The Fallout games aren't exactly on a hiatus, as Fallout 76 has seen regular updates since it launched, but with Bethesda working on The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield, it's likely going to be years before fans see Fallout 5 grace consoles. Of course, there's also the possibility that Microsoft, which now owns Bethesda, will entrust the franchise to another developer. Regardless, fans' minds are running wild with where Fallout 5 could end up being set. While there are endless possibilities, there are some clear regions of the United States that the seriesshould explore.
The Fallout games have featured a pretty broad range of locations in the franchise's decades-long run, though they've been mostly focused on the East Coast of the US since Bethesda took the reins with Fallout 3. Fallout: New Vegas is remembered fondly by swathes of the fan base thanks to its setting, which boasted the sprawling deserts of Nevada as its primary locale, with New Vegas itself being a shining gem of a city in the desert's heart. For Fallout 5, it would make the most sense to try and find a middle-ground between the two archetypes.
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It's been decades since fans last visited San Francisco in a Fallout game, with the city last being featured in Fallout 2. But San Francisco and its outlying areas are a no-brainer for a new entry thanks to the lore that has already been established there, which paints it as a sort of hub for post-apocalyptic technology.
Interestingly, San Francisco isn't an entirely unrealistic option, either. In NoClip's documentary "The History of Bethesda," it was revealed that Bethesda had asked Obsidian to remove a line from Fallout: New Vegas stating that the city was destroyed following the events of Fallout 2, the goal being to save San Francisco a potential location for a future Fallout title. Plus, there are other landmarks in the area that could make for interesting set pieces, like the redwood forests a few hours to the north.
It's impossible to deny the appeal of a city like Miami for a Fallout game, and there are already fan projects in the works looking to bring Fallout Miami to life. But it's easy to see how such a project would benefit from the resources that Bethesda would have versus a small mod team, especially now that Bethesda has Microsoft's resources behind it to make new games.
Miami is far removed from what the franchise has done in the past, or at least has the potential to be. The idea of a Fallout game that runs with Miami Vice inspirations rather than the Cold War culture and music that's featured in the other games is interesting enough on its own, but there's also the opportunity for a bevy of new types of mutants thanks to the broad spectrum of animals that live in the area.
The Pacific Northwest deserves a modern place in the Fallout franchise just as much as any other region does, as it boasts a strong mix of urban and wild environments. Nailing that mix is essential in a Fallout game, as open areas are great for encounters and exploration while city environments help pull players into the world with recognizable landmarks. That need for landmarks makes Portland a perfect candidate to serve as a Fallout game's city, as it offers a number of unique locales that would serve as great in-game destinations.
Plus, Portland is well known as a "weird" city. That sort of weird vibe could make for some unique encounters if Bethesda were to capture it correctly, giving it the sort of flair that the other games in the franchise have managed to capture themselves – a key element to each entry's success. And with how little they've been mentioned in the games, Portland and the Pacific Northwest have plenty of room for new and interesting lore.
While fans have gotten to explore swamps in the Fallout franchise before, the biome hasn't gotten the respect it deserves. There's no clearer evidence that swamps are great for a post-apocalyptic war setting than Fallout 3: Point Lookout, which took players to a swampy coastal region of Maryland. The region was, technically, untouched by the nuclear bombs, but collapsed alongside the rest of the world. But, while swamps are a great idea, Fallout should set its sights on Louisiana this time around.
The obvious choice of city would be New Orleans, which could easily take into account the city's history with Jazz to influence the game. Most entries in the Fallout franchise can be applauded for how they take a region's notable elements into account for the world design, and seeing that influence pay off for a Jazz-inspired Fallout game could be incredible.
The quintessential setting for any disaster movie or alien invasion, it's a bit surprising that New York has had such a small presence in the Fallout franchise. The Big Apple is rich with history, ripe with landmarks, and brimming with the potential to be featured in a Fallout game, perhaps more than anywhere else in the United States. Its sprawling streets and towering buildings could introduce a profound level of verticality, something that the Fallout games have been lacking in.
Some might think that the city is a little too on-the-nose, as it's been featured in plenty of other games before, but considering how Fallout's world is designed, it would present plenty of opportunities for a unique depiction of New York. The only real issue is that it doesn't escape the franchise's East Coast trappings for recent entries. Executed well enough, though, and that would be a trade that fans would likely be willing to make.
With any luck, a new Fallout game will release in the next few years. Considering that The Elder Scrolls 6 is just starting to ramp up development, though, that likely won't be the case unless Bethesda grows immensely or coughs up Fallout to another developer. In the meantime, fans will just have to hope for more information and imagine where the franchise will go next.
No new Fallout games have been announced.
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