What You Need to Know

  • Fallout 5 is canonically connected to the Fallout TV series, taking place in a world where the show’s events are happening or have already occurred.
  • Bethesda is prioritizing The Elder Scrolls VI, meaning Fallout 5 is unlikely to release before the 2030s.
  • Early pre-production is underway, allowing development teams to overlap and transition smoothly between projects.
  • Fallout TV Season 2 expands the universe, potentially influencing the lore, locations, and themes of future games.

Bethesda’s Todd Howard has confirmed that Fallout 5 will directly acknowledge the events of the Fallout TV series, firmly establishing the show as canon within the franchise. Speaking in a BBC interview, Howard explained that the game is being designed in a timeline that accounts for the show’s story—either during or after its events—marking a more tightly integrated approach than previous cross-media Fallout projects.

However, players should expect a long wait. Fallout 5 remains in early pre-production, as Bethesda’s main focus is currently on The Elder Scrolls VI. Howard reiterated the studio’s long-term development strategy, which emphasizes extended pre-production phases to allow teams to overlap between projects. Based on this roadmap, Fallout 5 is widely expected to arrive sometime in the 2030s.

Todd Howard says 'Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening'
by u/cyanide4suicide in Fallout

The Fallout TV series is already shaping the franchise’s future. Season 2, now streaming on Prime Video, expands the wasteland’s lore with new conflicts, factions, and deeper Vault-Tec involvement—elements that could influence future games. While Bethesda has not confirmed specific locations, fans speculate that West Coast settings and long-term Ghoul narratives introduced in the show may carry over into Fallout 5.

Although concrete details remain scarce, the growing narrative overlap between the TV series and the games has energized the Fallout community. Subtle references in the show, including nods to familiar Fallout 4 locations, reinforce the sense of a shared universe. Bethesda has emphasized close collaboration with the show’s creators to ensure authenticity and consistency across both mediums.