Fable on Xbox Series X could be built using an unlikely engine

The Fable series is finally coming back to Xbox Series X after an 11 year hiatus, but Microsoft hasn’t shared any details since the game’s initial reveal other than a delightfully whimsical and humorous trailer.

However, a job listing on Microsoft’s website has shed new light on the next Fable game – and it points to the beloved series using an unlikely graphics engine this time around.

According to the recent job listing, which is for a Software Engineer at Turn10 Studios, Fable will be built using the ForzaTech engine, which powers the Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon games. The listing states that the team is looking for a candidate who can enrich “the toolset to support an open world action RPG – Fable” and also add new features like “ray tracing to support the next console generation”.

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Using an engine that was previously used to make racing games may seem like an odd choice, but we’ve seen companies such as EA create engines and development tools that are multipurpose. The Frostbite engine, which powers the likes of FIFA 21 and Battlefield 6, has been used in multiple titles and genres across EA’s portfolio, with admittedly varying degrees of success.

Fable X Forza

But should we be concerned that Fable is using the ForzaTech engine? Probably not. The Forza Horizon games have shown that the engine is certainly adept for delivering a rich and vibrant open world experience, and it’s proven to be scalable across PC and Xbox, which is always a plus for developers.

Fable is also being developed by PlayGround Games, the developer behind the Forza Horizon series. It means it’s being handled by a dev that’s intimately familiar with Turn10 Studios’ ForzaTech engine, which should alleviate any growing pains and ensure Fable will take full advantage of the available toolsets.

Fable joins the likes of Starfield, Perfect Dark, Halo Infinite, The Elder Scrolls 6 and Forza Motorsport as some of the most anticipated games on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. It’s unclear how long we’ll have to wait until we see more of the game, but a 2021 release is unlikely. All of these games, including Fable, will also launch day and date on Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.