Todd Howard has officially confirmed that the next chapter in the Fallout franchise is coming, but fans have a long time to wait. Before Fallout 5 comes out, Bethesda is hoping to release The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield. Starfield is set to launch in 2023, but The Elder Scrolls 6 is still in pre-production and may be a ways off. This means that Fallout fans are going to be left with almost nothing to turn to for years. The only option for new Fallout content may end up being Fallout 76; otherwise, they will have to replay one of the older titles.
The last single-player Fallout game came out in 2015, and the next Bethesda RPG will be launching in 2023. That is already an eight-year wait between major titles from Bethesda, and if The Elder Scrolls 6 follows that pattern, then it could release another seven to eight years after Starfield. Fallout 5 will be even longer afterwards which means that Fallout fans could be waiting for something new from their franchise for close to a decade. That is a very long wait and the studio needs to offer some type of Fallout content outside of Fallout 76 to help tide people over until then.
This May be the Longest Wait Between Fallout Games
Players do not know just how long the wait for Fallout 5 will be, but it looks like it's going to be long. If there is no Fallout themed title that comes out in that time, then it could be the longest wait between Fallout games fans have ever had. The time between Bethesda Fallout titles has always been long, but this wait may take it to the next level, especially if no other studio makes a game in the universe in the meantime. The previous record for years between Fallout universe titles is five, and this will most likely beat that.
Not every Fallout title has been a large Bethesda RPG, as there have been many spin-off games. These spin-off titles have often released in-between Bethesda's entries and have served as a way to keep the brand alive while the studio works on the next mainline title. These spin-off games have included Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout Shelter, and Fallout 76. These spin-offs have all varied in size and genre, but they have all served the purpose of giving Fallout fans new content to check out.
The most recent Fallout spin-offs have been Fallout Shelter and Fallout 76. Fallout Shelter came out around Fallout 4 and provided a decent amount of fun, but Fallout 76 has now become the focus of the franchise. Bethesda may keep pumping Fallout 76 full of content during the wait, but the studio needs to do a lot more for fans. Fallout 76 can be fun with friends, but it was not received well and has put a bit of a stain on the franchise. Fallout fans need some other type of game entertain themselves until Fallout 5, even if that simply comes in the form of Fallout re-releases.
The Elder Scrolls Has Had Some Releases During Its Wait
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim launched in 2011, and The Elder Scrolls 6 seems to still be a ways off. The title is allegedly still in pre-production which means that Elder Scrolls fans also have a decently sized wait on their hands. However, they have had a steady stream of content during this time. Some content has been spin-off games, and some of it has simply been new versions of Skyrim. Each release has served as a way to keep the Elder Scrolls brand alive and given fans a reason to keep coming back.
Since the release of Skyrim, Bethesda has re-released the game several times. The majority of these re-releases serve as remasters for the title, and the most recent re-release also included a bunch of new content with built-in mods. Along with the remasters came a VR version of the game for those who want to experience Tamriel with their own eyes. Fans were also not short on new content to check out as Bethesda launched The Elder Scrolls Blades and has been consistently expanding Tamriel through The Elder Scrolls Online.
A Fallout Remaster or Remake Needs to Happen
The Elder Scrolls and Fallout seem to be in similar situations when it comes to the expected gap between entries, but Bethesda has been treating The Elder Scrolls differently. There is not even an indication that Fallout 4 will be getting a special or anniversary edition, and that should be changed. The Skyrim re-releases have become a bit of a meme over the years, but each re-release has also done very well and has kept people coming back. A Fallout 4 remaster could do the same thing, motivating players to return to The Commonwealth through new and improved features.
A Fallout 4 re-release during the break would go a long way to keeping the brand alive, but there are other games that could use a remaster or remake too. Remastering or remaking older games tends to be easier to do than crafting an entirely new game, and there are a couple of games in the series that fans would love to see revisited. Many Fallout fans fell in love with Fallout New Vegas and Fallout 3, and they could look great with a facelift.
Bethesda does not have to do this alone either, as Xbox Game Studios has a plethora of different studios that could lend support. One such studio is Obsidian Entertainment, which was responsible for making Fallout: New Vegas; it has not revisited the wasteland since. The studio could be given the chance to remaster the fan-favorite entry in the franchise, and the fans would surely be excited.
Fans of the franchise do not know what the future holds, and Bethesda may have some big plans to keep players engaged with Fallout outside of Fallout 76. However, it has not given much of an indication of that and Fallout fans have been left wondering when they get to explore the wasteland again. The Fallout series should not be put on hiatus until Fallout 5 launches, and a remaster would be the best way to avoid that.