Bethesda confirms Fallout 5, Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters, and new Obsidian Fallout game

[Daniel Sims]

The takeaway: Unveiling a long-term roadmap is often seen as a damage-control strategy when a game or franchise is underperforming commercially. Many would likely describe the Fallout franchise's current position as healthy, with Fallout 76 continuing to receive frequent content updates and the TV series recently earning several Emmy nominations. However, announcing four new games with no confirmed release dates just weeks after significant layoffs could be viewed as a proof-of-life roadmap for the series.

Bethesda has confirmed that Fallout 5, remastered versions of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, and a new Fallout title from Obsidian Entertainment are in various stages of development. Further details remain scarce, and at least some of these projects are likely years away, but Microsoft and Bethesda are aiming to reassure fans that more Fallout content is on the way despite thousands of job losses across the Xbox division.

The remasters have been rumored for some time and are expected to follow a similar approach to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which enhanced the 2006 classic with Unreal Engine 5-powered visuals. Meanwhile, rumors about Obsidian's new Fallout project emerged earlier this month.

– Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) July 17, 2026

Chris Avellone, director of 2010's Fallout: New Vegas, which remains a fan favorite, is expected to helm the new project. In recent interviews with Bloomberg and Windows Central, Bethesda head Todd Howard said that his studio and Obsidian are collaborating on the game. The involvement of Fallout creator Tim Cain, who recently joined Obsidian, remains uncertain.

Howard also confirmed that Fallout 5 is in pre-production, but Bethesda is currently focused on The Elder Scrolls VI. The next Elder Scrolls entry is arguably the most anticipated game from any Microsoft-owned studio. The sequel to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – one of the best-selling role-playing games of all time – was announced eight years ago and likely remains several years away.

Although it has not reached the popularity of Fallout or Elder Scrolls, Starfield will continue receiving new content this year. Bethesda also hinted at plans for the Fallout franchise's 30th anniversary, which the company will celebrate in Washington, D.C., next year.

The announcements are among the first signs of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's plan to refocus Microsoft's gaming division around major franchises, including Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. Fans expressed concerns about the development of ongoing and future projects from Bethesda, Obsidian, and other Microsoft-owned studios after Sharma announced that the Redmond firm would eliminate 3,200 jobs this year.

While acknowledging the difficulties of losing employees, Howard noted that Bethesda has recovered from similar situations in the past. However, an anonymous developer involved with id Software's Doom franchise, another series Sharma aims to promote, warned that the significant loss of talent could hurt future projects.

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Bethesda confirms Fallout 5, Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters, and new Obsidian Fallout game

 

[NumberNine]

I guess it's time to dust off gamebryo once more and raise her tattered sails to the winds of profit.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I was disappointed with the oblivion remaster - it got one patch and then was abandoned… long load times and bugs dating back to the original are unacceptable…

I’ll probably get ES6, even though I’m about 98% sure I’ll be disappointed as well… but… that 2% allows me to hope!

 

[Anton Longshot]

Feels a bit panicky the re-digesting of old succesful material...
I loved F3 and Vegas and hope the remakes can get a grip on me too.
Not sure it'll work for me - I didn't really mind the built-in graphic3 and game issues as they've been a kind of tradition ever since Daggerfall and I've always suspected bits of the old/recycled code was responsible.

Oblivion while pretty lost me whenI I realized enemies leveled up with me so leveling up was actually pointless - not interested in going back there. Starfield couldn't touch me either.

I didn't like F4 - it just didn't work for me - the thing always felt as if it was meant to lure in players instead of just being fun. Made me feel used.
Perhaps F5 will be nice. I'll keep my ES6 expectations open too.

 

[arrowflash]

If these remasters are running on UE5 like TES4, I wouldn't even bother pirating them.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Waiting for TES6, even if its reaching greatness is increasingly non-probable.

 

[yRaz]

I guess it's time to dust off gamebryo once more and raise her tattered sails to the winds of profit.

Bethesda stories are usually B-tier, its the jank of the engine that I think most of the fun comes from. I see them as more of a sandbox than RPGs and that's my favorite part. If you want hard-core gameplay games like elden ring exist, if you want series RPG mechanics then Baldurs Gate 3 exists. You want a mix of the 2, the Witcher exists. If you want some just silly fantasy or sci-fi fun, Bethesda games exist. Heck, the only fun I got from starfield came from the bugs.

 

[LordVile95]

If these remasters are running on UE5 like TES4, I wouldn't even bother pirating them.

How about you pirate nothing and be a decent human being?

 

[arrowflash]

How about you pirate nothing and be a decent human being?

If pirating nothing is all it takes to you, guess I am a decent human being these days then.

Thanks the industry for all the slop not even worth pirating keeping me from temptation haha

 

[Antias]

Elder Scrolls Online is my most played game, followed by HEAVILY modded Fallout 4 and Skyrim...
If they remastered Fallout 3 and NV to include similar base building mechanics as F4 then I'd get them...

 

[yRaz]

Elder Scrolls Online is my most played game, followed by HEAVILY modded Fallout 4 and Skyrim...
If they remastered Fallout 3 and NV to include similar base building mechanics as F4 then I'd get them...

I love ESO PVP and there is also so much single player content it is absurd. PVM gameplay is fun but not the greatest. I think the ESO strong point is that there are actually lots of good quests. I wouldn't say it the best at anything, but it does so many things really well that I always come back to it. I have over 3700 hours in ESO. My second most played game is EvE. I've been playing it longer and I have 2300 hours in it, but EvE scratches a different itch

 

[RudyBob]

New Vegas was the only one I played. It was good and fun until it got complicated

 

[maxxcool7421]

EXECS :: LETS HAVE AI REDO ALL THE ASSETS!!!! UP THE RESOLUTION AND SELL IT FOR 80$!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VariableSpike]

Seems like the new Xbox boss stopped buying Todd's excuses when she asked wtf was going on with Fallout since the show is going great but on the game side there is nothing to show for it

 

[DrSuess]

Looking forward to the New Vegas remaster, so far its the Fallout game I have liked the most.

 

[puckle]

How about you pirate nothing and be a decent human being?

How about devs stop releasing buggy games that are never patched and be decent human beings?

 

[LordVile95]

How about devs stop releasing buggy games that are never patched and be decent human beings?

Making a bad product isn’t an inherently bad thing. You also don’t have to play it. It’s not like it’s a utility company who’s “buggy” system causes blackouts and lead poisoning is it?

 

[Megalomaniac]

Fallout 5. That's all I needed to hear.

 

[GeoffreyA]

How about you pirate nothing and be a decent human being?

Not defending or promoting piracy, but people pirate for various reasons. In some countries, the latest game can cost a big chunk of one's salary; see Cuba. If we look at comments on a famous repacker's site, one often finds the sentiment that the game was excellent and will be bought (see Expedition 33), or wouldn't be able to play otherwise. Some buy it on Steam but play the cracked version for ease of use. Some test the pirated version, then buy. The repacker said of a leaked game that buyers should get to play it first and did not release it early. I believe piracy helps getting round censorship in some regions too. Yes, humans want things for free and will make excuses, but the picture is nuanced. Also, philosophically, and once again, not promoting piracy, the industry has made an association that piracy == stealing. "You wouldn't steal a car," said DVDs. Yet, stealing robs the owner of the artefact. Piracy is use without paying. Or cloning of the artefact.

Nor does pirating stop sales. See Expedition 33, pirated from day one. The opposite, in the case of Denuvo, does hurt sales.

I think that, following the library model, there should be a game-lending system. Games are cultural artefacts just like books and films, and those who can't afford to buy them should still have access—in the same way one borrows a book or film from a library. There is no fundamental difference.

 

[LordVile95]

Not defending or promoting piracy, but people pirate for various reasons. In some countries, the latest game can cost a big chunk of one's salary; see Cuba. If we look at comments on a famous repacker's site, one often finds the sentiment that the game was excellent and will be bought (see Expedition 33), or wouldn't be able to play otherwise. Some buy it on Steam but play the cracked version for ease of use. Some test the pirated version, then buy. The repacker said of a leaked game that buyers should get to play it first and did not release it early. I believe piracy helps getting round censorship in some regions too. Yes, humans want things for free and will make excuses, but the picture is nuanced. Also, philosophically, and once again, not promoting piracy, the industry has made an association that piracy == stealing. "You wouldn't steal a car," said DVDs. Yet, stealing robs the owner of the artefact. Piracy is use without paying. Or cloning of the artefact.

I think that, following the library model, there should be a game-lending system. Games are cultural artefacts just like books and films, and those who can't afford to buy them should still have access—in the same way one borrows a book or film from a library. There is no fundamental difference.

If you can’t afford something that isn’t a justification for stealing it. It’s not exactly food you’d die without is it? That’s like saying I can joyride a Ferrari because I want one but can’t afford it.

You can literally buy a game, try it and then refund it if you don’t like it.

 

[GeoffreyA]

If you can’t afford something that isn’t a justification for stealing it. It’s not exactly food you’d die without is it? That’s like saying I can joyride a Ferrari because I want one but can’t afford it.

You can literally buy a game, try it and then refund it if you don’t like it.

It's not a justification, nor am I trying to justify it. Rather, there is more to this picture than black and white.

What do you think of a library-like system for the public? In the manner of books and films.

 

[Anton Longshot]

Back when I was dirt poor I used to pirate games occasionally (I don't really have time to be a full-fledged 'gamer').
As others have said up there it's a victimless crime and furthermore people who play without paying often become virtual promoters of these games.

These days when I purchase a game more often than not I get the pirated version TOO. Those come without all the annoying copy protection fluff which sometimes even includes bldy rootkits. Copy protection's customer-hostile and whether the fear of losing money's real is open for debate: GOG seems to do pretty well.
Side note: it's kind of ironic to see game studios fall victim to FOMO as they often PR FOMO to sell more.

 

[Anton Longshot]

It's not a justification, nor am I trying to justify it. Rather, there is more to this picture than black and white.

What do you think of a library-like system for the public? In the manner of books and films.

You said "Black & White". Man I really hated that game.
OK on to the non-joking comment: back in the day libraries in NL had a bunch of GAME CD-ROMs too besides just books & movies. While I don't have a subscription these days as I have a huge collection of paper and ebooks Amsterdam's central library's nearby and next weekI'll go see if they still lend games. Curious about that.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

It's not a justification, nor am I trying to justify it. Rather, there is more to this picture than black and white.

What do you think of a library-like system for the public? In the manner of books and films.

You realize people pay for libraries right?

It’s one of the better uses of taxation but it’s basically a charity for people that can’t afford books. Paying for someone else’s books has a societal benefit, less so with games, and even less so with Ferarris (earlier comment reference).

 

[GeoffreyA]

You said "Black & White". Man I really hated that game.
OK on to the non-joking comment: back in the day libraries in NL had a bunch of GAME CD-ROMs too besides just books & movies. While I don't have a subscription these days as I have a huge collection of paper and ebooks Amsterdam's central library's nearby and next weekI'll go see if they still lend games. Curious about that.

Well, thank goodness time has buried that game!

In my country, too, there was the odd CD-ROM back in the day. But 99% were audio CDs, VHS, and later DVDs. I used to work at a library and quite a lot of DVDs would be borrowed daily.

Regarding games, I picture a system where the library buys X digital "copies," and through a custom platform installed on the patron's computer, the game is loaned for, say, a month. That "copy" is treated physically, in that others can't borrow it. Come to think of it, piracy is a bit like the library model except that the games aren't "returned."