Xbox changes its strategy after Fable and will stop announcing games years in advance

Microsoft adjusts its policy after years of premature announcements and long silences.

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For years, one of the most common criticisms of Xbox has been announcing games too early, generating expectations that later dissipate over time, prolonged delays, and understandable silence from the studios. The case of Fable has been particularly representative… and it seems that it has also served as a turning point.

The RPG from Playground Games was presented in July 2020 and won’t arrive until this fall, almost six years later. An excessive period even for an ambitious production, and something that Microsoft now acknowledges as a mistake they don’t want to repeat.

Xbox announces games closer to their release

According to information published by Jez Corden, Microsoft has drawn clear conclusions after the development of Fable. The company believes that announcing projects too soon does more harm than good, both to the brand’s perception and to the relationship with players, especially when developments are prolonged or change direction.

The idea from now on is to reveal Xbox’s big games when they’re really close to being released, or at least when their development status is solid enough to avoid significant delays or awkward reappearances years later. A more cautious approach, in line with what we’ve seen recently in events like the Xbox Developer Direct.

This change also responds to another lesson: Fable has shown that Xbox’s internal teams can aspire to larger-scale and higher-quality productions, but that leap requires time, stability, and less external pressure. Announcing too early doesn’t help the studio or the public.

Microsoft is aware that other projects announced in the past haven’t had the same outcome, and that’s precisely why they want to avoid generating premature hype that ends up turning into frustration. The goal is clear: fewer long-term promises and more announcements when the release is a near reality.

If this strategy is maintained, Xbox’s calendar will be quieter in the long term, but also more reliable. And after what happened with Fable, many players will probably appreciate it.