Bethesda Reaffirms Fallout’s Central Role As Fallout 5 Wait Continues

Fallout 5 has again entered the conversation as Bethesda Game Studios leadership addressed the future of the franchise during a period of renewed public attention. With the Fallout television series entering its second season and a third already approved, Todd Howard used recent interviews to clarify how long the studio has remained active on Fallout projects, even as fans wait for a new mainline release.

The comments were made during extended conversations with Game Informer, where Howard and other senior Bethesda developers reflected on the studio’s workload, its development structure, and how Fallout fits into its long-term plans. Although The Elder Scrolls VI remains the studio’s primary focus, Howard emphasized that Fallout has never been set aside.

“I will say, first, looking at 76, we've never stopped developing Fallout. 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,” Howard said.

Howard’s remarks addressed a longstanding concern among fans who associate the absence of a single-player Fallout release since Fallout 4 in 2015 with inactivity. Fallout 76, released in 2018, has remained in continuous development since launch, and Howard framed that ongoing work as part of a broader, uninterrupted commitment to the franchise. He acknowledged that much of Bethesda’s internal staff is currently assigned to The Elder Scrolls VI but confirmed that additional Fallout projects are in progress, though not yet announced.

“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,” — Todd Howard

Bethesda has previously stated that Fallout 5 will follow The Elder Scrolls VI, positioning it as the studio’s next major single-player release. That sequencing was first outlined in interviews several years ago, and Howard reiterated it in 2022. While no release window has been attached to either project, the confirmation has anchored expectations for Fallout 5’s place in Bethesda’s pipeline.

Speculation around timelines has intensified as development on The Elder Scrolls VI moves forward. Some fans believe a 2027 release is possible, though Bethesda has not supported that view publicly. Howard has historically favored short announcement-to-release windows, as seen with Fallout 4, which was formally revealed only months before launch. Observers expect a similar approach for Fallout 5, with marketing held until later stages of development.

The studio’s recent history has influenced both its development process and public messaging. Fallout 76 represented Bethesda’s first large-scale multiplayer title and launched with technical issues that required extensive post-release support. Starfield, released in 2023, marked the studio’s first new intellectual property in decades and its most ambitious production to date. Both projects demanded long-term iteration after launch, shaping how the studio evaluates readiness and player response.

Studio director Angela Browder described those experiences as formative rather than disruptive.

“I think every one of our past games is a learning experience,” — Angela Browder

She pointed specifically to Fallout 76 as a lesson in resilience and long-term player engagement, noting that shipping a game that does not immediately meet expectations forces a studio to adapt. Starfield, she said, tested Bethesda’s technical and creative limits by introducing an entirely new setting and design framework.

“When you talk about Starfield, we made the biggest thing we've ever done in our entire lives,” — Angela Browder

According to Browder, the skills developed through multiplayer systems, post-launch support, and original worldbuilding now feed directly into established franchises. She rejected the idea that lessons learned in one project remain siloed, arguing instead that each release permanently alters how the studio approaches future work.

“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,” — Angela Browder

That perspective aligns with Howard’s emphasis on overlapping development. Bethesda no longer treats its projects as isolated phases but as parallel efforts that share resources and institutional knowledge. Fallout 5, while not in full production, benefits from that structure through ongoing design discussions and early planning.

Howard has previously confirmed that the studio maintains a high-level concept for Fallout 5. In earlier interviews, he referred to a “one-pager” outlining the team’s vision for the game. While details remain undisclosed, the acknowledgment suggests that Fallout 5’s creative direction is not starting from scratch.

Another factor shaping Fallout’s future is its expansion beyond games. Bethesda has worked closely with Amazon on the Fallout television series, which debuted in 2024 and quickly became one of the platform’s most-watched original productions. The show’s success has broadened the franchise’s audience and introduced new narrative considerations.

Howard has confirmed that Fallout 5 will exist within the same overarching timeline as the television series. He has stated that the game will be set either during or after the events depicted on screen, ensuring continuity rather than parallel reinterpretation. That decision marks a shift for Bethesda, which has traditionally kept adaptations at arm’s length from game canon.

The television project has also increased the volume and diversity of feedback Bethesda receives. Browder noted that Fallout now attracts commentary from viewers who may not engage with games at all, adding complexity to how the studio interprets audience response.

“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,” Browder said.

Despite perceptions that large studios tune out community input, Browder pushed back on that idea. She stated that Bethesda actively reads player feedback across platforms and that long-term memory of specific suggestions often informs later decisions, even if the connection is not visible to the public.

“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,” she said.

While Fallout 5 remains unannounced, the franchise itself is unusually active. Fallout 76 continues to receive updates, the television series is expanding, and rumors persist about remastered versions of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Bethesda has not confirmed those remasters, but the speculation reflects broader interest in revisiting the series’ earlier entries.

Image credit: Fallout Series, Todd Howard/Eurogamer

Internally, Bethesda leadership has framed the current period as one of accumulation rather than delay. Howard acknowledged fan impatience but defended the studio’s preference for silence until projects reach a point worth sharing.

“I get the sort of anxiety from fans, like, ‘Well, what else? What else? Feed me!’ But, look, we’re working on stuff, and we do like to wait,” Howard said.

For now, Fallout 5 exists as a confirmed future project without a public roadmap. Bethesda’s leadership continues to emphasize continuity of effort rather than proximity of release. The franchise has not been paused, sidelined, or deprioritized. Instead, it has been carried forward through ongoing development, expanded media presence, and long-term planning that extends beyond any single launch window.

Read also, Fallout franchise momentum continues as Todd Howard reveals he declined a cameo role in the Fallout TV series, while Bethesda balances series success, long-term plans for the universe, and growing rumors surrounding potential remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.