Summary
WithStarfieldout the door, Bethesda can finally begin to refocus on the long-awaited nextElder Scrollsgame. However, whileThe Elder Scrolls 6is finally out of pre-production,Fallout 5is a long way off. Todd Howard previously mentioned that Bethesda had a one-pager outlining a rough idea for the game, but it will still be many years before pre-production even starts.
The Elder Scrolls6is expected to launch in 2026 or later, and the phrase “or later” might be doing a lot of heavy lifting. WhileStarfield’s development was unusually long, it usually takes Bethesda between five and seven years to develop a new game. Fans might not seeFallout 5until the mid-to-late 2030s.Fallout 4turns 10 in 2025, and 20+ years is an absurdly long amount of time between mainlineFalloutgames. Therefore, it might not be a bad idea if Bethesda wanted to let another studio take the reins temporarily.
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Fallout Needs More Spinoffs
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, many considerNew Vegasone of the bestFalloutgames, with some saying it is the high point of the series. While a common internet rumor describes bad blood between Obsidian and Bethesda, there is no real indication this is true. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Obsidian’s Chris Avellone and Josh Sawyer both talked positively about working with Bethesda. Meanwhile, in a 2021 Reddit AMA, Todd Howard spoke positively aboutNew Vegas, saying, “Great game, big fan of Obsidian and we have many friends there.”
In general, it shows that Bethesda has had a positive experience with outsourcing its big franchises to make spinoffs. Howard has also said it’s unlikely Bethesda ever lets an outside studio make a game likeNew Vegasagain, but that was years ago, and before Microsoft acquired Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media, so it’s not clear if that policy is still in effect.
This does not necessarily mean that Bethesda needs to bring Obsidian back to make a direct sequel toFallout: New Vegas. There is a lot more ofFallout’s America left to explore, and spinoffs seem like a great way to do that. Bethesda’sFalloutgames all take place on or near the East Coast, though there is some evidenceFallout 5might see a return to California. Either way, aFalloutspinoff in somewhere like Seattle, St. Louis, or New Orleans probably wouldn’t step on Bethesda’s narrative toes.
Obsidian is currently busy withAvowedandThe Outer Worlds 2, but that might not be a dealbreaker, depending on when those games come out. Bethesda also has other options, especially if it wants to keep things with the ZeniMax family. Machine Games, for example, has done well marrying character-focused storytelling with satisfying FPS gameplay in the newWolfensteingames. Other options might be id Software or itsRage 2co-developer Avalanche Studios, the latter of which has plenty of experience with open-world games.
These spinoffs could also be an opportunity to experiment a bit with the IP. For example, it might be interesting to see aWolfenstein-style shooter set in theFalloutworld. Alternatively, Arcane Studios could create aDishonored-inspired stealth gamein theFalloutsetting. Getting a bit more experimental, Bethesda could even give the franchise theHalo Warstreatment and partner with a studio like Relic Entertainment or Creative Assembly to make aFalloutRTS.
Of course, none of those ideas would be the same asFallout 5. Bethesda just needs to do something with the franchise between now and 2035. Contracting other studios to develop one or more spinoff games, whetherin the mold ofNew Vegasor something else entirely, would be an excellent way to keep the franchise alive during what’s likely to be a very long wait forFallout 5.
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