Fallout 5: Leaks & Everything We Know
Fallout 5 is set to be the next entry in the legendary role-playing franchise, following on from the tumultuous time Fallout 76 has seen so far.
The Fallout series has a rich legacy of titles that have defined the RPG in both the 2D and 3D era of gaming and we're hoping Fallout 5 is no different. With Bethesda knee-deep in Starfield and ready to tackle the next Elder Scrolls title after that, we certainly have a long wait for the Fallout 5 release date, but there are some crucial bits of info that we can use to work out more about the game.
The endless rumours of a New Vegas 2 might mean we'll have something to tide us over before that time, but until we get something more concrete they remain just rumours. Regardless, we still have a little we can share about Fallout 5 thanks to Todd Howard, so here's everything we know about the next outing in the American wasteland.
What do we know about Fallout 5?
Click to enlargeWhenever Bethesda eventually decides to unveil Fallout 5, it's sure to be far in the future due to how busy the studio is. The finishing touches are still being added to Starfield, which is set to launch next November, and The Elder Scrolls 6 presumably hasn't even started full production yet, but leaks have placed it in 2024 (though it could be a placeholder date).
With this in mind, we don't expect another Fallout adventure from Bethesda until at least after both of those titles, so we're looking at 2025 at the earliest, which would mean over ten years between mainline entries (not counting Fallout 76). The wait is going to be a long one unless Bethesda decides to hand over their second-favorite franchise to another developer - Obsidian could probably do a grand job with a Fallout game, right? - or grow Bethesda Game Studios into two teams.
Fallout 5 Gameplay And Story
Click to enlargeIt's safe to say any future Fallout game will retain the first-person perspective and open-world of the last few titles, as the series abandoned its roots as an isometric game long ago. Due to how far in the future it's expected to come out, it's hard to say what video game evolutions it could take advantage of in terms of gameplay. However, if there's one thing we'd bet our reputation on, it's that Fallout 5 will feature the largest map of any first-person Fallout game yet.
Story-wise, we know nothing about the next Fallout, but Bethesda sure do, as Todd Howard confirmed the studio has a one-pager on the title. This means aspects like the overall story, location, and themes have all been roughly drafted out by this point, along with any key gameplay mechanics and ideas they'll want to implement.
Considering Bethesda likes to focus on East Coast America in their titles, we'd imagine they'll set the next one there, too. In the past, places like Florida and New York have been rumoured for future entries, but they could just as easily switch it up. The ongoing service game, Fallout 76, could also point us to some clues about Fallout 5, as past entries have routinely hinted at the future ones.
Fallout 5 Platforms
Click to enlargeBased on our estimate for the Fallout 5 launch - which we placed sometime in 2025 or after - a whole new generation of consoles could feasibly have released if it comes a few years later than our estimation.
This means there's no chance the game will make its way to Xbox One or PlayStation 4, and it could even skip the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, depending on how far into the next console generation it releases. This goes doubly so for PlayStation consoles, as Bethesda is now part of the Xbox ecosystem, but it would be nice if exclusives are long dead by then.
Regardless, the title will definitely come to PC, and we'd expect it to be a modders paradise like all Bethesda games.
