How far away exactly are we from the release of the next main entry in the Fallout series?
(Opinion piece featuring an estimated time table)
It’s the question that comes around every couple years, when is the next Fallout game coming out? With the varied reactions received upon the release of the online multiplayer RPG, Fallout 76 it seems now more than ever fans of the franchise have been clamoring for the next title in the series. Unfortunately, it seems as though Fallout 5 may take longer than most expected.
In September of 2020 Microsoft announced their recent purchase of ZeniMax Studios, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. Upon this purchase many fans of the beloved Bethesda franchises such as Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Doom began to worry future releases of these series would be exclusive to Xbox/PC. Contrary to these rumors, Xbox head Phil Spencer stated moving forward Xbox exclusives will be determined on a “case by case basis.” This however does not mean an Xbox exclusive Fallout title is completely out of the picture just yet however. While the next project under Bethesda (after honoring their two previously agreed upon Sony exclusive titles: “Ghostwire: Tokyo” and “Deathloop”) “Starfield” will be exclusive to Xbox and PC gamers via Game Pass, moving forward it would appear doubtful to see major Bethesda titles released on Sony or Nintendo.

But when exactly could we see the next Fallout?
While we already know the previously mentioned “Starfield” will be the next title under Bethesda, it would also seem the next project in line will be “The Elder Scrolls VI” releasing sometime after 2021, according to TechRadar.com. With that being said Fallout 5 may not even be in the picture until the mid to late 2020’s! While it is possible for studios to begin working on one title before finishing another, with a series as big and as detailed as The Elder Scrolls it seems very unlikely this will be the case.
Previously in the Fallout series we’ve seen a gap as large as 7 years between main title entries Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. However in that time we were also given Fallout: New Vegas in the fall of 2010. While another minor title seems unlikely with the structure of Fallout 76 seemingly put in place to continue being updated for many years moving forward, not so improbable would be a digital remaster of one of the previously listed titles under Microsoft’s new ownership. As far as the projected release date of Fallout 5 goes, Reddit user Noah-x3 has broken down the past four main series Bethesda releases, estimating Fallout 5 might take until the year 2030 or more!

Wether or not Bethesda can surprise us again like they did back in 2015 with the announcement of Fallout 4 is up in the air. Of course at this point in time it’s all still speculation but If reality looks anything like how it’s being projected however, it might be time to sit back and get comfortable with Fallout 76 and see just what exactly Bethesda has in store for the future of the series. Let is know when you believe Fallout 5 could hit the shelves in the comment section below and check out more Fallout related blogs right here!
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Webb, Jack. “Fallout 5: Everything We Know so Far.” TechRadar, TechRadar, 28 Oct. 2020, http://www.techradar.com/amp/news/fallout-5-release-date-trailer-news-gameplay.
“Xbox Could Get Exclusive on Bethesda’s next Major Game Releases.” Business Insider, Business Insider, http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-buys-bethesda-xbox-ps5-exclusive-games-elder-scrolls-fallout-2020-9?amp.