A moment literally everyone, their grandparents and their dogs have been waiting for as news that Fallout 5 has been potentially greenlit at Bethesda Game Studios. This comes after the news that a project over at ZeniMax was cancelled to apparently shift resources to focus more tightly on a new Fallout title. The hype is real, goosebumps haven’t left my arms for the last hour, and I’m excited. If anyone needs me, I’ll be dusting off my old courier jacket.
As we know, it’s been almost a decade since the last mainline Fallout title was released. Of course, Fallout 76 was released in 2018, but that is a semi-MMORPG which was set in a vastly different type of game world. Similar trappings of course; mutants, raiders, robots, etc., but very different gameplay style in terms of the roleplaying elements and inventory management provided to players.
All of this news comes after a recent episode of The Xbox Two Podcast was released and Windows Central’s Jez Corden spoke about Fallout 5 and what the future holds for the franchise over at Bethesda Game Studios. Corden was leaning into the idea of Fallout 5 being all systems go as the big wigs at Bethesda cancelled a project known as “Blackbird”, to make way for the post-apocalyptic series following a recent chunk of layoffs at Microsoft.
Corden played the idea off ever-so slightly (so as not to overtly confirm too early or ruin any potential surprises), as he only spoke with brief conjecture and mere suggestion about the possible studio that would be taking the lead in the development of Fallout 5, as that choice may yet remain up in the air and uncertain at present.
With that being said, this reads as a big step in the right direction for fans of the franchise, when compared to the near decade-long dry spell of mainline Fallout games. As many are already aware, Bethesda previously had an outline of the game on one singular page, and then we heard very little else about it. With the title being greenlit, it certainly seems to indicate that it’s so much more than that now!
Recently there have been a lot of rumors in regard to the Fallout series. There was a bit of news circulating about multiple Fallout projects being worked on simultaneously, which drove many eager fans to speculate about possible remakes, remasters, spinoffs, and sequels, while scouring the internet for more sources of information. The most popular and most discussed item on that list of possibilities is the all-but-confirmed Fallout 3: Remastered, while some theories suggest a Fallout: New Vegas tie-in or sequel may be in the works due to the success of the Prime Video series. With companies usually striking while the iron is hot in regard to success through synergy, I would have assumed that Bethesda would be taking advantage of the reinvigorated popularity around the franchise.
While we know little of what Fallout 5 will look like at this point in time or what game will release next, it’s causing fans to lose their minds over what they might end up with. Will it be a single-player title? Could it be in another nation rather than the United States? Or could it very well be an online title yet again? An answer to the franchise leaving the United States was given by creative director Jonathan Rush who worked on Fallout 76, in which he stated definitively that the series will never leave the United States. Ever! Regardless, things change. Either way, I’m excited to get my hands on whatever they put out next. I just hope it’s fun.
What would you guys like to see in a new Fallout entry? Let us know down in the comments below!
