It's been two years since Fable Legends was canceled and Lionhead Studios shuttered, but that doesn't mean Microsoft's intellectual property has faded away entirely. A third party studio created a digital card game set in the Fable world, but fans hoping for a first party production have been left with nothing else. Now, Shannon Loftis, the general manager of Xbox publishing for first party games, may have just shone a ray of light for Fable fans everywhere.

During a recent interview at PAX Australia, Loftis reaffirmed her love of the Fable franchise and stated that she'd love for a return to the country of Albion, which is a significant statement given her role with Microsoft. As the head of first party publishing, she evidently carries some clout when it comes to what projects Microsoft chooses.

Shannon's full statement regarding a potential first-party return of the Fable franchise can be seen below:

"Fable is very near and dear to my heart. Actually one of the primary reasons [I moved to England] was to work with the team on Fable II. Fable Fortune is now out, the card game. We love the IP. I can't talk right now about whether we're doing anything with it or not, but if I ever get the chance to go back to Albion... "

A few months ago, Xbox head Phil Spencer was just as vague in an optimistic tweet about the franchise, where he stated there were a lot of places Fable could go. Microsoft has since pushed out the now-obligatory card-based game, but with Loftis receiving around 350-400 game pitches every year, even a franchise like Fable will have a hard time getting out of the conceptual phase. Much like Mass Effect, the franchise may remain shelved for the foreseeable future.

It's also worth noting that Peter Molyneux is open to working on Fable 4, though the fact that Lionhead Studios is closed presents some substantial obstacles to overcome. Molyneux founded the studio in 1996, and it was acquired by Microsoft 10 years later. He left the company in 2012, just 4 years before its eventual closure.

It's unclear if Shannon has submitted any internal pitches to reboot Fable, but the fact that two high ranking Xbox officials won't rule out a potential reboot will surely give fans of the series some renewed hope. For now, however, the only way gamers will enjoy Fable on the Xbox One is through backward compatibility.

Source: GameSpot