There’s no two ways about it: Amazon Prime’s Fallout series has put the franchise on the map in ways previously unmatched. Despite a relatively basic story for the series, the show has created a whole new contingent of Fallout fans, further fleshed out the wasteland setting, and given some much-needed glimpses of what life was like Pre-War, most notably what Vault-Tec was up to in the days before the bombs dropped. This includes a brief, but extremely telling, map of planned Vault locations.
Fallout fans know that the vaults have always been shady operations; thinly veiled excuses for the nefarious company to run unethical social/scientific experiments on a captive population. The brief look at the Vault-Tec boardroom as seen in the series shows a map of planned locations for these experiments, and they largely sync up with what’s been seen in the franchise to date, with some notable omissions on the East Coast. But one proposed Vault location seen on the map could change the setting as fans know it.
Is the Fallout Show Teasing a Vault in Mexico?
The Fallout Show Seems to be Revealing a Vault in Tijuana
If the series map is to be believed, Vault-Tec was planning a Vault in Mexico at one point. Eagle-eyed fans would have noticed that the proposed vault site lies just below San Diego in what would be Baja, Mexico. This is groundbreaking new territory for the franchise because, up until now, Vault-Tec and the entirety of the Fallout lore were focused almost entirely on what happens in the United States.
The Vault location may seem like a throwaway background detail but, in reality, its implications for future stories can’t be understated. This map is, effectively, confirmation that Vault-Tec was operating, if not fully internationally, then at least in Mexico. This gives the franchise its first opportunity to explore what the Fallout world looks like outside the United States.
What Could a Fallout Game Set in Mexico Look Like?
Right now, the entirety of the Fallout franchise takes place in America. Aside from some throwaway blurbs scattered throughout various games that may or may not be true, the Fallout series is sparse when it comes to details about other countries. Exploring this vault in Baja could be Fallout’s prime opportunity to dip its toes outside the US, while not straying terribly far from its comfort zone.
One thing Fallout has been excellent at in all its installments to date is incorporating unique aspects of the region into its version of the wasteland. From Fallout: New Vegas, to Fallout 4, to even Fallout: 76, echoes of the world that used to exist in the region shine through in the culture of the wasteland.
Baja’s most populated city is Tijuana, which is renowned as a tourist destination with sandy beaches, idyllic climates, and a ton of local history. Fallout has never explored a more tropical, coastal environment before. This would give Bethesda the opportunity to expand upon some of the oceanic aspects of the Fallout universe. Surely something interesting has to be happening in the heavily irradiated oceans.
Bethesda Should Expand on Vaults in Other North American Countries
It’s entirely possible this was an oversight on the showrunners’ part; that the Vault was supposed to be in San Diego, and that the art department simply placed the marker too far to the south. The map itself may not even be entirely accurate, as crucial vaults on the East Coast are not accounted for, namely Vault 76 and all the vaults featured in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
Despite this, this is still a great opportunity for Fallout to expand the setting past the American borders. A Fallout game set in Baja, Mexico would be a fresh, invigorating take on the series without straying terribly far from where Bethesda (and players) are the most comfortable. If it’s successful, it could even open the door to seeing how Canada or England is handling the nuclear apocalypse.
