Fallout 5's most optimistic release window roasted, brace yourselves for a wait

Fallout 5 is a game many of us yearn to play.

And it’s incredibly likely that we’ll do just that one day; it won’t be anytime soon though.

Fallout 5 hasn’t formally been revealed, but it’s something Bethesda’s Todd Howard has made reference to on several occasions.

The problem is this: it’s not the studio’s top priority right now.

It is, more likely, second in line and while that doesn’t sound too bad on paper, you have to take into account the fact that Bethesda is a developer that likes to take its sweet time.

If we’re to focus on single-player titles (rereleases not included), eight years split Fallout 4 and Bethesda’s next big release, Starfield.

If we bring Fallout 76 into the mix, there was a three year split between that and Fallout 4, and a five year split between that and Starfield.

Going off these timelines, The Elder Scrolls VI, Bethesda’s next game, could launch anywhere between 2026 and 2031.

When you consider that Fallout 5 isn’t set to enter full production until that’s happened, well, you’ll soon realise that we’re going to be waiting a LONG time for the mid 2030s.

That’s something fans are trying to come to terms with online.

“I just want Fallout 5,” wrote Reddit user xtrashcancarlax86. “I’m tired of waiting and I really just want Fallout 5 to be announced. I know it probably won’t be anytime soon but a girl can hope, right?”

“I don’t expect Fallout 5 until 2030,” replied Abril92, and even that seems optimistic.

“It’s probably closer to 2035. Elder Scrolls 6 needs to be released first and Bethesda isn’t done with Starfield,” added a more realistic samusfan21.

It’s true that Howard did originally tease two expansions for Starfield, and we’ve only had one so far.

There is some hope within all of this.

Howard previously said that Bethesda was looking into how it could accelerate its Fallout plans, given the appetite for a new mainline title.

While the studio has traditionally been known for focusing on one major project at a time, it could potentially transition into a two-game studio, much like we’ve seen with Naughty Dog which has both Intergalactic and a second title in the final stages of development.

Bethesda also has the option of outsourcing the franchise, which could yield positive results, like we saw with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

Even still, such plans - if used - might only shave a few years off the wait for Fallout 5.

It’s still, most likely, many years away.