Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4, in particular, include several significant hints about the setting of the upcoming Fallout game.

• Bethesda has released a rough outline for Fallout 5, implying that the company has intentions for the brand beyond Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6.
• Based on prior game references and Bethesda’s foreshadowing techniques, there are hints that Fallout 5 will be set in post-apocalyptic San Francisco.
• Fallout 4 makes numerous references to San Francisco, implying that Bethesda sought to instill the concept in players’ heads as potential foreshadowing for Fallout 5.

With Bethesda’s Starfield finally out the door, it shouldn’t be long before the company can focus on its other franchises. According to Microsoft’s FTC court lawsuit, The Elder Scrolls 6 will not be released until 2026 or later. Fallout 5 will arrive sometime after that, though it is likely still so far away that speculating on the exact date is futile.

However, just because the next Fallout is so far away doesn’t mean devs aren’t working on it. In 2021, Todd Howard verified this, admitting that Bethesda had a basic outline of Fallout 5. The studio’s plans for the next Fallout may go back further than that, with New Vegas and Fallout 4 hinting that the new game might take place in post-apocalyptic San Francisco.