Amazon’s upcoming Fallout TV series has fans brimming with excitement, as it offers a glimpse into the grim yet beloved post-apocalyptic world the franchise is known for. As the show nears its premiere, the team behind it has been doing promotional rounds lately, offering insightful nuggets about its development.
However, a recent comment by co-creator Jonathan Nolan has been making waves in the community lately, wherein he described the show as “essentially Fallout 5“, leading to anxieties about it potentially superseding a dedicated Fallout 5 game from Bethesda.
Fallout TV Show Touted As An Unofficial Fallout 4 Sequel
In an interview with Total Film to promote the TV show, Nolan spoke about where it stands within the larger Fallout universe:
Each of the [Fallout] games is a discrete story – different city, distinct protagonist – within the same mythology. Our series sits in relation to the games as the games sit in relation to each other. It’s almost like we’re Fallout 5. I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but it’s just a non-interactive version of it, right?
This seemingly innocuous statement sent fans of the games into a tizzy, who believe that Bethesda would continue their stories for Fallout via the TV show, and that would mean no Fallout 5 in the near future. Bethesda has previously hinted at the existence of the game, but at this point, it will only come after the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls 6, which itself could take years to release.
Given this extended wait, the prospect of a Fallout TV series filling the void was, for many fans, a potentially positive development – a chance to explore the irradiated wasteland in a new format. However, none of them were prepared to give up the games, and as it turns out, they won’t have to.
Fallout 5 Is Still Happening, And Nolan Knows All About It
Thankfully, Nolan has since issued a clarification, dispelling the notion of the show replacing the next game. In a follow-up interview with Den of Geek, he assured fans that the TV series carves its own distinct path within the established Fallout universe:
I think it would be very presumptuous for someone to assume that we’d reach the caliber of the games. It means you have all of the benefit of beautiful storytelling that Todd and [Bethesda Game Studio] has contributed to, but we also get to tell an original story within that world. As writers and filmmakers, it’s just a dream come true.
Intriguingly, the show’s narrative is partly shaped by certain boundaries set by game director Todd Howard that serve a specific purpose. Howard has designated certain narrative elements as off-limits for the show, effectively reserving them for Fallout 5. He has even shared details of the game’s future narrative with the show’s creators, effectively claiming dibs on specific plot points.
Speaking about the creative dibs, co-showrunner Graham Wagner joked, “I think we made Fallout 6,” to which Nolan added, “We know all about Fallout 5, we’re not telling anyone.“
So, there it is. First-hand confirmation that the Fallout TV show, while adhering to the established canon and timeline of the games, exists as a separate entity. Its existence poses no threat to the development of future games at Bethesda, although it’ll be interesting to see if Fallout 5 will reference the show’s storyline in any way.
With the show’s release date approaching, Fallout enthusiasts have a wealth of post-apocalyptic content to look forward to in the coming years. And with the potential for an extension of the TV series, they might just have to hold on to it till Fallout 5 eventually comes out, hopefully in this lifetime.