Sad news erupted since Friday, as Microsoft announced the closure of Lionhead Studios, the primary developer for the beloved Fable franchise.
According to the Microsoft representative, the company had already began making moves start the defunct process last month when they decided to discontinue working on Fable Legends title for PC and Xbox One. For Lionhead, the nix of the highly anticipated free-to-play title served as a huge wake-up call.
“We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the team at Lionhead for their significant contributions to Xbox and the games industry,” the Microsoft representative said to Polygon. “We remain committed to the development communities in the UK and Europe, and have been working to support Lionhead employees in finding new opportunities at Microsoft or in the wider gaming industry.”
Under the guide of Peter Molyneux, Lionhead Studios was a gaming studio based out in UK and, eventually, a subdivision for Microsoft Studios. For the last 20 years, Lionhead gave the world a different aspect of role-playing games and adventurous tales, with Fable being the most recognized and critically acclaimed series across the industry.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that those who have been let go as a result of the closure will find work, but it should also be enticing to see what these now former Lionhead Studios employees end up doing. Will there be some that end up staying with Microsoft or will they venture off and found a new company that keeps the vision of Lionhead intact?
Time will tell.
