Despite being mentioned by Todd Howard himself back in 2022, with the Bethesda head revealing that it would be the next major project after the launch of The Elder Scrolls VI, Fallout 5 only entered pre-production back in July of this year. As such, it will be many years until we finally receive the next installment in the beloved franchise, but with it having been well over a decade since the last, with Fallout 4 launching back in 2015, it has been a long wait for fans.
With Fallout 5 being so early in production, there is not much we know. We can safely assume that it will be set somewhere in the United States, after Howard revealed that he could not imagine the series taking place anywhere else, but where and when it will take place is a different question entirely. We also do not know if it will be connected to the hit Prime television show in any way, or who our protagonist may be. Quite simply, we know that it is in development, and that is about it.
However, it is its connection to the Fallout television show that has left fans truly baffled. First airing back in 2024, Fallout was created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky and, as you can probably expect, it is based off the hit video game series with the first season taking place two centuries after the Great War of 2077.
Now consisting of two seasons and with both receiving critical acclaim, and confirmation that a third season is in the works, it is truly bizarre that Bethesda did not cash in on its popularity. Of course, we know that the studio is currently working on The Elder Scrolls VI as its main project, but the success of the Prime Video show would have seen waves of new fans swarming to any new release. However, their only choice would have been an outdated Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, which may have garnered positive reviews in recent years, but still does not hold the same magic as a mainline installment.
As one user over on r/Fallout wrote, "Foolish that they haven't done anything to maximize on the show's success. Remaking New Vegas during this past season of the show would've done numbers."
Whilst we do know that a Fallout: New Vegas and even a Fallout 3 remaster are also in the works, it seems as though Bethesda is not striking when the iron is hot here. We do not know when these remakes will launch, but with Fallout pumping out seasons on an annual basis, it is unlikely that they will ever line up. It may just be too little, too late.
In response to the aforementioned Reddit comment, it seems as though fellow fans agree, with one comment reading, "Just pay the modders. Look at Fallout: London. Give them 40 real developers and a few million and that could have been an amazing DLC." Whereas another user seemingly has a lot more ambition, adding, "It'd be wise to try to produce [The Elder Scrolls] show as well, maybe something to bridge the possible chronological gap between V and VI."
For now, all we can do is wait for Bethesda to wrap up work on The Elder Scrolls VI, so that it can finally turn its full attention to the Fallout franchise. At least we still have the hit show in the meantime.
