Fallout 5 is set to bring us another rad-filled RPG, but you can expect to be in for quite the wait until it arrives.
Initially revealed to be in the pipeline back in 2021 when studio lead Todd Howard confirmed plans were starting to be laid out for the new game, Bethesda Game Studios is currently keeping its focus on The Elder Scrolls 6, with Fallout 5 set to come after. While its been relatively quiet on the new Fallout game front as a result, the last major update came following a major "reset" and layoffs at Xbox.
In a post from the studio that offered insight into the future line-up of upcoming Bethesda games, Bethesda Game Studios said many projects are in the works, including a slate of Fallout-shaped games such as remasters for Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 3, as well as something yet to be announced from Obsidian. Fallout 5 was also mentioned, with the next entry currently in pre-production. While the wait for the next mainline Fallout game will be a long one, you can find a breakdown of everything that's been revealed so far, as well as what we'd like to see from the new RPG.
Fallout 5: What we know so far
When will Fallout 5 get a release date?
It's unlikely we'll see a Fallout 5 release date anytime soon, but at least we know it's on its way. We can also start speculating a release window and, currently, all signs point towards a 2030 release at the very earliest.
Right now, Bethesda is firmly set on The Elder Scrolls 6 as its next major port of call. This comes off the back of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered's shadowdrop launch on April 22, 2025, which was made in tandem with Virtuos Studios. During a 2024 interview with Variety, Todd Howard also told fans that it takes a good five years to make a new Fallout game.
"Games take a good five-ish years," he explained. "So, we're in plans for future games in this series, and nothing to talk about right now, but we're always planning."
With that in mind, Fallout 5 is unlikely to come out before 2030 since The Elder Scrolls is still yet to get a firm launch window. Bethesda did highlight that Fallout will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2027, with big plans in place to mark the occasion next year. Maybe we'll at the very least see Fallout 5 get a mention during Fallout Day.
What Fallout 5 platforms can we expect?
It seems likely that Fallout 5 will release across all major platforms whenever it arrives. After all, previous Fallout games have landed on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles across the board, with Fallout 4 being treated to a standalone VR version and a launch on Switch 2 with the Anniversary Edition re-release in February 2026.
Whether or not this broad support will apply to Fallout 5 in the long term remains to be seen. But the new Fallout game should follow in the footsteps of its immediate forerunners - Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. This means we suspect it could first arrive on Xbox Series X, and PC, before also coming to PS5 (unless it follows the simultaneous platform release seen by the likes of the The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered).
With Xbox changing strategy in recent times to bring more exclusives (as seen by the likes of Gears of War E-Day and Clockwork Revolution), it's a little more uncertain, though. This is just speculation on my part, but the forthcoming release of the remasters for Fallout New: Vegas and Fallout 3 are yet to be confirmed for specific platforms. Hopefully they'll come to all, but whatever happens, it could serve as an indicator for the path the studio may take when it comes to the launch of Fallout 5 in the future. I'll certainly be watching out for further news.
What do we know about Fallout 5's development?
As of July 2026, Fallout 5 is said to be in pre-production, and will be developed on Creation Engine 3.
The first time we got wind of development plans for Fallout 5 was back in late 2021, with director and executive producer Todd Howard saying that Bethesda had a "one-pager" for Fallout 5. It wasn't much, but it was enough to set the rumor mill alight, with the series' fans speculating en masse about Fallout 5's potential setting, story, and gameplay features.
In a conversation with IGN during E3 2022 a year later, Howard also 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."
Fast forward a few years after that, and executive producer of the Fallout TV show Jonathan Nolan teased that the hit Amazon Prime series is like Fallout 5 itself in 2024. Now, obviously the show and the upcoming game aren't connected directly, but Nolan had conversations with Howard, and we assume that the stories won't overlap. This means that we are guessing that Fallout 5 will stay far away from any themes and plot threads shown in Fallout season 2.
Interestingly, though, Howard is also said to have stopped some Fallout 5 ideas from appearing in the show, but the showrunners are, of course, keeping those ideas under wraps. Season 2 is now out in the wild (check out our Fallout season 2 review for more on that), so hopefully the hype will lead to more Fallout 5 teasers soon. We also know, thanks to a past interview with Variety, that Howard may be looking at Fallout season 3 for ideas when it comes to future games, so you may want to keep track of Amazon's series to see what it sets up for upcoming storylines.
Where could Fallout 5's setting be?
Since it's still very much early days, we won't know where Fallout 5 will take us for quite some time, but Howard has said that Fallout 5 and future games in the series will mostly be set in the United States. Previous entries have historically taken us to post-apocalyptic versions of cities in the US, from the likes of Boston in Fallout 4, to Washington DC in Fallout 3.
The next RPG looks set to continue down this path, with Howard saying in a Kinda Funny interview that, "my view is — part of the Fallout shtick is on the 'Americana naivete'. And so for us right now it's okay to sort of acknowledge those other areas. But our plan is to predominantly keep it in the US."
As of 2026, thanks to an interview with New Vegas alumni Chris Avellone speaking with YouTuber TKs-Mantis, there are rumors that the next Fallout setting will be New Orleans. This hasn't been confirmed yet; however, a lot of folks are fans of that proposed setting, including Fallout 76 lead artist and ex-Bethesda dev Nate Purkeypile, who stated: "Fallout 5 in New Orleans? I mean, that would get my vote for sure."
We will keep you posted when we get an official announcement, but for now, I'm personally excited by the prospect of seeing a Ghoul or two eating some beignets.
Fallout 5: What would we like to see in the next RPG?
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 to the best RPGs in the series.
2. Keep multiplayer out and bring co-op in
Fallout 76 does have a lot of things going for it, but The Fallout game series has always been a strong single-player offering. 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 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 new Fallout game. 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.
With Starfield returning to the dialogue we've seen in Bethesda games past, there's every chance Fallout 5 will follow suit.
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.
We can't help but wonder where it might take us next, but from what Howard said it, it looks like we'll be venturing to another part of the US.
Can't wait for the new Fallout game? Check out our list of all the games like Fallout to play while you wait for the next entry in the series.
