Supersized Fallout 5 theory points to New York for the next game
It's a big 'ol world out there, and after 27 years of wandering the Wasteland in Fallout, we've only just explored a fraction of this apocalyptic adventure. From the bright lights of New Vegas' Mojave Desert to the political powerhouse of Washington, D.C., in Fallout 3, there's a lot of the map left to fill in.
While we know Bethesda is (eventually) working on Fallout 5 once it's polished off The Elder Scrolls 6, fans are spending their time coming up with their dream scenarios. We imagine Fallout 5 will be the biggest entry in the franchise by a considerable margin, and with it, we need a bigger backdrop.
Fallout 5 theory points to New York City
Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), @Synthpotato has cooked up an intriguing theory that Fallout 5 will take us to the Big Apple itself. The OP points out how New York was originally pitched for 2015's Fallout 4, but with technical limitations holding it back, Bethesda settled on a Boston backdrop.
In a Noclip documentary, Design Director Emil Pagliarulo claimed New York was thrown around the design office, while other Fallout 4 locales could've been San Francisco. In fact, a line about San Francisco being "wiped" from the map was apparently removed from New Vegas to save it for potential future outings.
With Fallout 5 still years away, and technology having come so far, we can easily see NYC being the next stomping ground of our doomed Vault-Dwellers. Others loved the idea, with one fan saying, "I believe it’s New York City too theres no way theres no NYC fallout yet."
Someone else said they hope it looks like the New York from The Walking Dead: Dead City, while we imagine a sort of ruined Escape from New York vibe. Before you go cheering, those Fallout purists are sure to have a problem with this idea.
The Big Apple is calling us
Click to enlargeAs several comments have pointed out, some think New York is nothing more than a giant version of the crater where Shady Sands stood in Amazon's live-action Fallout series. Fallout 4's Far Harbour DLC confirms that New York was deemed lost, while Fallout 76 claims it was in a much worse state than Boston.
Still, being hit by multiple nukes and being thought 'lost' doesn't mean New York is a total bust. The OP notes that even though the Assaultron Adelaide mentions a "big crater," that could just be part of New York. A Fallout 4 holotape mentions how the Brotherhood of Steel had flown over New York and seen skyscrapers overtaken by Super Mutants.
There's plenty to be said for a much more vertical Fallout game, with Fallout 5 setting up shop in New York City, giving us the most ambitious outing yet. The upside of Fallout 5 being years away means we have plenty of time to speculate. In the words of Frank Sinatra, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere. It's up to you, New York, New York."
