Bethesda Unveils Disappointing Fallout 25th Anniversary Plans
It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since we first creaked open the rusted door to Vault 13, but as one of the most beloved RPG franchises to grace the gaming scene, there's a lot to be said for Fallout. A franchise can rarely change hands so many times and pivot from a classic RPG to an action RPG without being buried alive by critics.
In 2022, Fallout doesn't quite sit at the top of its game, and while we're warned the mythical Fallout 5 is still a long way off (becoming a priority when The Elder Scrolls 6 is finished), there are plenty of games to go back and enjoy in the meantime. Here's hoping Fallout 5 will be out in time for the franchise's 35th anniversary... but don't hold your breath.
What Are The Fallout 25th Anniversary Plans?
2022 has been a big one for gaming anniversaries, and while it's not quite on a par with 2021 celebrating Zelda's 35th and Pokemon's 25th, we've still got 25 years of GoldenEye, 20 years of the Resident Evil REmake, and 15 years of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Bethesda is honouring a quarter of a century of Fallout, but not everyone's impressed.
In a chonky blog post, Bethesda explains what's on the way with its month-long Fallout celebrations across October. From today (October 4) until October 11, you can play 2018's divisive Fallout 76 for free. Prime Gaming subscribers can also get the base Fallout 76 for nothing, while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get a free month of Fallout 1st. Finally, the forgotten Fallout Shelter free-to-play game will be getting new content for the first time in four years.
Not everyone was happy with the announcement. PlayStation owners obviously complained Xbox is the focus - but that was a given considering Microsoft's ownership of Bethesda. This wasn't all, though. One critic wrote, "You could've at least acknowledged the existence of 3, New Vegas and the CRPGs. It seems to be all 76." Another moaned, "Honestly, quite disappointed that this is the best you can do for the 25 anniversary of the fallout franchise. Still hoping you got something else up your sleeve but the likelihood of that is low. A third concluded, "Could you celebrate it by making a good fallout game? or just shut down f76 and make it non-canon would be good too, thanks <3."
What's Next For Fallout?
As we previously said, Fallout 5 is still a long way off. We've already seen Bethesda delay Starfield into 2023, and even when things wind down on that, we've still got TES6 to get out of the way. A small glimmer of hope could see history repeat itself. When Bethesda was busy working on Skyrim, it handed over Fallout to Obsidian Entertainment for the beloved New Vegas.
There's been a lot of talk about a potential New Vegas sequel, and although nothing has come to pass yet, Microsoft's ownership of Bethesda AND Obsidian could pave the way for a glorious partnership. We need something to fill the gap between games, and as long as it isn't another disaster like Fallout 76's launch, we should be okay. Either way, settle in for what sounds like a long nuclear winter.
