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Fallout is, to put it mildly, having a bit of a moment. The success of the Amazon TV show has prompted a huge wave of players to install (or reinstall) the most recent Fallout game to continue to enjoy the unique ambiance of the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Fallout 4 has seen a 538% increase in concurrent players on Steam since the launch of the show.
What’s that? Yes, Fallout 4, which came out in 2015, is the most recent Fallout game (Fallout 76, which is also seeing a boom in players, is more recent with a 2018 release date but is considered a spin-off rather than a main series game). Surely then, Fallout 5 must be due any minute?
When will Fallout 5 be released?
Bethesda keeps its cards close to its chest when it comes to release dates and game announcements. Last year during an interview for Starfield’s release, famed director of Bethesda Game Studios Todd Howard said that Fallout 5 would be “after Elder Scrolls 6, at some point in the future.”
It’s not a lot to go on, but it does at least confirm that another entry in the franchise is coming. It’s also a starting point for some deductions.
Now that Starfield is in the rearview mirror barring the regular updates to tweak and fix issues in the game, Bethesda can move their focus onto Elder Scroll 6. Last year it was confirmed by Spanish site Vandal (translated by Google) in an interview with Peter Hines, Bethesda’s head of publishing, that the fantasy epic is in early development, but it will still be years before we start hearing about it.
Information from the FTC vs. Microsoft lawsuit also shed some light on the status of the game, with documents showing that The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t be released until at least 2026. The filings also confirmed something long-rumored – The Elder Scrolls 6, and therefore probably future Bethesda games, won’t be available on PlayStation at launch.
We know the way that Bethesda focuses on their games one at a time that once focus shifts to Skyrim’s sequel, there won’t be much, if any, concurrent development of a new Fallout game alongside it. So several years until TES6 and then…several more until Fallout 5. Time to release that breath you’ve been holding, it is likely to be 2030 before we see a new Fallout game. Unless…
What about Microsoft?
It’s true that Microsoft now owns Bethesda’s parent company Zenimax. Is Microsoft content to let the opportunity of Fallout’s cultural resurgence pass them by, with no new game to capitalize on the hype? So far they’ve been content to let their acquired studios operate fairly autonomously, but surely someone there has noticed that they also own Obsidian, creators of the most popular Fallout spin-off, Fallout: New Vegas.
So while it will be years before we get a new main series Fallout game, there’s the outside chance that Microsoft will wield the power of its many acquisitions to create a spin-off. This is pure speculation.
So what do we actually know about Fallout 5?
Realistically, the only thing we can say right now is that Fallout 5 will happen. At some point. Probably not for the PlayStation. Bethesda is cagey at best and reluctant to give anything away about a game planned for so far in the future.
If you’re itching for a Fallout fix, reinstall Fallout 4. If you feel like you need to revamp the experience, check out the best Fallout 4 mods for console and PC to change things up as you like. And don’t hold your breath for Fallout 5 news.
Featured image credit: Bethesda
