Bethesda maps the next decade of Fallout — and puts Elder Scrolls VI first

Bethesda Game Studios has finally put its multi-year pipeline on paper. In a studio note published after Xbox’s sweeping “reset,” the team confirmed that Fallout 5 is in preproduction while The Elder Scrolls VI remains the primary development focus — with the majority of the studio already deep in that long-awaited sequel.

Both TES VI and Fallout 5 are being built on Creation Engine 3, a shared technology platform Bethesda has been developing since Starfield’s launch. The studio says CE3 brings new tools, rendering, and systems designed so multiple large RPGs can move forward on a common foundation instead of one-off tech stacks.

The wasteland pipeline between now and Fallout 5

Fallout is not waiting silently for a numbered sequel. Bethesda confirmed remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas — projects rumored for years and partially leaked in court docs back in 2023 — with no release windows yet. Obsidian Entertainment is officially back in the franchise on a new, still-unnamed Fallout project after reports that an Avowed sequel was shelved during Xbox cuts.

Fallout 76 gets Raven Rock in 2027, framed as a prequel story to Fallout 3. Fallout Shelter continues with new seasons, and Bethesda reiterated the unscripted Amazon Fallout Shelter series. There will be no Fallout Day broadcast this year; instead, the studio is planning a live 30th-anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. in 2027.

Elder Scrolls, Starfield, and a franchise-first Xbox

Skyrim has sold more than 65 million copies across 15 years; Fallout 4 has passed 35 million. Bethesda says it is “where we planned to be” on TES VI and playing it every day — while outside reports still put the sequel at least two years out. ZeniMax Online Studios will partner more closely on Elder Scrolls experiences alongside ESO updates. Starfield’s Year 3 continues with new stories and Starborn content aimed at 2027.

Read against Xbox’s blockbuster-franchise refocus, the note is less a teaser reel than a consolidation memo: fewer side bets, more Creation Engine 3 RPGs, and Fallout stretched across remasters, Obsidian, live service, TV, and a long-range Fallout 5.

Source: A note from Bethesda Game Studios.