Today, Microsoft Game Studios and Lionhead Studios announced that the highly anticipated action role-playing game “Fable II” will ship to UK retailers on Oct. 24, with subsequent release dates throughout the rest of the world in the coming months.

Developed by Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios, the creators of the critically-acclaimed “Fable” and “Black & White,” “Fable II” offers an infinite amount of choice in an open world environment, allowing gamers to become the most heralded of all heroes or reviled of all villains. Ringing in new heights of innovation for the genre and expanding upon the rich experience of the first title, “Fable II” immerses players in the expansive world of Albion.

“Fable II” pioneers a new combat system designed to allow players to truly master hand weapons, ranged combat weapons and magic, each using a different single button on the Xbox 360 controller, making the game approachable and accessible to both casual and hardcore gamers. Players will live out personal and emotional experiences like never before, whether playing solo or co-op together with a friend or over Xbox LIVE, with their constant dog companion by their side.

Fans eager for a head start will have the opportunity to test their luck in the Xbox LIVE Arcade title developed exclusively for “Fable II,” available on Aug. 13; those who pre-order a copy of “Fable II” at participating retailers will be given free access to download the “Fable II” Pub Games, or they can be downloaded without pre-order via Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft points. The high-stakes casino-style pub games, titled “Fortune’s Tower,” “Keystone” and “Spinnerbox” will offer players the opportunity to start earning a bounty of gold and treasures to fund their adventures in “Fable II,” ahead of the title’s release on Oct. 24.

In addition to the standard retail version, “Fable II” will be offered in a Limited Collector’s Edition through participating retailers and will feature:

• Bonus DVD – Includes new ‘Making-of Feature’ with Peter Molyneux and the team at Lionhead Studios and concept art viewer
• Bonus In-Game Content (Requires LIVE account) – Includes “The Hall of the Dead” Dungeon, “The Wreckager” Legendary Cutlass Weapon and Otherworldly Bonus
• Collectible Hobbe figure with accessories – From the Qee Collection comes this one-of-a-kind Hobbe figure. Nasty, brutish, and short, he roams the countryside, preying on travelers and spiriting away the children of the unwary.
• 48-hour Xbox LIVE Gold Trial Card – With Xbox LIVE Gold, players can show off their individual hero by inviting friends into their unique version of Albion or they can visit their friends’ Albion, and earn additional gold, experience and renown to take back into their own.
• Five printed Fate Cards – These five beautiful cards foretell the Hero’s great destiny to journey across all of Albion, encountering deadly enemies and enigmatic allies. The path leads to a choice that will change the world forever.

The standard edition “Fable II” will have an estimated retail price of £44.99 and the Limited Collector’s Edition will retail for an estimated price of £49.99. “Fable II” is rated PEGI 16+.