Microsoft held a Developer Direct on Thursday to focus on just a few games coming to the Xbox platform this year. One of the titles shown was the return of a once-dormant series. 

Fable is a longtime Xbox exclusive that started back in 2004, and it’s been more than a decade since the last entry. Developed by Playground Games, best known for the Forza Horizon series, this new Fable game will expand on the roleplaying mechanics of the original to create an experience where players’ choices affect the world. 

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When does Fable come out? 

Fable is set to be released in autumn 2026. 

What platforms will Fable be released on? 

Fable is currently planned for PC, Xbox Series X and S consoles and PS5. This marks the first time the franchise will be available on a PlayStation. A Switch 2 version is reportedly under consideration. 

Will Fable be available on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes. Fable will be a Day 1 release for Xbox Game Pass, meaning subscribers will be able to play for no extra cost on the day of release. 

What is Fable? 

Fable is an RPG franchise that started back in 2004 on the original Xbox. The concept behind the game, originally developed by famed developer Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios, was a world that would react to the player’s actions, whether it’s people shocked by the character’s evil deeds or individuals holding grudges for years over something the player did. 

The last mainline entry of the Fable franchise came in 2010 with Fable 3 for the Xbox 360. There were multiple spinoffs since then, such as Fable Heroes, Fable Fortune, Fable Coin Golf and Fable: The Journey. 

What’s the story of the new Fable? 

Like with other Fable games, this new entry starts with the hero as a child. At some point early on, their hero powers emerge and, after a time jump, they become an adult. Where the hero goes will be up to the player, as there is no set path to take once they leave their village, where, one day, the inhabitants turn to stone. 

The developer says there are more than 1,000 NPCs with their own personalities and routines, and that every town is functional, down to the exact number of beds for all the townfolk. Characters have jobs and their own schedules, which adds an extra dimension to these typically mundane, background characters. 

Players can progress right through the story, or they can just live in a random town and stay there for as long as they want. 

What kind of choices will players be able to make in Fable? 

There will be plenty of decisions to make in Fable, from buying a home, getting a job or romancing a villager. Players can start a business, hire villagers to work for them, or buy property to rent out. 

Every decision made earns the hero a reputation, such as being a rich tycoon, and villagers will have their own unique reaction to that reputation. This means not every character will view your character the same way. There will also be choices made that can affect the world. 

One example the developer noted was a character who developed a magic potion that could change a person’s size. This character will eventually grow into a giant, and depending on the player’s decision, can die outside of the village. Leaving the giant’s body there can provoke reactions from the townfolk, including a drop in home prices. 

Do you have a great cat photo you just know could go viral? Google’s new AI feature, Me Meme, lets Google Photos turn photographs into memes, those sassy captioned photos that sometimes express the exact right sentiment. Choose a Google template, then upload your own funny photo, and AI will transform it into a meme.

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To use Me Meme:

1. On your device, open the Google Photos app.
2. At the bottom, tap Create and then Me Meme.
3. Select a template. 
4. Tap Add photo.
5. Select the photo you want to upload.
6. Tap Generate.
7. After the meme is generated:

• To save the meme: Tap Save.
• To generate again: Tap Regenerate.
• To share on other platforms: Tap Share.

I have a Google Pixel 9, and while my Photos app is up to date, the option didn’t appear for me as of Friday. 

At CES 2026, Google executive Sameer Samat told CNET that the company wanted to make its AI tools, including Nano Banana and Gemini, more useful. While meme-making might not be the most practical AI use, it is something anyone can try.

A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one, particularly that purple group, which wants you to find hidden words inside four of the words in the puzzle. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Smack!

Green group hint: Collectibles.

Blue group hint: Puck pros.

Purple group hint: Toss it.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Hit.

Green group: Sports memorabilia.

Blue group: Former NHL teams, in singular form.

Purple group: Ends in a synonym for throw.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is hit. The four answers are deck, punch, slug and strike.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports memorabilia. The four answers are autograph, jersey, poster and trading card.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is former NHL teams, in singular form. The four answers are Coyote, Nordique, Thrasher and Whaler.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends in a synonym for throw. The four answers are blob (lob), shuffling (fling), surpass (pass) and woodchuck (chuck).

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