Fable 4 Delayed – Forza Horizon 6 Coming In 2025?

With Horizon 5’s content cycle winding down, Fable delayed, and possible GTA VI setbacks, could Forza Horizon 6 be set for a 2025 release date?

TL;DR

• Fable 4’s delay is confirmed, now arriving in 2026
• Forza Horizon 5 received its final DLC, signaling the end of life
• Historical pattern suggests FH6 announcement at Summer Game Fest (June 6-9, 2025)
• FH5 hits PlayStation shortly, creating perfect timing
• Releasing before (possibly delayed) GTA 6 would avoid direct competition
• Waiting until 2027 to avoid GTA would be a risky move

Despite a planned release in 2025, Microsoft raises eyebrows by confirming the delay of the highly anticipated Fable reboot until 2026.

Since Fable and Forza Horizon are both developed by Playground Games, this creates an interesting dynamic for the studio’s release schedule.

With Horizon 5’s content cycle concluding and its PlayStation debut arriving shortly, fans are speculating what this schedule change means for the upcoming Forza Horizon 6 release.

Fable’s Confirmed Delay

“We are actually going to give Fable more time,” Craig Duncan, Head of Xbox Game Studios, recently announced on the Official Xbox Podcast, insisting “it’s definitely worth the wait.”

The official line is that Fable needs more development time to ensure quality, which makes sense since Playground Games had never made anything but racing games before venturing into the fantasy RPG world.

However, we feel there’s likely more to the delay than they’re making out. It involves a game you’ll be a little more familiar with…

What This Means For Forza Horizon 6

With Fable now scheduled for 2026, this aligns perfectly with allowing Forza Horizon 6 to occupy Playground Games’ 2025 release slot.

Given the ever-increasing likelihood that GTA VI will also be delayed (according to recent reports,) they could be preparing to launch FH6 before GTA rather than afterward, as originally planned.

The timing works perfectly. Forza Horizon 5 recently concluded its content cycle with its final DLC release. The series is also confirmed to (controversially) expand to PlayStation 5 this Spring, introducing the franchise to a new audience while generating some fresh buzz.

Some might wonder if Playground Games can handle both projects. However, the two games are mostly developed by separate teams. Playground has expanded considerably in recent years and opened a third office, allowing them to work on more than one game at once.

It makes even more sense if you look at the past Forza Horizon releases…

Previous Forza Horizon Release Patterns

Looking at the release timeline, you’ll likely agree that a summer announcement followed by a late 2025 release would fit in perfectly:

• Forza Horizon - October 2012 (Announced May 2012)
• Forza Horizon 2 - September 2014 (Announced May 2014)
• Forza Horizon 3 - September 2016 (Announced June 2016)
• Forza Horizon 4 - September 2018 (Announced June 2018)
• Forza Horizon 5 - November 2021 (Announced June 2021)

Horizon games are typically announced at summer events and are released in the fall of the same year. Following this pattern, a June 2025 announcement (at the Summer Game Fest event) could pave the way for a fall 2025 release.

The four-year gap between Horizon 5 and 6 would be longer than the original two-year cycle but still comparable to the three-year gap between FH4 and FH5.

Releasing Horizon 6 In 2025 Makes Perfect Sense

Timing is more crucial than ever for maximizing Horizon 6’s impact.

The PlayStation 5 release of FH5 this Spring will generate fresh interest in the franchise (which many fans believe it needs right now.) Announcing a sequel while the hype is alive and well is a great idea.

Assuming GTA 6 is delayed, it would also give Horizon 6 an initial opportunity to establish its player base. Recent GTA Online updates have increasingly focused on drifting, suggesting Rockstar may be closer to Forza Horizon’s territory than ever.

A fall 2025 release would also let Forza Horizon 6 capture the lucrative holiday season before GTA 6 dominates in 2026, giving Microsoft a major exclusive for its Christmas lineup while giving Horizon a full season of sales before Rockstar’s powerhouse arrives.

Why Waiting Until 2027 Would Be A Bad Idea

If GTA VI is delayed until 2026 (which looks increasingly likely), and Playground Games then waits for the GTA hype to chill, this would likely delay Horizon 6 until 2027 – a six-year gap since FH5.

Forza Horizon 5 recently received its final DLC package, a compilation of all the previous content. This clearly signals that development on FH5 has been wrapped up. Letting the series sit dormant for nearly three years after its final update would be a huge risk.

Also, remember that GTA fans have waited 12 years for a new release, building insanely high expectations along the way.

If Rockstar delivers even close to what the fans hope for, it might mean less excitement for Horizon 6 when it eventually arrives. GTA 5/Online continues to sell incredibly well, with updates still coming over a decade after release, and the impact of GTA 6 will likely extend for many years after launch.

Also, if we don’t see FH6 until 2027, the PlayStation buzz will be long gone, and Microsoft will essentially be rebuilding interest from scratch. Considering that many fans feel Horizon has already declined in recent releases, it could be a real disaster for the franchise.

By then, once the entire gaming world has avoided rolling anything out near GTA’s release, there will undoubtedly be fresh competition coming to the market, too.

So, mark your calendars for Summer Game Fest on June 6-9, 2025, and keep your fingers crossed for good news (and Japan, of course!) Otherwise, we might be waiting for a long wait.

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