It’s been over a decade since Fallout 4 launched in 2015, and fans are getting restless. Sure, Fallout 76 exists as an ongoing live-service game, and the Prime Video series became a cultural phenomenon in 2024. But where’s Fallout 5? When can single-player fans return to the wasteland for a new mainline adventure?
Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard finally addressed these questions in an extensive Game Informer interview published December 23, 2024, alongside studio design director Emil Pagliarulo and studio director Angela Browder. The trio discussed what Bethesda has learned from recent projects, what mistakes they won’t repeat, and what fans can expect from Fallout’s future. Most intriguingly, Howard confirmed Bethesda is working on unannounced Fallout projects beyond the obvious Fallout 5.
Fallout Is Bethesda’s Most Active Franchise
Contrary to popular perception, Bethesda hasn’t abandoned Fallout. While The Elder Scrolls VI occupies most of the studio’s resources, Howard revealed that Fallout actually receives more development attention than any other Bethesda franchise.
“I will say, first, looking at 76, we’ve never stopped developing Fallout,” Howard explained. “We’ve had a full team on Fallout for a long time. So, Fallout, as a franchise, is the one we’re still doing the most work in above anything. Now, the majority of our internal studio is on Elder Scrolls VI. We are doing other things with Fallout that we haven’t announced, and you know, there’ll come a time for that.”
That comment immediately caught attention. Other things that haven’t been announced? Howard acknowledged fan anxiety – “I get the sort of anxiety from fans, like, ‘Well, what else? What else? Feed me!'” – but emphasized Bethesda prefers strategic timing for reveals. “Look, we’re working on stuff, and we do like to wait. And so, I think there’ll be a moment to talk about that, and we want to make those special moments for our fans.”
This aligns with previous statements about Bethesda’s love of surprise announcements. Tom Mustaine, Bethesda Game Studios director, told GamesRadar in November that “Todd Howard, the boss man, he’s wanted to shadowdrop things for a long time because it’s so great to be able to say, ‘Here’s the thing, get it today.’ It’s very valuable.”
What could these unannounced Fallout projects be? Speculation ranges from Fallout 76 expansions to potential remasters of classic titles, collaborations with other studios for spin-offs, or even mobile games. Howard’s carefully chosen words suggest multiple projects rather than a single announcement, keeping fans guessing about what Bethesda has cooking.
The Vision for Future Fallout Games
Emil Pagliarulo, who serves as studio design director and has written for multiple Fallout games, outlined his hopes for where the franchise goes next. His answer emphasized depth and longevity over flashy innovation.
“I would be happy with a game that is as successful as the previous Fallout games that continues to give fans what they love, you know, and to give them a story that they can get into and systems that they love and really just an experience that they play not for 20 hours and not for 100 hours, but an experience they can play for 200, 300, you know, 600 hours, because that’s the kind of games we make,” Pagliarulo said.
That philosophy has defined Bethesda RPGs for decades. Players don’t just finish the main quest and move on – they sink hundreds of hours into side content, character builds, base building, exploration, and experimentation. Pagliarulo wants future Fallout games to maintain that addictive quality while evolving with industry trends.
“That would be my hope going forward: Keep doing what we’ve done, and also to evolve,” he continued. “And evolve in a way that is where the industry has gone and where players have gone, so you’re not stuck in the past. Like, in the Oblivion remaster that came out, people forget in the original Oblivion, you couldn’t sprint. So, of course we’re going to add that in the Oblivion remaster. Things like that. The industry moved on, and so, we want to move on with it.”
That balance between tradition and evolution represents Bethesda’s greatest challenge. Fans want Fallout to feel familiar while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements and design philosophies. Going too far in either direction risks alienating audiences – stay too traditional and the game feels dated; change too much and it loses its identity.
Learning From Fallout 76’s Disastrous Launch
Angela Browder, studio director, spoke candidly about Fallout 76’s troubled history. The online multiplayer Fallout launched in November 2018 to devastating reviews. Technical problems, lack of NPCs, poor quest design, and broken gameplay systems created a perfect storm of criticism. Fallout 76 became a punchline, representing everything wrong with live-service gaming and rushed releases.
But Bethesda didn’t abandon the project. Over years of updates, Fallout 76 transformed into a genuinely enjoyable experience with dedicated players. Browder reflected on what the studio learned from that painful journey.
“I think every one of [our past games] is a learning experience, right? Let’s take Fallout 76 – Yes, we learned how to make multiplayer; we also learned what it means when you ship a product that doesn’t necessarily hit really well right away. And we learned about investing and listening to our players and strengthening who we are and what we are, our own ability to resiliency and adversity, all these kinds of things, right?”
The Fallout 76 experience taught Bethesda valuable lessons about post-launch support, community engagement, and the importance of shipping polished products. While the studio eventually turned Fallout 76 around, the initial damage to Bethesda’s reputation took years to repair. Those lessons will hopefully prevent similar disasters with future releases.
Browder emphasized that skills developed for multiplayer gaming directly benefit single-player projects. “We are better developers for having made a multiplayer game, we are better developers for having developed our own IP now, because it’s new muscles. It’s tested us in a different way. It’s taught us a lot of things that we never could have known otherwise.”
Starfield’s Influence on Future Games
Bethesda’s newest IP, Starfield, launched in September 2023 to mixed reception. While many praised its scale and ambition, others criticized repetitive gameplay, excessive fast travel, and sterile planetary exploration. Despite the divided response, Browder believes Starfield made Bethesda better at game development.
“When you talk about Starfield, we made the biggest thing we’ve ever done in our entire lives: We made space. I’m scared of space, I think space is really scary, but we made space!” Browder said with a laugh. “All of those are, while it may not be, like, ‘Oh I’m going to put space in Elder Scrolls VI’ – do not write that I’m putting space into Elder Scrolls VI; we’re not going to put space in Elder Scrolls VI! – everything that we learned by putting space into Starfield goes into Elder Scrolls VI. It’s all learning.”
The technical systems Bethesda developed for Starfield’s procedural generation, space travel, and massive scope will influence how the studio approaches future projects. Even if Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 don’t feature literal space exploration, the underlying technology and design philosophies transfer across titles.
Browder also emphasized how Bethesda’s long-tenured team accumulates knowledge across projects. “We’re very blessed to have a very long-tenured team, as well. And so, all of those learnings from every single one just keep going with us, and I think that one of the things that you can see the natural progression as we’ve made our titles is we do listen to our players.”
Bethesda Really Does Read Everything
One persistent criticism of Bethesda involves perceived arrogance – the idea that the studio ignores player feedback and refuses to acknowledge problems. Browder pushed back hard against that characterization, insisting Bethesda reads and considers all feedback, even if implementation takes years.
“There’s sometimes this preconceived notion that we don’t read or look at or listen to any of it. We read all of it. I mean, all of it. And, especially Fallout, it’s interesting because as it’s expanded its scope, the amount of feedback we get on it is more than just gaming now, right? And so, it can be a little overwhelming, but we do read it all.”
Browder described how player suggestions from years ago eventually manifest in games, though fans rarely connect those dots. “Some day, I just wish I could draw like a mind map of, like, ‘This guy said this thing on Reddit 12 years ago that never left our brains, and here you go! It took us a little while, but it’s there!’ People don’t always follow those very long threads, but the amount of those threads that exist are a lot.”
The challenge lies in timelines. Bethesda games take 4-7 years to develop, meaning feedback incorporated today won’t appear until years later. By then, players have forgotten their original suggestions and assume Bethesda ignored them. The disconnect creates frustration on both sides – players feel unheard while developers believe their responsiveness goes unrecognized.
The Elder Scrolls VI Priority
Howard confirmed what fans already suspected – most of Bethesda currently focuses on The Elder Scrolls VI. The fantasy RPG was first teased in 2018 with a brief cinematic showing mountains and the series logo. Seven years later, concrete details remain scarce, though Howard has said the game is now in full production following Starfield’s release.
“The majority of the studios are on VI, but I’ll say this: We always overlap,” Howard explained. “So, we’re very used to overlapping development.” That overlapping development allows Bethesda to maintain Fallout 76 updates, work on unannounced Fallout projects, and presumably begin pre-production on Fallout 5 while Elder Scrolls VI remains the primary focus.
Based on Howard’s 2022 confirmation to IGN, Fallout 5 will follow Elder Scrolls VI in Bethesda’s release schedule. Given Elder Scrolls VI likely won’t launch before 2027-2028, Fallout 5 probably sits 8-10 years away minimum. That timeline frustrates Fallout fans who’ve waited over a decade already, but Bethesda’s small studio size relative to its ambitions creates inevitable bottlenecks.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Fallout 5 release?
Fallout 5 has no release date and won’t launch until after The Elder Scrolls VI. Given Elder Scrolls VI likely releases between 2027-2029, Fallout 5 probably won’t arrive until the early 2030s at the earliest. Todd Howard confirmed in 2022 that Fallout 5 comes after Elder Scrolls VI.
What unannounced Fallout projects is Bethesda working on?
Todd Howard confirmed Bethesda is working on unannounced Fallout projects beyond Fallout 5 but declined to provide details. Speculation includes Fallout 76 expansions, potential remasters, spin-offs, or collaborations with other studios. Howard emphasized Bethesda prefers surprise announcements over extended marketing campaigns.
Is Bethesda making Fallout New Vegas 2?
No announcements have been made regarding a Fallout New Vegas sequel. While fans have requested Obsidian Entertainment return to the franchise, Todd Howard’s comments suggest Bethesda maintains tight control over Fallout projects. Obsidian is currently owned by Microsoft alongside Bethesda, making collaboration theoretically possible.
What lessons did Bethesda learn from Fallout 76?
Studio director Angela Browder said Bethesda learned about multiplayer development, post-launch support, player communication, and resilience after Fallout 76’s poor launch. The experience taught the studio not to ship unfinished products and the importance of listening to player feedback.
How will Starfield influence future Bethesda games?
According to Angela Browder, technical systems and design philosophies developed for Starfield’s procedural generation and massive scope will influence Elder Scrolls VI and presumably Fallout 5. The studio’s experience creating space exploration mechanics expands their development capabilities even if future games don’t feature literal space travel.
Does Bethesda read player feedback?
Yes, according to studio director Angela Browder. She emphasized that Bethesda reads all player feedback, including Reddit comments, forum posts, and social media discussions. However, implementation often takes years due to long development cycles, making it difficult for players to see how their suggestions influenced games.
What does Emil Pagliarulo want from future Fallout games?
Studio design director Emil Pagliarulo hopes future Fallout games provide 200-600 hours of engaging content while evolving with industry trends. He wants to maintain what fans love about Fallout while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements and avoiding dated design choices.
Is The Elder Scrolls VI Bethesda’s priority right now?
Yes, Todd Howard confirmed the majority of Bethesda Game Studios currently works on The Elder Scrolls VI. However, the studio maintains a full team on Fallout 76 and works on other unannounced Fallout projects through overlapping development.
The Long Wait Continues
Fallout fans face a harsh reality – mainline single-player entries won’t arrive quickly. Bethesda’s small studio size relative to its ambitions creates development bottlenecks. The team can’t simultaneously build Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 at full scale, forcing sequential releases that stretch timelines to breaking points.
The Prime Video series provides some consolation. Season 2 arrives in 2025, keeping Fallout culturally relevant even without new games. Fallout 76 continues receiving content updates for dedicated players. And Howard’s comments about unannounced projects suggest surprises may arrive before the eventual Fallout 5.
But nothing replaces the experience of exploring a new single-player Fallout wasteland. Discovering hidden vaults, making faction choices with lasting consequences, building settlements, and uncovering environmental storytelling through terminal entries and environmental details – that’s what Fallout fans crave. No amount of Fallout 76 raids or TV show episodes substitutes for the core experience Bethesda does best.
The silver lining in this interview is transparency. Howard, Pagliarulo, and Browder spoke candidly about Bethesda’s priorities, limitations, and lessons learned. They acknowledged fan frustration while explaining why quick releases aren’t realistic given the studio’s ambitions and resources. That honesty, while not what fans want to hear, at least sets realistic expectations.
Bethesda won’t rush Fallout 5. The game comes after Elder Scrolls VI, period. But Fallout remains Bethesda’s most active franchise development-wise, and unannounced projects suggest surprises ahead. The wait continues, but at least Bethesda is working on something. Eventually, the vault door will open again. When it does, all those lessons learned from Fallout 76’s stumbles and Starfield’s ambitions will shape what could be Bethesda’s most refined Fallout yet.
Just don’t expect it before 2030. In the meantime, fire up Fallout 76, rewatch the TV show, and keep an eye out for those mysterious unannounced projects. War may never change, but the wait for Fallout 5 certainly never ends.