Fable 2 will hit shop shelves without online co-op according to the community team at Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog. But before you throw out that pre-order receipt for Peter Molyneux's latest epic, be aware that Lionhead is planning to deliver the online co-op mode as an update.

The update should reach US gamers within a week after release in the region, with Lionhead apparently still "making tweaks" to the online co-op. There's no mention of a European date for the update as yet, although we suspect it will either come simultaneously or very closely behind the stateside release.

Local co-op and the game's dynamic Ambient Orbs feature (which shows your online friends as glowing orbs within the single-player game world) will still ship with Fable 2. You'll also be able to chat and trade with other players online, so at least the other online features will remain intact on your boxed copy.