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Sorry, Microsoft probably aren’t announcing a new Fable or Perfect DarkChicken chaser?

Chicken chaser?

Your hopes are low - do you have any sources, or facts? This weekend, a very select group of FPS and action-RPG fans were elated to discover thatFableandPerfect Dark- two franchises that have gathered dust under Xbox’s stewardship - may have been preparing for a comeback. Well, sorry team. Microsoft have stepped in to confirm that, no, you can’t believe everything you read on Twitter.

If, like me, you’re unbearably online at all times, you’ll have noticed the buzz around the two long-dormant Xbox properties started when The Verge’s Tom Warren discovered “placeholder” Twitter accounts for Fable and Perfect Dark, both with minor - if noteworthy - ties to the publishers.

I’m not sure who discovered the@fableand@PerfectDarkGameplaceholders, but a Microsoft Xbox employee is following one, and the other is registered to a Microsoft email address ?pic.twitter.com/MagqUbPiZf— Tom Warren (@tomwarren)June 27, 2020

I’m not sure who discovered the@fableand@PerfectDarkGameplaceholders, but a Microsoft Xbox employee is following one, and the other is registered to a Microsoft email address ?pic.twitter.com/MagqUbPiZf

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren)June 27, 2020

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Unfortunately, news of the two series' return has been greatly exaggerated. General manager of Xbox games marketing Aaron Greenbergslid into Warren’s repliesto confirm that no, this was simply a routine job to “secure social handles for our IP”.

The Perfect Dark account is a stranger story, though. After spotting the Fable account, an unrelated Twitter user snagged the Perfect Dark handle,admitting as suchlater on their timeline. Microsoft creative director Ken Lobb followed the account. At the time of writing, it isn’t clear why - though the current owner of the PD account is certain the follow wouldn’t have happened “if they didn’t have something in the works”.

While it was briefly a tentpole property for Microsoft, it seemed like the pubs didn’t know what to do with it after Fable 3. Hopes of a proper, numbered sequel were dashed for good whenMicrosoft shut down Lionhead, prematurely killing asymmetrical multiplayer entryFable Fortunes. Rumours of aFable 4have beenfloating about for years, but it seems we may be back to square one on that.

Still! Microsoft haven’t yet had their big not-E3 Xbox 20/20 showcase, currently planned forlater this July. Is this some galaxy-brain double-bluff to keep us all quiet before the surprise reveal, or am I reading way, way too much into this? Check the guild– err, the site, for morequestsdeets when that event kicks off next month.