Microsoft has decided to can Fable Legends and shutdown Liondhead Studios.
Fable Legends was meant to be a free asymmetric multiplayer action game where 3 players cooperate together to defeat a fourth one who assumes the role of an evil battle master and directs his minions in a tower defense like manner. The game didn't hit a cord with fans, but perhaps this has to do with the fact that all its predecessors overpromised and under-delivered. In fact the series creator, Peter Molyneux, admitted publicly the Fable 2 was too "messy" and that Fable 3 was "a train wreck."
Before starting Lionhead Studios, Peter Molyneux was the cofounder of Bullfrog Productions, one of the top game development studios in the 1990's. Back then, Molyneux created highly acclaimed games including Populous, Theme Park and Dungeon Keeper. Then he founded Lionhead Studios in 2001 and spent the next 11 years releasing disappointing sequels for Black & White and Fable then apologizing.
Lionhead Studios was acquired by Microsoft in 2006 and Peter Molyneux left it in 2012 to work at 22Cans where he designed Godus.
Microsoft will also close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on Project Knoxville.
Microsoft Studios Europe General Manager, Hanno Lemke, assured that the decision to close the two studios has nothing to do with the quality of their work or their teams' capabilities. Instead, "these changes are taking effect as Microsoft Studios continues to focus its investment and development on the games and franchises that fans find most exciting and want to play."