased by Microsoft last year and so it looked as if the stars were aligning to give us the reveal we’ve spent so many years waiting for. Sadly, the Xbox E3 2019 conference came and went without ever a mention of the legendary Xbox franchise. It is yet to be confirmed that this game exists, but we are now holding out hope for the Xbox fan event this November, XO19, which is being held in London, could be where Fable 4 is finally shown to the world. 

Rocksteady’s new game

Platform(s): TBA
Release date: TBA 

Rocksteady, what are you doing to us? The studio behind the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham series of games has been suspiciously quiet since it release Batman Arkham VR back in 2016, sadly it skipped E3 for the second year in a row. Aware that fans would be disappointed, Rocksteady’s co-founder Sefton Hill clarified that the upcoming mystery game wouldn’t be at E3 2019 (opens in new tab) to continue work on its next big project. It means we are still no closer to knowing what Rocksteady is working on, outside of the knowledge that it will 100% not be a Superman game (opens in new tab). Here’s hoping we aren’t made to wait for a year to see what the team is working on. 

Ghost of Tsushima

Platform(s): PS4
Release date: TBA 

It’s been a long time since we last received an update on Ghost of Tsushima (opens in new tab). The upcoming open-world samurai game from developer Sucker Punch, set to let you explore 13th century Japan as you battle back against Mongol invaders, has long been one of our most anticipated PS4 games. Sadly, the game was forced to bow out of E3 2019 when Sony made the decision to skip the annual event entirely. That means we’ll be waiting a little longer to find out whether rumours of Ghost of Tsushima slipping to 2020 (opens in new tab) are true, and to see whether it’s still set to launch on PS4 or whether it’ll end up as a PS5 launch title.

For a look at a long-awaited game that was at the show, check out our E3 2019 preview of Marvel’s Avengers (opens in new tab):

The post The missing games of E3 2019 appeared first on Game News.

For those who might not remember, the Spire was the centre of Fable 2 and gave the person who controlled it one wish. This time around someone ended up getting control of the Spire and they used it to destroy the planet with an asteroid, meaning that Theresa and the Guild of heroes are now on a different planet which is accessed via a demon door. Just glance below for all of the details, grabbed on Reddit (opens in new tab). 

Rumor: first Fable IV details have been leaked (includes story details as well)https://t.co/RLWgpy0S9r pic.twitter.com/V6W74TDLV9June 4, 2019

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Fable 4 sounds radically different from any of the other games that came before. It has different planets and time travel, but although those two details might sound like a big change the medieval setting hints at a return to the series’ roots after the modern industrialisation of Fable 3 (opens in new tab). 

Get ready to rejoice though, as this Fable 4 leak implies that multiplayer has finally made it into the game! Perhaps Fable will turn into the medieval fantasy equivalent of Borderlands 3 (opens in new tab), made just as much for multiplayer as single player. Getting rid of guns will likely also address a common criticism of the previous games which said that past a certain point the combat was simply too easy, as the gun reticle auto-aim pretty much gifted you a headshot for every single bullet. 

Being able to build towns sounds like the natural progression of the house-buying and renting system of previous games, as well as the in-depth economy that allowed you to watch the market and sell items in bulk for a nice tidy profit. Overall, although the setting is wildly different from anything Fable has done before, the systems do sound semi familiar. Now we just have to wait until the E3 2019 games (opens in new tab) get officially announced to hear more about it… 

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