Fallout 5 is going to happen, but you'll have to be patient. With a glut of upcoming Bethesda games currently in development, though, don't be discouraged. Fallout 5 is still in its embryonic stages, with the studio working towards its release of expansive intergalactic adventure Starfield as one of the biggest new games 2023. Following Starfield's launch, Bethesda will zero in on The Elder Scrolls 6 before properly setting its sights on Fallout 5; so yes, a wait will be in order.
While news that Fallout 5 will come after The Elder Scrolls 6 is promising, it does mean that this is one of the upcoming Xbox Series X games that could take a long time to get more information around. In the meantime, here is everything we know about Fallout 5 in these pre-production stages.
Fallout 5: What we know so far
Fallout 5 release window
Again, it's unlikely we'll see a Fallout 5 release date anytime soon - but, with Fallout 5 confirmed, we can now at least speculate on its release window. Starfield is due in the first half of 2023, and is naturally Bethesda's current priority. After that, expect the publisher to begin ramping up hype for its next Elder Scrolls outing, The Elder Scrolls 6.
Fallout 5 platforms
Previous iterations of Fallout have landed on PC, Xbox and PlayStation consoles across the board, with Fallout 4 being treated to a standalone VR version for the HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality and Valve Index. Whether or not this broad support will apply to Fallout 5 in the long term remains to be seen, but should it follow in the footsteps of its immediate forerunners - Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 - it'll first arrive on Game Pass, Xbox Series X and PC.
Fallout 5 development
In late 2021, director and executive producer Todd Howard said Bethesda has a "one-pager" for Fallout 5, but it's still a while off. It wasn't much, but it was enough to set rumor mill alight, with series fans speculating en masse about Fallout 5's potential setting, story and gameplay features.
In conversation with IGN during E3 2022, Howard said: "Yes, Elder Scrolls 6 is in pre-production and, you know, we’re going to be doing Fallout 5 after that, so our slate’s pretty full going forward for a while. We have some other projects that we look at from time to time as well... [these games] do take a while. I wish they came out faster, I really do, we’re trying as hard as we can, but we want them to be as best as they can be for everybody."
Fallout 5: What we'd love to see
Okay, so everything above is what we know about Fallout 5 at this stage. Everything below is what we want from Bethesda's next foray into the post-apocalypse - all informed by what we feel worked best in previous games, as well as some new additions we think would fit well with the tone and context of the games to this point.
1. Bring back the Karma system
The Karma system has been a mainstay feature in the Fallout series since Fallout 1, but it was one element that didn’t make its way into Fallout 4. The karma system really makes you feel like your choices actually have an effect on the world around you. If you go about murdering everyone, you’ll get yourself a nasty reputation and people will view and treat you differently as a result. It helps to add a deeper level of immersion to the RPG aspect of the series, and makes you think twice about the choices you run with. Without Karma, it felt like every choice you made in Fallout 4 only served to change the way your companions view you, which felt a little hollow in comparison.
2. Keep multiplayer out and bring co-op in
Fallout 76 does have some things going for it, but if it's taught us anything it's that multiplayer isn’t always the answer. The Fallout series has always been a strong single-player offering, and with so many multiplayer games finding their way onto the market, it’s hard not to hope Fallout stays true to its roots. Since Howard has already said (opens in new tab) it will likely be single-player focused, we shouldn’t have to worry too much, but it would be great to see co-op play introduced alongside single-player a la Dark Souls 3.
3. A polished and more refined building system
Building settlements in Fallout 4 was a great new feature that finally gave all that junk you find lying around a purpose, but it’d be nice to have this polished and refined so it’s a little less clunky in places - although some of the best Fallout 4 settlements have overcome the quirks. Placing big sheets of metal into just the right spot with a controller could sometimes be a bit of an ordeal. While settlement building is a lot of fun, the mechanics and interface could use some fine-tuning to make it less awkward to control come Fallout 5.
4. Give us more dialogue options
Variety is the spice of life, as the saying goes, so we’re all for more choice in the next Fallout. As fun as the sarcastic option could be, the choice of just four options to reply with sometimes felt a little thin in Fallout 4, and while a similar amount of choice was offered in previous titles, it'd be good to see the next offer up an extra helping. Having more choice can't hurt, and it'll just add to the feeling that you're in control of how you want your character to be.
5. Give us a whole new setting to explore
As interesting as the Commonwealth was, we hope Fallout 5 will continue the series trend of introducing us to a new setting. Having a new setting keeps everything feeling fresh and exciting, and it's always interesting to see a new location with Fallout's retro-futuristic flare. From Washington DC in Fallout 3 to New Vegas in Fallout: New Vegas, right up to Boston in Fallout 4, the thought of being able to explore what a new location has to offer makes the thought of the next Fallout all the more enticing.
Can't wait for the next Fallout? Check out our definitive ranking of the best Fallout games of all time and see how yours matches up.
