Fallout 4 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the future Fallout 4 by Bethesda Softworks.

What is Fallout 4?
Fallout 4 will be a futuristic post-apocalyptic action-RPG set in an alternate universe based on 50s pulp sci-fi, as if the world had stopped in the optimistic 50s and found itself on a dystopian post-apocalyptic reality. It is a sequel to the games Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout 3.

Is it in production?
Fallout 4 is speculated to be the game Bethesda has had in pre-production since at least August 2010, now that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been announced and released.

But will there be one?
Yes, Bethesda definitely intends to make more than one Fallout. Bethesda's Pete Hines said: "The whole reason we went out and acquired the license and that we now own Fallout is that we clearly intended to make more than one." He also added: "This is not something we're going to do once and then go away and never do it again. When that will be or how long that will be God only knows, but we acquired it specifically because we wanted to own it and develop it and work on it like we do with The Elder Scrolls."

Will it be a MMORPG?
No, it will be a single-player game, like previous Fallouts. However, Interplay licensed the rights to a Fallout MMORPG from Bethesda in 2007 and is currently developing it under the codename Project V13. Bethesda recently moved to rescind the Fallout MMORPG license, claiming that Interplay is in breach of the licensing agreement. Interplay disputes these claims. As of January, 2012, Bethesda purchased the rights to Fallout from Interplay for 2 million. Interplay may continue selling their numbers in the series until 2013, and may continue production of Fallout Online, but under a different name. Bethesda may or may not produce an official Fallout Online.

For more details, see: Fallout Online FAQ.

Is it the same as Fallout: New Vegas?
No, Fallout: New Vegas is a separate project developed by Obsidian Entertainment. For more information, see: Fallout: New Vegas FAQ.

Who will be making and publishing Fallout 4?
Fallout 4 will be developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.

Did development begin right after Fallout 3?
Unknown, although Bethesda is more likely to have focused on making The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim after the release of Fallout 3. But another game has been confirmed to be in pre-production, so that may be Fallout 4, though it's not known exactly when work started on it.

What will Fallout 4 be rated?
Fallout 4 has not been announced yet, but the game will likely have an M rating, as with previous Fallout games. This is due to the general mature themes in the Fallout universe, as well as the gore that is so prevalent throughout Fallout.

When is it going to be released?
No development has been announced yet. However with Bethesda releasing Dishonored in October 2012, and The Elder Scrolls Online slated for a 2013 release, it may be as late as 2014.

Is it made by people who made previous Fallouts?
It will be developed by the same team who made Fallout 3, from Bethesda Game Studios. Interplay and Black Isle, the Fallout and Fallout 2 developers, were not involved in the making of Fallout 3 and they're not likely to be involved in the creation of Fallout 4 either, however, Obsidian Entertainment, who made New Vegas, is made up of former Black Isle members and could be again involved in it, though this is only speculation.

Who is developing Fallout 4?
The exact list of developers is unknown, although they'll likely be mostly the same as the Fallout 3 developers.