Next Fallout Game May Release Sooner than Expected

Highlights

• Reports indicate that Xbox is keen on capitalizing on Fallout’s popularity post-Amazon show with expedited development plans for the next entry.
• Fallout 5’s release may still be far off, potentially prompting Xbox to consider outsourcing Fallout development to another studio.
• Xbox’s acquisition of Obsidian opens up the possibility of parallel development for new Fallout and Elder Scrolls titles.

A new report claims Xbox is aware of the hype surrounding the Fallout franchise and is looking to expedite development of its next entry. After the release of the Amazon show, fan interest in the Fallout series has seen a significant boost, with player counts skyrocketing on every platform. Bethesda took advantage of this wave of popularity by releasing Fallout 4‘s free next-gen update on April 25.

While Fallout 4‘s native next-gen version offers a host of improvements and content additions, it’s still a 9-year-old game at its core. Many fans wonder when Fallout 5 may release, and the truth of the matter is that if it were to be developed by Bethesda, then it may take around 10 more years at the very least. After the release of Starfield last year, Bethesda shifted its developmental focus to Elder Scrolls 6, which was first revealed in 2018 and is still years away from launch. Creative director Todd Howard also confirmed back in 2022 that Fallout 5 is next up after Elder Scrolls 6. Assuming the latter’s development progresses on time, and it releases by 2027-2028, Fallout 5 will take another 6–7 years to make. That puts Bethesda and Xbox in a precarious position today, as the series is experiencing a heady dose of popularity, but without a full-fledged new game to enhance it further.

On a recent episode of the Xbox Two podcast, credible Microsoft insider Jez Corden outlined this exact problem, and said that Xbox is “aware” of the heightened interest in Fallout, as well as the guaranteed success that the next entry in the franchise will be. But with no current way to cash in on the hype with Fallout 5 and Bethesda being too busy with Elder Scrolls 6, Xbox is apparently considering other means to accelerate development for a new Fallout game.

Xbox May Task Another Studio with the Fallout IP

Outsourcing the IP to another developer is seemingly one of Xbox’s best bets, says Corden. This would allow for a new Fallout title to be developed in parallel with Elder Scrolls 6, potentially even releasing within a year of each other. This isn’t something new for Bethesda, of course, as 2010’s Fallout New Vegas was developed by Obsidian and went on to become a fan-favorite in the series. And as it happens, Xbox now owns Obsidian as well, enriching the possibility even further.

However, with Obsidian developing Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, taking on an IP the size of Fallout may not be feasible for it right now. Moreover, Fallout games have always been huge, ambitious experiences that can take hundreds of hours to fully absorb, so no matter which studio potentially ends up with the IP, it will take several years for the game to hit the market. However, Xbox may just be planning ahead by timing the release of the next Fallout title with the TV series’ third season.