"Fool, I have existed for millennia, it is impossible for you to comprehend what I am"
In a shock move today Lionhead the famed developers behind Fable Legends announced that their game will be free to play when it launches. In what seems to have been inspired by the success of LoLs and DOTA. Expanding to PC, enabling cross-platform play with the Xbox One version and going free-to-play is in part an attempt to grow the audience for the Fable series, Lionhead said in a presentation held earlier this week.
Since starting development on Fable Legends, we’ve had two clear goals in mind. First and foremost, we’re aiming to create an amazing, fun gaming experience for our players. The feedback we’ve had so far from players in our closed beta, fans we’ve met at shows, and the gaming press indicates we’re well on our way to realising our first goal!
Our second goal is to ensure the game we’re working to create is available to as many players as possible. The first step to make that happen came when we announced this year that Fable Legends will be cross-playable on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Today we’re announcing the next huge piece of news that’ll help us reach this goal.
Fable Legends will be free to play.
So what does free to play mean for Fable Legends? To help explain our approach to free to play, we’ve laid out three clear commitments:
OPEN
You’ll be able to play Fable Legends from beginning-to-end without spending a penny. That means you’ll have access to the entirety of Fable Legends’ storyline and all of the quests we release this year and forever.
FAIR
Everything in Fable Legends that affects gameplay can be earned by simply playing the game.
GENEROUS
Our goal is to have a happy community of players. We’ll be updating the game with exciting new quests to play through, Heroes to play as, Villain creatures to control, and lots more.
So how does Fable Legends work as a free to play game?
In Fable Legends, whether you’re adventuring as a Hero or smiting as a Villain, you will earn Silver to spend in-game. And everything that affects makes your characters or your creatures more powerful can be bought with the silver that you earn.You’ll also be able to buy gold with real-world money, which can then be used to purchase many of the items that are also available for Silver.
HEROES OF ALBION!
HERO ROTATION
We’ll be launching Fable Legends with a wide array of unique Heroes. At any time, there will be four of these Heroes available to play for free. We will rotate the four Heroes available on free rotation, so you’ll have a chance to play them all!
Any progress you make with a Hero will be saved, and you’ll be able to pick up where you left off when they appear next on the free rotation. If you find a Hero you love, you can play them whenever you like by unlocking them with Silver or Gold. Once you’ve done that, they’re yours forever.
HERO CUSTOMISATION
Albion is brimming with exciting treasure waiting to be claimed. The loot you find playing the game is yours to keep, and you'll also be able to get your hands on additional treasure with either silver or gold.
Every Hero can also be customised, and we’ll have a host of interesting outfits, face variations and more available to unlock. A select few outfits are different, from the finest tailors and stylists in Albion they can only be bought with gold.
FOR THE VILLAINS!
CREATURES
As you progress therough the story you’ll come across all manner of mischievous creatures, and you’ll find that creatures are all native to specific areas of Albion. Using your silver or gold, you’ll be able to gain the allegiance of creatures and use them in any quest!
TRAPS
A big part of playing the Villain is plotting new and inventive ways to entrap and destroy the Heroes. There will be many tools at your disposal, from magical healing stones to explosive mines, and you'll have the opportunity to unlock more traps using either silver or gold.
We want to make sure our approach to free to play gives everyone the freedom to enjoy the game to its full extent, and that’s exactly how we’ll continue to develop the game after launch.
You’ll no doubt have a lot of questions, so we’ve provided an FAQ which should have you covered.
If you have more questions that aren’t covered below, then ask us by heading to our brand new Ask The Devs, and join us on our Forums to discuss!