Fallout 5 Official Setting Leaves Gamers With One Concern

Published Oct 21, 2026, 6:50 AM EDT

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

The Fallout series is as popular as it has ever been, which is a pretty remarkable thing given that we haven't played a new game attached to the IP (if you leave out 76) in well over a decade. The Prime Video adaptation is obviously responsible for a lot of that momentum, and an excellent interpretation it is too, but it's still testament to just how unique a franchise it is that it remains so at the forefront of everyone's minds.

That popularity has regularly seen thoughts turn to what exactly the next game is going to be like, from the setting to the characters, and where exactly it falls in the ever-widening timeline. In actuality, we do know a little about what might be on the way for all of us, but fans can't quite get over one hurdle that stands in the way of all of that.

Over on Reddit, one user shared a post citing direct quotes from Bethesda head Todd Howard, in which he confirmed that the next game would take place in a world where the events of the show happened, and are canon. That likely means that Fallout 5 will take place after the events of the show, which is already further forward in the timeline than we have ever been, while it will also have some reference to it in terms of location.

Fans were quick to weigh in under the post with their own thoughts, but most couldn't get over their concern that it might still be years before we actually get to play it.

"For me personally, this adds more fuel to the fire that the location of 5 will likely be San Francisco. Regardless of if it is or isn't, it's going to be many years until we see it. I'm curious if the show in some form or fashion will still be ongoing or not by then," one comment read.

While another added, "Honestly, it’s kinda terrifying that Bethesda went from releasing Fallout 3 and Skyrim within 3 years of each other to them taking ages to make new entries for these franchises. They probably won’t be as good as the aforementioned two either."

A third had a more simple piece of advice, saying, "Todd let’s finish Elder Scrolls VI first before talking about Fallout 5 that’ll release in 2035-2040 hopefully lol."

At the very least, we do now have confirmation from Bethesda themselves that Fallout 5 is officially in production, though as that comment above notes, The Elder Scrolls VI is going to be the priority for the studio until it debuts. That certainly means that any sign of it is unlikely to come through before we enter the 2030s in earnest, which won't be good news for the fans who are waiting in the wings.

The only silver lining is the potential arrival of both Fallout 3 and New Vegas remakes in the intervening period, both of which are under development right now at supporting studios, and should arrive in shorter order than an entirely new game.