Bethesda: What's next for "Fallout", "The Elder Scrolls" and "Starfield"?

The "Fallout" series is a complete success. According to Amazon Prime, the TV adaptation of Bethesda's popular game series has already reached an audience of over 65 million. This makes "Fallout" the second most successful series on the streaming platform around three weeks after its launch (after "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power"). So it's no news that "Fallout" has already been renewed for a second season.

After watching the first season, many viewers feel like playing a "Fallout" game. Or a general desire to immerse themselves in another Bethesda role-playing game world. It will still be a while before new games from Bethesda are released. Below you can find out what the future holds for the three major Bethesda franchises "Fallout", "The Elder Scrolls" and "Starfield".

What's next for "Fallout"?

You'll have to wait a while longer for a new "Fallout" game. The next mainline game, "Fallout 5", is not planned until after the release of "The Elder Scrolls VI" (see below), with an approximate launch period of 2027 to 2030. Virtually nothing is known about the content of the game. What is clear, however, is that "Fallout 5" will once again be set in the USA, according to Game Director Todd Howard. In an interview, he explains: "In my opinion, this 'Americana naivety' is what gives 'Fallout' its atmosphere. We recognise that there are post-apocalyptic areas outside of the USA, but we mainly want to stay in the States."

The long wait for the next mainline "Fallout" does not mean that there will be no new "Fallout" content in between, however. A next-gen update followed last week for "Fallout 4", which was released in 2015 and brings a number of major changes for console players in particular. The game now runs natively on PS5 and Xbox series consoles in 4K with up to 60 FPS. In addition, the game is now officially verified for the Steam Deck. For PC users, however, the update also brings with it a number of bugs and destroys compatibility with many mods. You should not expect any major content updates after the next-gen update.

You can expect a lot of content updates in the online game "Fallout 76". The multiplayer "Fallout" is one of the big winners of the TV show hype. The game is experiencing a second spring thanks to the series. According to Bethesda, more than one million players played the game in one day.

For the launch of the TV series, there were smaller cosmetic items in the game. The next major update is due in June: "Skyline Valley". The DLC promises a completely new map in the south of the post-apocalyptic Appalachian region - including new mainline quests. According to Game Director Todd Howard, fans can also expect many content updates in the future. The development studio has set up an entire team dedicated solely to new content for "Fallout 76".

In a detailed conversation with Kinda Funny, Howard reveals that Bethesda has a total of five separate internal teams working on different projects. They are also currently collaborating with external studios on projects.

New, as yet unannounced "Fallout" projects are also in the pipeline: "We are working on several projects. I can't reveal what they are right now". Howard continues: "We're trying to harmonise 'Fallout' content: What are we doing with '76', what are we doing with mobile games? What are we doing with this project? How are we doing with this other project? If I could, I would love to unveil and release everything at the same time. But we're taking our time. It's important to us that the quality is right".

What Howard could mean by "this project" is revealed by leaks from last year's court case between the US Commerce Department and Microsoft. According to the leaks, a remaster of "Fallout 3" will be released in 2024. The game dates back to the early PS3 and Xbox 360 era and has not aged well graphically - so a remaster would make perfect sense.

In addition to a new edition of "Fallout 3", fans also want a remake of "Fallout New Vegas". The game was developed by Obsidian and not Bethesda. It is considered by many fans to be the best "Fallout". Unfortunately, the game is not mentioned in the leaks from last year. Nevertheless, fans of Obsidian's "Bethesda-like" games can make a note of the fantasy RPG "Avowed" for next winter and "The Outer Worlds 2" for next year.

Also not directly from Bethesda is the mega mod "Fallout London". The fan-developed game is based on "Fallout 4" and is set in the British capital. It is said to offer a map that is roughly the same size as that of "Fallout 4". The game was originally due to be released in April. Due to the next-gen update and the associated compatibility issues, the fan expansion has been postponed indefinitely https://www.ign.com/articles/fallout-4-next-gen-update-left-fallout-london-dev-feeling-blindsided.

What's next for "The Elder Scrolls"?

"The Elder Scrolls VI" is Bethesda's current major project. According to estimates, the game will not be released before 2026. The game was announced with a teaser trailer at E3 2018.

Last year Bethesda announced that the game was officially no longer in the pre-production phase, but in regular development. In a post on X in March of this year, the development studio gave a brief insight into the current status of the game: "The next chapter of 'The Elder Scrolls' is in development. Already, we feel the same joy, excitement and sense of adventure playing early builds in Tamriel as we did before."

Mobile gamers can look forward to the launch of "The Elder Scrolls: Castles". The building game is reminiscent of Bethesda's other mobile hit "Fallout Shelter" - no wonder, it was developed by the same internal team. In addition to building your castle, you are also involved in turn-based battles. Every real-life day that passes corresponds to a virtual year in the game. You see how citizens are born and die, how new rulers come to power and step down again. The game is due to be released worldwide in the coming months. You can pre-register on the official website.

The MMORPG "The Elder Scrolls Online" will soon have a major new expansion. The DLC "Gold Road" will be released on 3 June for PC and on 18 June for consoles. It includes a new game area, new story content and new gameplay mechanics.

What's next for "Starfield"?

There won't be a new game for "Starfield" in the foreseeable future - perhaps sometime after the launch of "Fallout 5" in the 2030s. Nevertheless, space travellers can look forward to new content in the "Starfield" universe. This year, Bethesda is releasing two massive updates for the game.

In the "May Update", there are numerous new quality-of-life functions designed to make the game more accessible. There are now detailed maps for cities and planets, which will help you get lost less often. For the ship builder, options for setting up interior decorations have been added. Numerous setting options should provide much more flexibility in the game's difficulty level. What will please many: The weight restrictions for carrying items can be greatly reduced. There are also new performance options for Xbox players - "Starfield" now also runs at 40 or 60 FPS on the Series X.

The update is already available via Steam beta access. The launch for other platforms will follow in the coming weeks.

After this update, the big "Shattered Space" story expansion with new main quests will follow at the end of the year. It is not yet clear where the update will take you. The possibility that the expansion will revolve around the House Va'ruun is hotly debated in the "Starfield" community. It has already been teased that you will be able to speed across the planetary landscapes in motorised vehicles.

According to Howard, "Starfield" fans can expect a lot more content from Bethesda after "Shattered Space". The launch of the "Starfield Creation Kit", which allows the game to be easily modded, is also planned. Mod support for consoles is also planned. It is not yet known when the tool will be released.

Best Bethesda Games

Which of the three big Bethesda game series is your favourite?

• Fallout
  28%
• The Elder Scrolls
  62%
• Starfield
  11%

The competition has ended.