Fallout 5 has gotten the go ahead, according to recent rumors. Jez Cordon of Windows Central reports that Zenimax has approved the start of development for Fallout 5, potentially at the expense of Project Blackbird, an MMO project from the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online. Assuming these claims are accurate, the next few years should be rather interesting for Bethesda fans.
Of course, news of Fallout 5 kicking off development in earnest is exciting, since the franchise hasn't seen a proper, single-player entry in nearly a decade now, though this lapse in releases also makes Fallout 5 something of a given; everyone knew that Bethesda would be getting back to the Fallout franchise sooner or later. Even so, the timing of this alleged tip-off is curious, as it comes during a time of uncertainty at Bethesda Game Studios: Starfield, the supposed next great step from the developer, hasn't even been out for two years, and many have expected it to remain one of Bethesda's top priorities for many years to come. But this optimistic vision of Starfield's future is faltering, and Fallout 5 could deliver the finishing blow.
Starfield's 2025 Plans May Need to Maneuver Around Another Major Release
Starfield has yet to reveal its 2025 plans, and the sci-fi adventure will want to act fast to compete with a highly-anticipated game.
With Bethesda Moving On to Fallout 5, Will There Be Room for Starfield?
Starfield Support Has Slowed, and Fallout 5 Could Bring It to a Complete Halt
Bitter as it may be to admit, Starfield hasn't had the cultural or financial impact that Xbox and Bethesda hoped that it would. It has its fans, no doubt, but it's not the Game-Awards-sweeping, hotcake-selling phenomenon that many hoped it would be. It certainly doesn't touch the significance or acclaim of something like Skyrim or Fallout 3, though there is still some hope that Bethesda will right the ship via free content drops and ambitious DLC. However, such hope is dwindling rapidly, as Starfield isn't having a crazy comeback by any means.
The Shattered Space DLC was perhaps the first nail in the coffin for Starfield optimism. Early patches, specifically the REV-8, sparked a great deal of excitement within the game's fanbase, setting a high bar for the game's first premium expansion. Sadly, Starfield has ostensibly been on ice since: Bethesda has stated that it has big plans for Starfield in 2025, but that was several months ago, and the studio has made nary a peep about the game. With Shattered Space's negative reception, there's been some speculation that Bethesda will simply abandon Starfield's DLC prospects, as they may no longer be worth the investment, though no concrete conclusions can be drawn about such content at the moment.
The June 2025 Xbox Games Showcase would have been the most likely time for Bethesda to draw back the curtain on Starfield's future, but the game never made an appearance.
All of this is to say that the rumored development of Fallout 5 isn't occurring in a vacuum: it's arrived in the wake of a troubled Bethesda Game Studios launch. It's not just that Fallout 5 may divert resources from Starfield, but that it would make fiscal sense to do so.
Fallout is on fire at the moment, with Fallout 76 surviving against the odds and the Fallout TV show giving the IP more prestige than ever; Starfield is ice-cold, unlikely to ignite the passions of gamers at large any time soon. Fallout 5 is likely viewed as a surefire success by ZeniMax and Microsoft both, and after the cloud of pessimism that has followed Starfield, Bethesda developers may be ready to move on to something a bit more familiar, with better optics.
Starfield
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 101 GB (September 2023)
