War. War never changes… and neither does Fallout 5 news. It’s definitely coming one day, we know that much. But when?
Fallout is a big money-maker for Bethesda Game Studios, and there’s a live-action TV show premiering April 12, 2024, which will increase the franchise’s visibility all the more. But when can we expect the next installment in the hit game series? Well, unfortunately, it’s set to be a really long wait.
Fallout 5 will only come out after The Elder Scrolls 6
You haven’t heard anything about the still-untitled sixth Elder Scrolls game in a while, right? Consider how Fallout fans must feel, because Fallout 5 is definitely only coming out after that one. Bethesda director Todd Howard confirmed as much to IGN in a 2021 interview.
He also confirmed that Fallout 5 already has a “one-pager”, which is a sort of outline about the game’s concept, plot, ideas etc. So that’s very promising, but it will alas take years to get those ideas off the page and onto your system.
What sort of things are included on the one-pager? Well, details of it have never leaked, not even the likely location of Fallout 5. (Every game takes place in a different region of the United States.) We don’t know anything about the characters or what kind of enemies they’ll face—although we can probably assume that Super Mutants, Ghouls, Deathclaws, and various angry robots will be in there somewhere.
Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, said in 2023 that the sixth Elder Scrolls game was “likely five-plus years away” and Fallout 5 will probably be several years on top of that. So 2030 might be the best estimate at the moment for the much-awaited game, although maybe even that is generous.
There were seven years between Fallout 3 (2008) and Fallout 4 (2015), with the phenomenal Fallout: New Vegas in between. But it’s already been nearly a decade since Fallout 4, and a whole six years since 2018’s highly polarizing prequel Fallout 76. What’s a fan to do?
Here’s what to do while you wait for Fallout 5
Don’t worry. You still have plenty of other Fallout games to play! They range from RPGs to management sims to tactical combat games, so there’s something for everyone. Build yourself a settlement in Fallout 4, team up with your friends in Fallout 76, journey to the Capital Wasteland or take a visit to Shady Sands.
And then, of course, there’s the sure-to-be-a-hit Fallout TV show on Prime Video, which will take elements from all the games to craft a new post-apocalyptic tale. So it’s not like Fallout fans aren’t having a great time right now.
But oh man, the length of time we’ve gotta wait for number five!
(featured image: Bethesda)
