Some time ago, we reported that Fable 2 would not ship with the ability for gamers to play the much desired co-op mode. It was speculated that this functionality would be released as a patch upon release, but there was no confirmation as to when the patch would eventuate.

Microsoft have announced that Lionhead have finished work on the patch that will allow the implementation of co-op play for Fable 2. The patch will be downloadable through the Xbox LIVE service as gamers load up their Xbox 360 with Fable 2. The patch will be available worldwide, and free of charge.

As a sequel to the hugely successful Fable, the eagerly second instalment will see gamers granted unparalleled freedom to "do what they want" within a fantasy-RPG setting, set around five hundred years after the first game.

Fable 2 should be on the shelves of your local gaming emporium tomorrow (though some retailers have broken the street date), and is amongst the first of many high profile releases hitting in the next fortnight, such as Dead Space, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and Midnight Club: Los Angeles.