The Fallout franchise is filled to the brim with interesting lore, and as hope for the fifth mainline entry grows, many are eager to see what is hidden in the next wasteland. Fallout has balanced its harrowing nuclear disaster with a cheeky sense of humor, and that humor shines further through the various hidden items and Easter eggs found throughout the games.
Right now, Fallout 5 has yet to be officially announced by Bethesda, and unfortunately, it may be a while before that day actually comes. Multiplayer spin-off Fallout 76 has been holding down the fort for the time being, but the wait for Fallout 5 has left a lot of fans eagerly waiting for an update. There's no telling what Fallout 5 has in store for players, but when it comes to the franchise's mysterious Garden Gnomes, these objects could bring forth a wacky brand-new faction.
Fallout's Creepiest Faction Deserves a Threepeat Appearance
Factions come and go in Fallout, but there is one that has huge implications for universe that definitely deserves a larger role in the next game.
Fallout 5 Should Lift the Veil On What's Up With the Garden Gnomes
Every Fallout Game Featuring Garden Gnomes
- Fallout 3
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Far Harbor (Fallout 4 DLC)
- Fallout 76
Garden Gnomes can be collected and used for materials, but they also present a deeper strangeness to the already wild wasteland. These little guys can be found when one is least expecting them, and they're sometimes even posed in ways that promise something far more nefarious. For example, in Fallout 76, a skeleton can be found surrounded by a trio of gnomes and a discarded axe. It's unclear if the axe belonged to the now-decomposed person or if the Garden Gnomes succeeded in cold-blooded murder. There's an argument to be made that the Garden Gnomes may be best left as a mystery, but they could also open the door to some incredibly fun points of lore.
It's unclear if the axe belonged to the now-decomposed person or if the Garden Gnomes succeeded in cold-blooded murder.
A Garden Gnome Cult
Perhaps, the mystery of the Garden Gnomes has become so widespread in Fallout 5 that an entire cult has formed around them. This would keep the unknown nature of the Garden Gnomes intact while expanding on them in an outlandish way. Fallout 76 has the Cult of the Mothman, so a group that has grown to worship Garden Gnomes after the bombs fell isn't too far-fetched.
Because of the franchise's humor, a Garden Gnome cult would actually be right on brand for Fallout 5. However, there's also the chance that the next Fallout game could go even wilder with its use of the Garden Gnomes.
The next game on Bethesda's to-do list is The Elder Scrolls 6. The game was originally announced at E3 back in June 2018. So far, all Bethesda has yet to show of the game is its 30-second-long announcement trailer. At this pace, Fallout 5 may be a long way away.
Sentient Garden Gnomes
Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but once again, the Mothman is also part of the Fallout canon, so sentient Garden Gnomes would only be adding to an already crazy world. Over the years, Fallout has even confirmed aliens exist in the lore. Garden Gnomes that have been brought to life through some kind of wasteland black magic are a possibility. Aliens could also potentially play a role in the hypothetical living Garden Gnomes. Maybe the aliens have chosen the Garden Gnomes as a way to spy on the human race.
The Garden Gnome Mystery May Never Be Answered
Right now, the Garden Gnomes will remain an unanswered question that many players have. It's highly likely that Bethesda will never fully reveal the meaning behind these seemingly mischievous little statues, which lend the items to all kinds of theories. If Fallout 5 continues the tradition of hidden Garden Gnomes, players may never get to know if they are friend or foe.
Fallout 76
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 54 /100 Critics Rec: 9%
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley – a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type – The Lost.
