The public beta for Fable Legends, the upcoming multiplayer free-to-play entry in Microsoft’s action-RPG series, has been pushed back to “Spring 2016,” according to a blog post on the game’s official website. Originally set to begin during the 2015 holiday season, developer Lionhead Studios has opted to extend their current private beta, which has been underway since October 16.
According to the post, Lionhead decided to hold off on opening the beta because of the game’s increased scope, which combines “RTS and RPG gameplay.”
“To be honest, we didn’t anticipate just how big Fable Legends is becoming,” the post explained. “It’s simply the most ambitious game we’ve ever created at Lionhead.”
The studio also noted that the game includes platform cross-play between Windows 10 and Xbox One, but does not directly state that the system played a role in the decision. According to previous reports, cross-play in Fable Legends will allow players to swap their accounts between platforms. Though the game is free-to-play, Xbox One users must have an Xbox Live Gold membership to play any game online.
In the meantime, the studio said it will add 100,000 new players into the current test from the beta sign-up list in the coming weeks, as well as “lots” of new content, including quests, features, heroes, and creatures.
The release timetable for Legends has remained a source of contention for fans. Over the summer, Lionhead denied reports that the game would be released outright in October. With “hundreds of thousands” of players already accessing the game and many more to come, the distinction between the game’s public beta and an official launch date may end up being a matter of semantics.
Players interested in joining the private and, eventually, public beta for Fable Legends can sign up here.
