Fallout 5 Release Timing, Platforms, Story Teases, And Everything Else We Know So Far

Fallout 5 is on the way. Plenty of focus on the franchise these days is on the Prime Video Fallout series, which premieres on April 10. If the series has sparked or renewed your interest in the games, you might be happy to know that Bethesda is returning to the series with a new game in the future.

No one should get too excited just yet, though, as Fallout 5 is a long time away from release. However, Bethesda has already begun to talk about it, albeit at a very high level. We don't know a whole lot about Fallout 5 yet, but there are some key things to know already, like vaguely when it's coming, who's making it, and some teases about the story.

As for the Fallout TV series for Prime Video, it debuts April 10 and all eight episodes arrive out of the gate at the same time. For more, check out GameSpot's rundown of everything you need to know about the Fallout TV show and how to watch the Fallout TV show.

In this post, we're rounding up all the morsels of information we know about Fallout 5 so far. This story will continue to be updated as more information about the RPG comes to light.

When will Fallout 5 release?

There is no definitive word on when Fallout 5 will be released, but Bethesda has already confirmed the release order for its newest games. In 2021, Bethesda had said Starfield was coming first (and it was eventually released in 2023), then The Elder Scrolls VI, and then Fallout 5. Given that The Elder Scrolls VI is no doubt still years away from release--2026 is the rumored earliest possible date--the next Fallout game is surely many, many years out.

With Fallout 4, Bethesda announced the game just six months prior to its eventual release date in 2015. Bethesda's Todd Howard has said he prefers a short announcement-to-release window, and admitted recently he might have done things differently if he could do it all over again with The Elder Scrolls VI. That game was announced in 2018, meaning it could be an eight-plus-year wait if 2026 is indeed the soonest it could release.

Technically, Fallout 5 hasn't been officially announced in the form of a press release or official presentation from Bethesda unlike how The Elder Scrolls VI was announced at E3 2018. This leaves open the possibility for Bethesda to have a tight announcement-to-release window like it had with Fallout 4 if the company wants to do that again.

Fallout 5 platforms

Previous Fallout games were released across PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and also came to PC, but things could change with Fallout 5. Microsoft acquired Bethesda parent company ZeniMax and the Fallout franchise in 2020 for more than $7.5 billion. Given that, many are assuming that Fallout 5 will be exclusive to Xbox and PC. After all, Microsoft opted to make Starfield exclusive on console to Xbox. In February, Xbox announced that it would bring some titles to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles as part of a shift in its release strategy. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has said any Xbox game could release on PlayStation, but it's too soon to say if Fallout 5 will be a multiplatform release.

Beyond that, with the timing of Fallout 5's release a question mark, we don't even know if it will launch on the current generation of consoles.

Fallout 5 story

All that Bethesda has done has confirmed the existence of Fallout 5, so it's too soon to know what the story, setting, or characters could be. However, the one clue provided thus far came from Bethesda's Todd Howard. He is also an executive producer on the Prime Video Fallout series, and he told the showrunners to avoid certain subjects because they would or could be featured in Fallout 5. "Well, there were some things where I said, 'Don't do this because we are going to do that in Fallout 5,'" Howard said. So don't expect Fallout 5 to retread the same ground covered in the TV series.

Who's making Fallout 5?

Bethesda Game Studios, the team that has created most of the recent mainline entries in the Fallout series, is expected to come back to make Fallout 5. Howard, who directed Fallout 4, is no doubt involved in Fallout 5, but it's unknown what role on the game he might hold. Howard recently spoke about how he plans to make games "forever," so anyone thinking he might retire before Fallout 5 might want to think again. Howard was the game director on Starfield. It's unknown what role he will hold on The Elder Scrolls VI or Fallout 5, but some are expecting him to take more of a backseat and contribute to the game in a producer or executive producer role.

Of note, Obsidian, developer of the beloved Fallout: New Vegas, is also owned by Microsoft. Its CEO has expressed interest in developing a new Fallout game. Whether that could be Fallout 5, a separate game entirely--or if it even happens at all--is yet another topic that remains to be seen.

The Fallout 76 of it all

Bethesda released Fallout 76 in 2018. It was unlike the past games in that it was a multiplayer-focused, always-online RPG that many said left much to be desired at launch. Howard, for his part, was an executive producer on the title and has, on multiple occasions, opened up and spoken frankly about the game's many and serious issues. Bethesda steadily improved, updated, and expanded upon Fallout 76 in the weeks, months, and years after launch, and the company now says Fallout 76 is one of the company's most-played games ever. Given that, many are wondering if any online elements will factor into the eventual Fallout 5. Only time will tell, and it will be interesting to see what lessons from Fallout 76 are applied to Fallout 5.