‘Fable Legends’ Cancelled As Lionhead Studios May Be Shut Down

After being in development for well over two years, Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on the free to play Fable Legends, with apparent plans to shut down Lionhead Studios altogether.

In a statement, Microsoft Europe General Manager Hanno Lemke discussed their plans going forward for the legendary studio once helmed by the controversial Peter Molyneux, as well as their planned closure of Press Play Studios, the folks behind the Wii, (and eventual multiplatform,) favorite, Max and the Magic Marker.

“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,”… “Additionally, we will close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on Project Knoxville.”

Lemke went on to say,

“We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the members of Lionhead and Press Play for their contributions to Xbox and gaming. We are committed to working closely with those affected by today’s news to find them new opportunities at Xbox, or partnering with the broader development community to help place them in jobs elsewhere in the games industry should they desire.”

This news is very unfortunate, especially because both studios have had a hand in some incredible games over the years. Especially in Lionhead’s case, it’s hard to believe that the studio behind some of the biggest games of the Xbox and Xbox 360 generations would end up in this position. Yet, once you consider that Fable Legends was taking such a drastic turn compared to its predecessors, as well as the somewhat tarnished reputation earned by their former head’s habit of over promising while under delivering, the idea of the studio fading away isn’t completely unheard of. Still, Legends looked pretty much done a year and a half ago when we saw it at Comic Con, so there must have been some real trouble behind the scenes for it to get cancelled after so long.

Here’s to hoping for the best for anyone who’s affected by the news.

Source: IGN.com