Exploring the Future of Fallout 5: Fan Theories and Developer Insights
By Published May 10, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.
Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
joins among Bethesda titles that are taking an age to be released. With Bethesda head Todd Howard recently admitting that The Elder Scrolls VI was announced too soon, we can safely assume that the same sentiment can be applied for Fallout 5. However, with it having been over a decade since the last mainline Fallout entry, , was released, it is no wonder that fans are losing patience.
Although Fallout 5 has not received an official confirmation, it was back in November 2026 that Fallout 5 would be the likely project to follow the launch of The Elder Scrolls VI. Reports claim that Fallout 5 was "" in 2026, with development expected to enter fever pitch following the launch of the next Elder Scrolls title. However, with The Elder Scrolls VI seemingly being nowhere near launch ready, we can only imagine how long we will be waiting for Fallout 5.
Although a launch date is a distant dream, a long time between announcement and release has led to one thing: speculation. As such, fans of the Fallout franchise have been discussing where the next mainline installment will take us. So far, Fallout franchise has taken us all across a post-apocalyptic United States, ranging from California to Nevada, West Virginia to Washington D.C., and everywhere in between.
It was in an interview with the that Howard gave us an idea about the potential setting for Fallout 5. "In short, yes. Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening. We are taking that into account," he said. Although this does not confirm a state, it does shed some light on a potential location, and one user over on thinks they may have the answer.
"My theory on Fallout 5," they shared earlier this year. "So Todd said that Fallout 5 will “be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening." Now, Season 3, will likely take place at least in part in Colorado (or so it seems). And what does Colorado have? The Cheyanne Mountain Facility, and (presumably) the Enclave complex. So this makes me think that Fallout 5 will take place in Colorado. What evidence do I have? Almost none. But will I believe it until proven otherwise? Yes."
As the user mentions, this claim is based on zero evidence, but hey, speculation is all we have right now, and they have shown us some examples of why Colorado would make for an excellent location for the next Fallout title. As you can expect, the comments were soon filled with fellow fans sharing their own takes.
"I have to disagree," one user said in response. "It's pretty clear season 3 of the show will at least, in part, take place in Colorado to some degree. The problem is, Season 3 of the show comes in a year or so. Fallout 5, on the other hand, won't be here until 2032 or something. Fallout 5 simply can't be a direct sequel to the show because the timelines won't match up. My guess is, Fallout 5 will be set in an area affected by the show, but not directly depicted in the show. Something like Northern California, Seattle, or Salt Lake."
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However, another user had a completely different take altogether, adding, "In Fallout 3, there were numerous references to the Commonwealth, even having a whole mission around it. In Fallout 4, you have several major references to San Francisco, so I think that'd be our next location. Just my theory though."
Put simply, we have no idea where Fallout 5 will take us, and even less of an idea when we can expect to see it launch. For now, all we can do is wait and continue to speculate.
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