It’s been six years since the last time Bethesda released a new single-player RPG. Unfortunately, with Starfield coming out next year and The Elder Scrolls 6 is at least a few years from release, it will probably be a long time before Fallout 5 becomes a reality. One might even assume that Bethesda hasn’t thought about it at all.
It turns out that’s not the case, and Bethesda already has an idea for where to take the franchise next. However, that doesn’t mean that Fallout 5 is on the way any time soon.
Bethesda Game Studios Executive producer Todd Howard recently spoke to IGN about Skyrim’s imminent 10th anniversary. While Elder Scrolls was the focus of the interview, the interviewer eventually asked about Fallout 5. Specifically, IGN wanted to know if Bethesda had considered letting another studio take Fallout’s reigns while it focuses on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6.
This is hardly the first time someone suggested Bethesda should let another studio develop the next Fallout game. The most likely alternate developer would probably be Obsidian Entertainment, makers of excellent RPGs like Fallout: New Vegas,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, and The Outer Worlds. Fallout fans have been hoping for another Obsidian-Bethesda team up for years. That seems more likely after Microsoft acquired both studios.
However, Todd Howard downplayed the likelihood of that event, saying, “Fallout’s really part of our DNA here. We’ve worked with other people from time to time – I can’t say what’s gonna happen.” So, while Howard didn’t completely dismiss the possibility, it seems like Bethesda prefers to keep Fallout in-house for the foreseeable future. He then revealed that the studio already has a one-pager on what it wants to do with Fallout 5.
For those not familiar with the behind-the-scenes of game development, a one-pager is a broad outline of a game concept. This includes a rough outline of the plot along with ideas for mechanics and unique features. Businesses generally use one-pagers to summarize a concept for executives or investors. So, in terms of development progress, Fallout 5 is only a few steps above an elevator pitch. Still, it shows that Bethesda is thinking about what it wants to do once Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 are out the door.
Unfortunately, Bethesda isn’t ready to share what the studio has in mind for the next Fallout game. It’s not even strictly accurate to say Howard confirmed Fallout 5 since he reiterated that Bethesda Game Studios’ only current commitments are to Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. Given that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still relatively early in development, Fallout 5 sounds like it’s a long way off.
Fallout 5 is in early pre-production.
Source: IGN