Bethesda Confirms Fallout 5, Elder Scrolls 6, Remasters, and Obsidian Collab

Bethesda Game Studios has dropped one of its biggest announcements in years, publishing a sweeping studio letter from executive producer Todd Howard that outlines the company's plans for the next several years. Fallout 5 is officially confirmed to be in pre-production, running alongside active development on The Elder Scrolls 6. In addition, remasters of both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are now confirmed to be in development, and a brand-new Fallout project is in the works at sister studio Obsidian Entertainment, the developer behind the beloved New Vegas original. Howard stated that "the timing is right" for a collaboration with Obsidian, a partnership that fans have been requesting for over a decade. Fallout 76 is also getting a major expansion called Raven Rock, described as a prequel story to Fallout 3, expected to arrive next year. Bethesda also moved to reassure fans about The Elder Scrolls 6, saying the studio is "loving how it looks" and "playing it every day," and that development is "where we planned to be" despite the game having been announced eight years ago.

The announcements come in the immediate wake of significant layoffs at Bethesda and across Xbox, prompting a mixed reception from the wider gaming community. While fans celebrated the news, game workers' unions were quick to push back, with one union warning that "the timing of this kind of press is intentional" and urging the public not to let the slate of exciting reveals distract from the human cost of the recent cuts. Xbox CEO Satya Nadella praised Fallout's "remarkable" achievements alongside the announcements. Meanwhile, Todd Howard declined to say whether Fallout 5 or Elder Scrolls 6 would be platform exclusives, telling press it is "too early to comment" given shifting Xbox strategies. Bethesda also confirmed that Starfield, despite the company's renewed focus on Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, "remains an important part of our future," with the studio pledging continued support for the sci-fi RPG.

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