Editing Lionhead Studios (section)

===Molyneux's departure===
By early 2012, Lionhead were suffering what had been described as "Black Monday". Several Lionhead veterans, dissatisfied with the way the company was heading, resigned on the same day. According to McCormack, Molyneux "lost it" and ordered them to leave the premises immediately. Molyneux apologised for this outburst, and soon afterwards, in March, he too left Lionhead and founded [[22cans]],<ref name="eg history"/><ref name="MWPoly"/> along with Rance, who had ceased being Lionhead's chief technology officer sometime prior.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Jim Rossignol|title=Molyneux Leaving Lionhead, Joining 22 Cans|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/07/molyneux-leaving-lionhead-joining-22-cans/|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=26 January 2018|date=7 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126070950/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/07/molyneux-leaving-lionhead-joining-22-cans/|archive-date=26 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> He was also joined by Paul McLaughlin,<ref>{{cite web|author1=Philippa Warr|title=GODUS interview: 22cans' Dictator of Art on designing worlds and working with Molyneux|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/godus-interview/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|access-date=26 January 2018|date=7 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126125527/http://www.pcgamer.com/godus-interview/|archive-date=26 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> who was Lionhead's head of art.<ref name="BWTeam">{{cite book|author1=James Leach|author2=Christian Bravery|title=The Making Of Black & White|date=2001|publisher=Prima Games|location=Roseville, Calif.|isbn=978-0-7615-3625-3|pages=94, 95|chapter=the lionhead team}}</ref> Webley then temporarily took over as head of the studio,<ref>{{cite web|author1=Ben Parfitt|title=Peter Molyneux quits Lionhead and Microsoft|url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/peter-molyneux-quits-lionhead-and-microsoft/092391|website=MCV|access-date=22 January 2018|date=7 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012191408/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/peter-molyneux-quits-lionhead-and-microsoft/092391|archive-date=12 October 2012}}</ref> before being replaced by Scott Henson early the following year.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Matt Martin|title=Scott Henson takes head of operations role at Xbox, overseeing Lionhead|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-01-10-scott-henson-takes-head-of-operations-role-at-lionhead|website=GamesIndustry.biz|access-date=22 January 2018|date=10 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021111842/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-01-10-scott-henson-takes-head-of-operations-role-at-lionhead|archive-date=21 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Molyneux said he left Lionhead because he wanted to increase his creativity.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Eddie Makuch|title=Peter Molyneux says working at Microsoft was like taking antidepressants|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/peter-molyneux-says-working-at-microsoft-was-like-taking-antidepressants/1100-6418537/|website=GameSpot|access-date=22 January 2018|date=25 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123073102/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/peter-molyneux-says-working-at-microsoft-was-like-taking-antidepressants/1100-6418537/|archive-date=23 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> He also said that after 12 years (the series began in 2000 by Big Blue Box Studios<ref name="SecretHistory"/><ref name="Inside"/>), everyone was "tired" of the ''Fable'' series.<ref name="eg history"/> Craig Oman, producer of ''[[Fable Anniversary]]'', said that Molyneux's departure gave Lionhead an opportunity to reidentify itself.<ref name="EdgeDepart">{{cite web|title=Inside Lionhead: how the Fable studio is adapting to new hardware and life after Molyneux|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/inside-lionhead-how-the-fable-studio-is-adapting-to-new-hardware-and-life-after-molyneux/|website=Edge|access-date=22 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308210330/http://www.edge-online.com/features/inside-lionhead-how-the-fable-studio-is-adapting-to-new-hardware-and-life-after-molyneux/|date=6 March 2014|archive-date=8 March 2014}}</ref>

Molyneux's departure had a much greater impact than those of other veterans who had already left the company. Lionhead became more professional and organised according to some staff. One said that Molyneux had the power to keep Microsoft at bay, and his departure left the remaining staff vulnerable.<ref name="eg history"/> Around this time, Microsoft insisted that Lionhead make a [[games as a service]] ''Fable'' game to reinvigorate interest in the series or face closure. Due to the switch to service based model, the idea of ''Fable IV'' was rejected, and experts in monetisation and competitive game design were hired to assist the transition. At some point, John Needham became head of Lionhead.<ref name="eg history"/> Creative director Carr (who had played major roles in ''Milo & Kate'', ''The Movies'', and ''Fable: The Journey'') left in September 2015,<ref>{{cite web|author1=Rachel Weber|title=Lionhead's creative director Gary Carr departs|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-09-14-lionheads-creative-director-gary-carr-departs|website=GamesIndustry.biz|access-date=23 January 2018|date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122072605/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-09-14-lionheads-creative-director-gary-carr-departs|archive-date=22 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and a new one, David Eckelberry, was brought in.<ref name="eg history"/> Lionhead encountered difficulty in this project, ''[[Fable Legends]]'', because they had not done anything like it before.<ref name="eg history"/>