The combat in the upcoming Fable is causing the wrong kind of stir – oh dear. The CEO of Moon Studios has thrown in his two cents, and let’s just say he’s not a fan of what Playground Games is up to.

Gamescom 2026 has brought a wealth of new insights into the new Fable, since it’s playable at the show. Among these has been deeper looks at what fighting will be like, and sadly, clips are being torn apart on social media.

A post involving a stand-off against a gang leader started gaining some traction on Twitter. “Xbots said Fable combat will be better than Wolverine… Yikes,” says the original poster.

Thomas Mahler, head of Moon Studios, the company behind the Ori games and No Rest for the Wicked, decided to chime in. “You really have to wonder how something like this even gets shown to the public,” he starts.

“There’s a whole myriad of combat system basics that aren’t at work here,” he continues. “Even if this is supposed to be a boss, you never ever resort to enemies not having any hit reacts at all.”

These are quite barbed comments to make, seemingly unprompted. Whatever you might think of the Fable 4 previews going around, you should keep in mind it’s a work-in-progress. I should also add that Fable’s combat has always been a little clumsy. It’s part of the charm! It’s not meant to feel like Gears of War or something.

In a particularly stabbing move, Mahler then extends an offer to Playground Games. “Happy to have a quick call with you folks to point you in the right direction,” he says.

In the replies, he clarifies “it wasn’t meant as a dig at all,” and rather “a ‘Hey, if you folks need some quick tips on how to make this feel better, I can help out!’ kinda thing.” I don’t know, man – I’m sure the intentions were pure, but unsolicited advice has a tendency to come across as patronizing.

Fable 4 is due to arrive on February 23, 2027.

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