Guildford studio Lionhead is closing down today

Fable developer Lionhead is shutting up shop today, after no interested buyers were found for the 20 year old games studio.

Last month Microsoft announced they’d be cancelling Fable Legends, and they were in talks with employees about the proposed closure of the Guildford studio. That period of discussions has come to an end, and with no mystery buyer in sight Lionhead will be shutting its doors for the final time this evening.

Microsoft have offered a statement:

"We can confirm that after much consideration over the six week consultation period with Lionhead employees, we have reached the decision to close Lionhead Studios. We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the team at Lionhead for their significant contributions to Xbox and the games industry."

While in later years they’ve become known as “The Fable Studio”, in earlier times Lionhead also put out giant monkey controlling god-sim Black & White and the janky but loveable The Movies.

Servers for Fable Legends switched off on April 13th, and this evening we lose another historic games studio to the mists of time.

All the best to those affected by the closures, hopefully everyone involved gets to move on to better things.