Following closure news, Fable studio Lionhead makes first statement

Following Monday's announcement that Fable Legends had be canceled and that developer Lionhead Studios might be closing down, the UK studio has now made its first public statement. Writing on Twitter, the developer thanked fans for their show of support during this "tough week."

"Tough week, but we're all deeply touched by overwhelming show of love & support from gamers and fellow devs. Heartfelt thanks #gamerfamily," reads the tweet.

Although Fable Legends is canceled, the game's beta will remain playable until mid-April.

Microsoft has not yet outright confirmed that Lionhead will close and is instead saying it is "in discussions" with the employees. This is likely because UK law requires employers to create a consultancy period of at least 30 days. During this, measures to avoid redundancies are to be explored. The period also gives those affected some time to search for new jobs.

Just this week, Sony announced it would hold a job fair specifically for Lionhead Studios employees looking for work. Every SCEE studio will have a representative at the job fair, which will take place in Guildford, UK (where Lionhead Studios is located) on Monday.

While Lionhead's closure is not 100 percent confirmed at this stage, another Microsoft studio -- Denmark-based Press Play Studios (Kalimba, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood) -- has been shuttered entirely.

Lionhead, a British studio founded by Peter Molyneux in 1996, has developed acclaimed titles in the Black & White and Fable series. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2006. Molyneux left Microsoft and Lionhead in March 2012.