Elder Scrolls 6 Rival Looks To Be Delayed, GTA 6 To Blame

The Elder Scrolls VI likely remains years away, which means that many of us are seeking an open-world fantasy fix elsewhere.

Last year’s Avowed provided ample distraction, with several other titles set to continue that trend this year including Gothic 1 Remake and, more relevantly here, Fable.

Developed by Playground Games, Fable is set to mark the comeback of the beloved franchise of the same name, arriving on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in mid to late 2026.

It’s the first new game in the franchise in 14 years.

Add in the fact that Fable was announced six years ago and has already been delayed once, from 2025 to 2026, you can likely imagine how desperately fans are clamouring to get their hands on it.

Unfortunately, they might be in for quite the wait as reports have emerged suggesting that Fable has been delayed to 2027 - and Grand Theft Auto VI is to blame.

Fable Has Reportedly Been Delayed Internally, Prompting Worries Of A Clash With GTA VI

Giant Bomb journalist Jeff Grubb is the source of this report, revealing that Fable has been “pushed internally”.

“I’ll say that I’ve heard that Fable has been pushed internally,” Grubb remarked on his Game Mess podcast. “That doesn’t mean that it’s coming out next year.”

He continued, “Apparently, they’re still trying to get it out this year, but they are worried about the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, and so if it’s getting delayed beyond the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, that could push it into December, which might make it a prime candidate to get delayed into 2027.”

As it stands, Fable lacks a release date, but it was expected to land in Q3 or Q4, so we’re talking anywhere from July to December.

UPDATE: Playground Games has seemingly contradicted Grubb's claim. "Excited to welcome you back to Albion in Autumn 2026," they wrote on Twitter/X.

Xbox Game Studios

Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch on 19 November so it’s unlikely any major titles will launch in the day’s preceding that date or even as much as up to a month after.

After all, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to dominate chatter.

It’s with that in mind that as much as Playground Games and Xbox may be trying to find a suitable 2026 launch date, early 2027 doesn’t feel out of the question.

It depends whether Fable requires an extra couple of weeks in the oven or a considerable number of months; that’ll be the factor that determines whether it lands pre or post Grand Theft Auto VI.

As disappointing as it is when a game is delayed, it’s arguably for the best as no one enjoys playing a buggy, rushed, or broken game.

Fable is a game that many are expecting big things from. Heck, it could be Xbox’s first first-party GOTY contender in over a decade if it plays its cards right.

READ MORE: Fable Includes Over 1,000 NPCs But Abandons Player-Favourite Feature

Of course, Grubb’s comments should be taken with a pinch of salt until any such delays are confirmed by Xbox.

It’s perhaps unlikely that we’ll hear anything official for some time, with Xbox’s annual Xbox Showcase confirmed for Sunday 7 June at 6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET.