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Fable Legends officially delayed

Free-to-play debut of Lionhead RPG series will miss 2015 launch window, open beta now scheduled for spring 2016

Lionhead today confirmed what was already largely assumed, that Fable Legends would not be part of Microsoft's "greatest holiday games lineup in Xbox history." While the first free-to-play installment in the role-playing game franchise had previously carried a 2015 release window, the developer today acknowledged that the game would not even enter its open beta phase until spring 2016.

"To be honest, we didn't anticipate just how big Fable Legends is becoming," the studio said in a post on the game's official site. "It's simply the most ambitious game we've ever created at Lionhead. We've built a unique and innovative multiplayer experience combining RPG and RTS gameplay which allows you to play, and use your gear seamlessly, across Xbox One and Windows 10. On top of this, we've built a beautiful new world full of grand stories and adventures. And it's taking more time than we thought."

While the open beta will have to wait until the spring, Lionhead is planning to expand its ongoing closed beta by another 100,000 players or so "over the next few weeks."