It’s been almost a decade since the last mainline Fallout game. Released in 2015, Fallout 4 was mostly positively received. However, the online multiplayer spinoff Fallout 76 a few years later fell into many of the live-service pitfalls at launch. It’s recovered somewhat since then but is starting to feel outdated. That begs the question: When will we see Fallout 5?
10 years between mainline entries in your franchise isn’t normal, but it’s become the surprising standard for Bethesda (13 years after Skyrim, we’re still waiting for Elder Scrolls 6).
Bethesda Games Studios has been busy and is likely to be busy for many years to come. However, we could see the studio hand development of the next game off to someone else.
What is the Fallout 5 release date window (potentially)?
Reasonably, if Fallout 5 were being developed by Bethesda Games Studios, we wouldn’t see it released until the middle of the 2030s at the earliest. This is because the studio is currently working on Starfield post-launch content and The Elder Scrolls 6 — the latter of which is its next game.
Longer development cycles are becoming more common in triple-A gaming, and it’s unlikely this will change. However, we could see Fallout 5 come from another developer, which could see its release brought forward, possibly sometime later this decade in 2026 or onwards. Given the success of the Fallout TV Show on Amazon Prime, it would make sense for Microsoft to want to release a Fallout game as soon as possible.
Who could develop Fallout 5 (if not Bethesda)?
If Bethesda Games Studios isn’t going to helm Fallout 5, then there is one obvious choice: Obsidian Entertainment. The studio developed Fallout New Vegas, one of the most beloved entries in the series, and is now owned by Microsoft, alongside Bethesda. This could allow for more cross-collaboration between the two developers.
However, the studio is currently working on Avowed, which is set to release in February 2025, and also The Outer Worlds 2, its next big RPG. So Obsidian might already have its hands full.
Another RPG studio could also take the reigns of the franchise inside or outside of Microsoft. But who that could be isn’t clear, as a lot of studios have been acquired by publishers in recent years, leaving few independent developers. The few independent RPG studios left, like Larian, are also keen to work on their own franchises.
What location will Fallout 5 be set in?
Each Fallout game so far takes place in a different corner of post-apocalyptic America, with Fallout 76 taking players to West Virginia.
The location of Fallout 5 is completely up in the air right now. No teases or suggestions have been made as work on another game hasn’t even been confirmed yet. However, it will most likely take place somewhere in the United States of America, as all previous entries in the series have.
A lot of the games have taken place on the East Coast, despite New Vegas, so we could travel to somewhere in the West or a more coastal city and area like Florida. But that is all speculation for now.
What Platforms Will Fallout 5 Be Released On? Will It Be on PS5?
The simple answer is: We don’t know yet.
Bethesda hasn’t confirmed anything and Microsoft (which now owns the publisher) keeps changing its release strategy. Plus, Fallout 5 hasn’t even been announced yet. In recent years, the company pivoted from releasing its first-party titles as console and PC exclusives to offering them up on other platforms, such as PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
If the company’s current strategy holds, then Fallout 5 will be released on PS5 (or PS6 if it is out by then), as well as Xbox, PC, and Game Pass. This is because the franchise has a history and “legacy” of being on PlayStation. (The upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages is set to release on PS5, despite id Software now being owned by Microsoft due to the franchise’s history on PlayStation.)
