Fallout 5: What we know about Bethesda's next big RPG

The universe of Fallout She's back in the spotlight, and not just because of the TV series. In recent months, reports and statements indicating that Bethesda and Xbox have already launched Fallout 5 and that, in addition, they are preparing several parallel projects to fully exploit the popularity of the franchise.

Between leaks, reports, and official interviews, the emerging picture is one of a long-term strategy in which the next numbered installment in the saga and the remakes of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas They would play a key role. Although there are still no formal announcements or firm dates, the clues are solid enough to suggest that the wasteland will continue to be very present in the Xbox and PC catalog, including in Spain and the rest of Europe.

Fallout 5: internal green light and very long-term development

One of the most repeated points in recent reports is that Fallout 5 has reportedly already been approved internally by Bethesda Game Studios and Xbox. Journalist Jez Corden, from Windows Central, places the project within Microsoft Gaming's roadmap for 2026 and beyond, indicating that the company sees Fallout as one of its major strategic brands for the future.

That doesn't mean the game is coming soon. Todd Howard has insisted that the study remains primarily focused on The Elder Scrolls VIWhile Starfield continues to receive significant updates, the new mainline Fallout installment is reportedly in a very early stage, closer to planning and concept design than to full-scale production.

In an interview with Game InformerHoward made it clear that, despite this current priority for Elder Scrolls, Fallout remains the franchise they work on the most globally.He noted that there are several projects linked to the saga in the works that have not yet been announced, which fits with reports about remakes and enhanced versions of previous titles.

Howard himself acknowledged that at Bethesda they are aware that It's been over a decade since the release of Fallout 4 And that players are hoping for a new main installment to capitalize on the popularity of the TV series and the renewed interest in the brand. Even so, the message is one of patience: the studio wants to take its time.

Meanwhile, Xbox is reportedly trying to shorten these lengthy development times. Microsoft's recent moves to integrate more support teams under its umbrella suggest that The company does not want to repeat a ten-year gap between numbered issues.Therefore, collaboration between internal studios could be key to accelerating development without compromising the scale of the project.

Todd Howard's statements and Fallout's role at Bethesda

Todd Howard's recent appearances have multiplied following the success of the television series. In that context, The director of Bethesda has left several messages about the future of Fallout which help to understand how the studio views the franchise in the medium and long term.

In his statements, Howard emphasizes that Fallout is a top priority for Bethesda...even above other projects, although the bulk of the team is now focused on The Elder Scrolls VI. He insists that they have never stopped working on the IP: Fallout 76 has been receiving new content for years, and the series has served to strengthen links between the online game and the television universe, with characters and cross-references.

The head of the study also acknowledges that many fans feel somewhat disappointed at not having a new main title coinciding with the series' boom. Howard, however, argues that They prefer to take advantage of the moment calmly, continue expanding what already exists and arrive at the launch of Fallout 5 when it is truly ready to take a major leap within the franchise.

In one of his most talked-about interventions, the creative admitted that There is concrete progress in the new game of the sagaHowever, he avoided giving details about the setting, structure, or gameplay systems. The allusions to "other things with Fallout" that have not yet been made public fit with the roadmap of projects outlined by several industry analysts.

All of this is happening in a context where the brand's popularity has skyrocketed. In Europe and Spain, Players have returned en masse to Fallout 3, Fallout 4, New Vegas, and Fallout 76.This mirrors a trend seen in other markets: after each new season of the Prime Video series, user numbers and sales of classic games increase.

A gigantic experience: 200, 300 and even 600 hours of gameplay

In addition to Howard himself, another key voice at Bethesda, design director Emil Paliarulo, has focused on the potential scale of the next installment. In recent statements, the creative director commented that Their goal for Fallout 5 is to offer an experience that can last 200, 300, or even 600 hours., in line with the type of open worlds that the studio usually develops.

Creating such a long playtime for a single-player RPG, without relying on a service model or constant expansions, is a considerable challenge. It would require a huge amount of main and secondary content.as well as systems that encourage replaying, exploring, and experimenting with different character configurations and narrative choices.

Specialized sources have compared this idea to other titles that reach similar or higher figures in terms of hours needed to complete everything, although they belong to different genres. For example, they mention Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, which according to databases like HowLongToBeat It can easily exceed 600 hours to complete 100%.Parallelism serves more as a reference for magnitude than as a design model.

Bringing something like that to Fallout would predictably involve, create many quest lines, factions with deep arcs, and emergent systems that maintain interest without relying solely on repetition. Some of the experience gained with Fallout 76 and the latest Starfield patches could be used as a foundation to structure that ambition.

However, even within Bethesda they acknowledge that it will be a long time before we can see to what extent those aspirations translate into a real game. The full start of Fallout 5's development is contingent upon the progress of The Elder Scrolls VI, a title that does not yet have a specific release window and is also expected to be one of the big releases in the Xbox catalog.

Remakes of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas as a bridge to Fallout 5

While Fallout 5 is being developed in the shadows, various reports point to an intermediate strategy to keep the franchise active: in-depth remakes or remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New VegasAlthough Bethesda and Microsoft have not made any official announcements, the topic has been repeatedly discussed in recent months.

Jez Corden places these projects within Xbox Gaming's "secret plan" for the coming years, in parallel with the development of the fifth numbered installment. In the case of Fallout 3, There is talk of a technical update similar to that of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, with improved graphics, support for modern hardware and possible quality of life adjustments, but keeping the structure of the original game intact.

Regarding Fallout: New Vegas, rumors indicate that The intention would be to go beyond a simple faceliftGiven the cult status this title has among Western RPG fans, leaks suggest a project closer to a remake than a light remaster, with particular attention to stability, the IA and the visual aspect.

The current context facilitates this possibility: Microsoft owns both Bethesda and Obsidian, the studio responsible for New Vegas, and Relations between the two teams are described as very good.The recent addition of key figures from the Fallout saga to Obsidian projects further fuels the feeling that a return to the Mojave is only a matter of time.

For European and Spanish gamers, this wave of remakes would have an obvious impact: the arrival of modernized versions on current consoles and PCWith translations and dubbing already established, it would open the door for a new generation of users to approach these installments for the first time, while veterans rediscover them with a different look.

The impact of the television series and the current status of the saga

The resurgence of interest in Fallout cannot be understood without the success of the television adaptation. The Prime Video series has managed to... Millions of viewers will be introduced to the post-apocalyptic universe for the first time. and that players who have been away from the franchise for years return to their favorite installments.

Since its launch, gaming platforms and services such as Game Pass They have registered significant increases in the number of users of Fallout 3, Fallout 4, New Vegas, and Fallout 76. This effect has also been noticeable in markets such as Spain, where The classic titles in the saga have climbed positions in digital sales charts and in rankings of most played games.

Bethesda has tried to capitalize on this momentum with various actions. Fallout 4 received an anniversary edition With improvements for current platforms, Fallout 76 continues to expand with regular updates, incorporating elements inspired by the series and adjusting its offering. multiplayer to make it more accessible to new users.

The company has reiterated on more than one occasion that it "has not stopped working on Fallout." On Fallout Day, celebrated in October 2025, The study indicated that there were more unannounced projects underway. and that they hoped to share them when they were further along. These words align with what has been leaking since then.

All of this creates a scenario in which the franchise remains present in the market through updates, remasters, and re-releases, while The big news, Fallout 5, is slowly cooking up a storm.For players, especially in Europe, this translates into an ever-expanding catalog of options to explore the wasteland while waiting for the next big installment.

Based on the information available so far, the general feeling is that Fallout is preparing for a period of significant expansion.A new mainline game has already been internally approved, remakes of key chapters like Fallout 3 and New Vegas are on the horizon, and a television series keeps the brand at the forefront of popular culture. It remains to be seen how all these pieces will fit into the timeline and how long it will take for them to become official announcements, but the message coming from Bethesda and Xbox is clear: the future of the wasteland is here to stay.