Todd Howard isn't in a rush to make new Fallout game
2024 has marked something of a resurgence in the popularity of Fallout. The release of Amazon Prime Video's TV adaption has drawn new eyes to the franchise and many fans are revisiting its beloved games.
Naturally, demand for a new Fallout game has dramatically increased. Fans are now pointing out that it has been almost a decade since the last mainline single-player entry in the series was released, and the prolonged wait for The Elder Scrolls VI suggests the next Fallout is still a long, long way off.
While reports hint that Microsoft want to release Fallout 5 sooner than later, Bethesda Game Studios' executive producer Todd Howard said in a recent interview that he is in no rush to get the game out.
Speaking to YouTuber MrMattyPlays, Howard acknowledged that "People are hungry for even more" and explained that "[Bethesda] has never stopped doing Fallout work."
Dogmeat and the player character in Fallout 4.
He continued: "For other Fallout games in the future, obviously I can’t talk about those right now. But I would say rushing through them or [that] we need to get stuff out that is different than the work we’re doing in [Fallout 76], you know, we don’t feel like we need to rush any of that.
Right now, the Fallout TV show fills a certain niche in terms of the franchise and storytelling. I totally get the desire for a new mainline single-player game and, look, those things take time.
I don’t think it’s bad for people to miss things as well, so we just want to get it right and make sure that everything we’re doing in a franchise, whether it’s Elder Scrolls or Fallout or now Starfield, that those become meaningful moments for everybody who loves these franchises as much as we do.”
While Howard's commitment to Fallout is clear, his comments are likely to frustrate the series' loyal fanbase. Since the announcement of The Elder Scrolls VI in 2018, Bethesda has revealed nothing about the game and Howard remains tight-lipped about its release. The company has said even less about the next Fallout - and clearly isn't in any kind of hurry to capitalise on its renewed popularity.
By the time a new Fallout sees the light of day - which could be 2030 or beyond - fans will be chomping at the bit for it. And the lack of clear communications from Bethesda about its future games only fuel speculation, irritation, and ever-increasing expectations.