The recent success of the Fallout television series on Amazon Prime Video has sparked a significant revival of interest in the franchise’s video games. Both Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 have surged in popularity on Steam, with Bethesda reporting that nearly five million players engaged with Fallout titles in just one day last week.
In an exclusive interview with Kinda Funny Games, Bethesda’s studio director, Todd Howard, discussed the implications of the show’s success while alluding to the potential future of the franchise. “We examine our direction with the Fallout franchise, and while I can’t disclose specific details now, we have a vision for its continuation,” Howard remarked. He also hinted at ongoing developments involving the franchise, mentioning mobile initiatives and new content for Fallout 76, as well as at least two unannounced projects.
Details about the nature of these new titles remain scarce, and the timeline for their release is unclear. Currently, a team at Bethesda is focused on the development of The Elder Scrolls 6 and planning new content for Starfield, which is set to launch later this year. Although full-scale development on Fallout 5 is unlikely at this time, there is speculation that smaller projects or spin-offs, reminiscent of Fallout: New Vegas, might be on the horizon.
One of those potential projects could be a remaster of Fallout 3. According to documents leaked during Microsoft’s legal proceedings with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission last year, Bethesda is reportedly working on remasters for both Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, with the Fallout 3 remaster tentatively scheduled for release in fiscal year 2024.
Additionally, Bethesda is enhancing Fallout 76 with new content as the game witnesses an influx of new and returning players, following the release of the Fallout series on Prime Video. The company announced last week that Fallout 76 attracted over one million players in one day after the show’s debut.
In related news, Bethesda rolled out a next-gen update for Fallout 4 last week, which optimizes the game for PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles, while also making updates available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One users at no additional cost.
The Fallout TV series debuted on Prime Video on April 10, making the entire first season accessible for streaming at launch. Early reports indicate that the show garnered approximately 65 million viewers within the first 16 days. Amazon claims that Fallout has quickly climbed the ranks to become the second most-watched title on its platform, only trailing behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which premiered in 2022.
