Fallout 5’s exact timeline placement has not been officially confirmed. Bethesda has confirmed that the game is in preproduction and that it will exist in a Fallout world where the television series’ stories and events “happened or are happening.” That does not confirm a year such as 2296, a post-Fallout Season 2 setting, or a return to New Vegas.
What Bethesda has confirmed
In a July 17, 2026 statement, Bethesda Game Studios said that Fallout 5 is “currently in preproduction.” The studio also said it is being developed on Creation Engine 3, alongside The Elder Scrolls VI. Bethesda identified The Elder Scrolls VI as its primary development focus, with most of the team working on that project. Bethesda’s statement did not assign Fallout 5 a year, region, release window, or position within the television show’s chronology.
Todd Howard gave the clearest available description of the game’s relationship with the series in a December 2025 BBC Newsbeat interview. He said Fallout 5 will exist “in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening.”
That confirms that Bethesda is taking the television series into account as part of the broader continuity. However, the wording deliberately leaves several possibilities open. The game could take place after events shown in the series, during an overlapping period, or at another point in the timeline where those events have already occurred in the background.
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- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
Is Fallout 5 set in 2296?
No. 2296 is confirmed for the television series, not for Fallout 5. Amazon’s official description places the series in Los Angeles in 2296. Bethesda has not said that the game shares that exact year.
The distinction matters because a confirmed date for one story does not automatically transfer to another. Howard’s statement says the show’s stories and events will matter to the world of Fallout 5; it does not say that the game begins in 2296 or immediately follows the series.
Claims that Fallout 5 is officially set in 2296 therefore go beyond the available announcement. The same applies to claims that the game is confirmed to begin after Season 2.
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- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
Where the known Fallout chronology currently stands
Bethesda’s official franchise timeline provides the following dates for the major games:
| Story | Confirmed setting |
|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | 2102 at launch |
| Fallout | 2161 |
| Fallout 2 | 2241 |
| Fallout 3 | 2277 |
| Fallout: New Vegas | 2281 |
| Fallout 4 | 2287 |
| Fallout television series | 2296, in Los Angeles |
These dates establish the existing chronology, but they do not fill in the blank for Fallout 5. Bethesda has not announced whether the next mainline game will be set before, during, or after the television series.
Sources: Bethesda’s official Fallout timeline and Amazon’s description of the television series.
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Has Fallout 5 been confirmed for New Vegas?
No. The Mojave setting remains unconfirmed. Fallout: New Vegas takes place in 2281, while the television series is set later and has used New Vegas-related material. Those facts have encouraged speculation about a future game returning to the Mojave, but they do not identify Fallout 5 as a New Vegas sequel.
Bethesda has confirmed an Obsidian collaboration on a separate new Fallout project. It has not identified that project as Fallout 5 or announced its setting. The existence of that collaboration is therefore not evidence that Bethesda’s next mainline game will be set in the Mojave.
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Bethesda has also not announced which ending of Fallout: New Vegas is canon. Without that information, a direct continuation of the game’s political conflict cannot be treated as confirmed.
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More broadly, Bethesda has not announced a specific state, city, or region for Fallout 5. Los Angeles, the Mojave, and every other proposed location should currently be described as speculation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Will Fallout 5 continue the TV show?
That has not been established either. Howard’s wording confirms a shared broader continuity, but it does not promise a direct continuation of the television plot.
Bethesda has not confirmed appearances by Lucy, the Ghoul, Maximus, or any other television character. It has also not said whether the game will use locations introduced by the show or address its unresolved storylines directly.
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The safest interpretation is that the show’s established events can influence the world, history, factions, or references encountered in Fallout 5. That is different from saying the game is a sequel to the show.
What about the release date?
There is no confirmed release date or release year. Bethesda’s current wording is “currently in preproduction,” not full production. The studio has also said that The Elder Scrolls VI is its primary development focus.
Todd Howard previously indicated that Fallout 5 would come after The Elder Scrolls VI, but Bethesda has not converted that development order into a launch schedule. Earlier comments should not be treated as a firm release window. Howard has also cautioned against assigning dates to the project.
Confirmed facts versus speculation
- Confirmed: Fallout 5 is in preproduction.
- Confirmed: It is being developed on Creation Engine 3.
- Confirmed: Bethesda is accounting for the television series in the game’s world.
- Confirmed: The television series is set in 2296.
- Not confirmed: Fallout 5 takes place in 2296.
- Not confirmed: The game begins after Season 2.
- Not confirmed: The game is set in Los Angeles, New Vegas, or the Mojave.
- Not confirmed: Any television character will appear.
- Not confirmed: A New Vegas ending is canon for the next game.
- Not confirmed: A release date or release year.
Current reporting likewise treats the year and location as unknown rather than announced. PC Gamer’s Fallout 5 guide tracks those details as speculation, while its report on Howard’s comments explains the limited scope of the television-series connection. Read the report on Howard’s wording.
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Fallout 5 has a confirmed place in Bethesda’s future plans, but not a confirmed place on the in-universe calendar. The game is in preproduction and will be designed with the television series’ continuity in mind. Nothing official currently places it in 2296, immediately after Season 2, in Los Angeles, or in New Vegas.
Until Bethesda announces a year and setting, the most accurate description is that Fallout 5 will exist in the same broader continuity as the show while its exact timeline placement remains unknown.
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