Almost ten years since the release of the last mainline game in the series, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Fallout 5. While Bethesda has yet to confirm a Fallout 5 release date, or even acknowledge its existence, there will inevitably be another numbered entry in the long-running post-apocalyptic RPG.
With The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield DLC currently taking up key priorities for Bethesda Game Studios, it’ll be many years until we see the release of Fallout 5. It’s also worth noting that this article is currently entirely speculative, based on context clues to give you all the information we know about the next Fallout game.
While Fallout 5 may be years away, there are rumblings of a Fallout New Vegas 2 or original remaster. Furthermore, the recently released amazing Fallout Season 1 offers some clues as to the future of the series that will impact the next game in the franchise, especially with fans being up in arms about certain timeline shenanigans.
Fallout 5 release date estimate
Bethesda Game Studios is currently working on multiple projects: Starfield DLC, The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5. While only two of these titles have been confirmed at the time of writing, Game Director Todd Howard confirmed in an interview with IGN that Fallout 5 is next on the release schedule for the beloved game studio.
Currently, The Elder Scrolls 6 is estimated to release around 2026 with the studio recently testing playable builds. This means that Fallout 5 is currently in pre-production and prototyping with Bethesda likely working on the basics of the post-apocalyptic RPG.
Previously, full production on Fallout 4 took Bethesda Game Studios around two years, but with Fallout 5 expected to be even bigger, full development could take three or four years after The Elder Scrolls 6’s DLC expansions are finished.
With all this in mind, it’s unlikely we see a full Fallout 5 until around 2028 or later. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see spin-offs before the fifth mainline entry releases. With Microsoft in ownership of Bethesda and Obsidian - the developers of New Vegas - there’s a high possibility we could see a spin-off game in the future.
Unfortunately, the Fallout 5 release date is many years away, but there will be more Bethesda games before then in the form of more Starfield content and The Elder Scrolls 6.
Fallout 5 platforms - will it be on PlayStation?
Since Xbox acquired Bethesda parent company Zenimax, it’s been assumed that Fallout 5 will be an Xbox and PC exclusive. While some Xbox games are now becoming cross-platform with Sea of Thieves, Grounded and Hi-Fi Rush coming to PS4 and PS5, it seems that Bethesda games specifically will not be coming to PlayStation on launch.
This means that Fallout 5 will release exclusively on Xbox consoles and PC platforms, although there is a possibility that the game could come to other platforms in the future. However, for at least the first year, don’t expect Fallout 5 on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles.
Fallout 5 story
Judging from the release of the Fallout TV show, it seems that Bethesda is ready to play with the West Coast of Fallout. Currently, the West Coast of America has been kept to the classic Interplay Games and Fallout New Vegas, which was made by Obsidian, consisting of ex-Interplay devs. In comparison, the Bethesda games have all been set on the East Coast to explore new areas of America.
While fans have often asked to see more of the game’s universe such as Fallout London, Bethesda’s next game will stay in America. However, with Fallout Season 1 pushing forward the story of the West Coast, and certain storylines being shut down for hitting on plans for the upcoming game.
Furthermore, the Fallout series has revealed multiple key aspects of the universe post-Fallout 4. As the most recent space in the timeline, the NCR is in shambles, the Brotherhood of Steel has emerged from its bunkers and has a sizable presence above ground, and The Enclave is experimenting with new power sources that could improve the wastelands. Furthermore, new drugs have been invented to keep ghouls from going feral, likely resulting in ghoul communities in the new game.
Following the story of the TV show, it seems that cold fusion technology will be a huge part of future Fallout games with the iconic Fusion Cores running out and becoming rarer as the Brotherhood uses them all up to power the also-iconic Power Armor. Just like almost every Fallout story, the Fallout 5 story will be a power struggle for resources that could reshape The Wastes.
Fallout 5 engine - is Creation Engine still in use?
Bethesda Game Studios massively improved its internal game engine with the release of Starfield. Dubbed Creation Engine 2, the new and improved version of the studio’s internal development tools added global illumination, advanced volumetric lighting, improved texture resolution and - finally - the ability for NPCs to use ladders thanks to more advanced AI.
The recent Fallout games have always been built in the engine used by the last Elder Scrolls game with Fallout 3 and New Vegas using Gamebryo and Fallout 4 using the Creation Engine. With The Elder Scrolls 6 confirmed to be using CE2, Fallout 5 will be created with Creation Engine 2.
Will Fallout 5 have multiplayer?
Judging from past Bethesda games, Fallout 5 will heavily focus on providing players with a strong single-player experience just like past games. After all, for multiplayer, fans can enjoy the still-updated Fallout 76. However, there is evidence that the next Fallout game could include some form of multiplayer when it releases.
Early reports of The Elder Scrolls 6 has teased limited multiplayer co-op for friends to explore Tamriel together. If successful, this alleged multiplayer feature could also make its way into Fallout 5, but it wouldn’t be the same as 76’s MMO structure.
What comes after?
Bethesda Game Studios has been keen to keep a revolving development process of its core IP. Until Starfield, this meant altering between The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, but Starfield is expected to get a sequel in the future despite its disappointing release. This means that Fallout 6 can only come after Starfield 2 and Elder Scrolls 7.
With this in mind, we can expect a six to nine-year wait between instalments unless a Starfield sequel is ever greenlit. However, with games taking longer to develop to pursue better visuals and more mechanics, it could take even longer.