Fallout games all get a huge boost in players thanks to Fallout season 2, although FO3 is way less popular than you'd think

Since the finale of Fallout season 2 arrived last week, fans of the wasteland have been diving into the games. Every mainline installment, and a couple of spin-offs, have seen player spikes, just like during the first season in 2024.

As you might expect, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 have seen the largest rush of concurrent players. The former, the latest single-player game in the franchise, peaked at over 60,000 concurrent players within the week of Fallout season 2's last episode, according to Steam Charts. Fallout 76, then, drew in over 32,000.

Fallout: New Vegas brought in over 27,000, before a considerable drop to Fallout: Shelter, which managed over 5,000. Fallout 3 peaked at just under 2,000, not far off the original two Fallouts, which each did under 1,500. Bringing up the rear is Fallout Tactics, a lesser-known tactical-RPG from 2001 that miraculously cracked triple figures.

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Though it's an online, multiplayer-focused take on the post-apocalyptic setting, Fallout 76 is the franchise entry that has received the most recent updates, making it a prime choice for newcomers who want to explore the universe further. Even Todd Howard recommends people go there first, since Bethesda is still heavily invested in it.

It's not surprising to see Fallout 4 and New Vegas getting a lot of attention on Steam, either. They're the most recent single-player adventures, are in generally good stead within the community and the absolute wealth of mods make them a playground for customization and such.

Seeing Fallout: Shelter outdo 3 is surprising, though less so when you notice the former is free and has a Sims-like appeal to it. You truly can't beat the low price of nothing.

As for the first two Fallouts, they're a bit esoteric by modern standards, and since this data is only for Steam, we don't know how well they're doing on GOG or other stores. And I'm sure someone at Bethesda is extremely excited to see Fallout Tactics push into triple-figures again.

Since it never made it to PC, or been re-released whatsoever, I can only assume Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, an ill-fated console-only action-RPG from 2004, would eclipse all of these games. Whatever about Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters, that's where the real money is. Todd, you know what you need to do.

Bethesda is "looking into" Fallout 76 crossplay, but "huge technical hurdles" mean it won't be coming soon: "We know players want it."