Bethesda Reveals Roadmap: The Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 5, Obsidian's New Fallout Game, Several Remaster Projects, and More All Confirmed

Bethesda Game Studios, maker of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, has laid out its roadmap for the foreseeable future as both Bethesda and Xbox refocus on their core franchises in the wake of last week's brutal "reset" that resulted in over 3,000 layoffs and several studios being spun out of Xbox.

Game design legend Todd Howard, who is currently working with his team on The Elder Scrolls 6, remains focused on that long-awaited project, which was officially announced back in 2018 — and is reportedly still at least two years away. However, Fallout 5, which Howard previously confirmed to IGN as his next project after TES 6, will be brought along on a shared tech pipeline utlilizing the studio's in-house Creation Engine 3. Fallout 5 is currently in preproduction, BGS confirmed today.

Furthermore, the studio confirmed recent reports of Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment's new Fallout project, along with "several" remaster projects. In a note to fans, BGS finally confirmed Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remasters are in the works.

Bethesda also confirmed multiple Fallout projects — seemingly separate from Obsidian's game — and a 30th anniversary "Fallout Day" live in Washington, D.C. (the setting of Fallout 3, and pretty close by Bethesda Game Studios' real-life Rockville, MD headquarters) sometime next year.

Meanwhile, BGS said Starfield "continues," although Bethesda stopped short of confirming a sequel is in the works. "With over 17 million players logging almost a billion hours to date, Starfield remains an important part of our future," Howard said. "As we enter Year 3, we'll continue expanding the Settled Systems with new stories, targeted gameplay improvements, and additional updates, while preparing for the launch of new Starborn content next year. More than 40% of players already customize their experience through Creations, and we'll continue investing in creators and giving players new ways to make Starfield their own."

Here's Bethesda Game Studios' message in full:

This roadmap announcement comes as "part of an ambition Xbox for becoming the #1 gaming platform in the world," which begs the question of whether or not any, some, or perhaps even all of these projects will be Xbox console exclusives. That key question remains unanswered for now, but at least we know that we have a heck of a lot more Fallout in particular to look forward to from Bethesda Game Studios and its partners in the coming years.

Bethesda boss Jill Braff has told staff that the layoffs and change in strategy “reflect the realities of our industry and business – and our responsibility to ensure Bethesda is operating from a more stable foundation.”

"To be successful in the future, we need to change course,” Braff continued. “We must strengthen our business, return to sustainable growth, and ensure we can continue investing in our franchises and our players. I know that doesn't make a day like today any easier.”

Without naming games, Braff said “to best position Bethesda for future growth, we are shifting from a planning model primarily centered on what's next for each independent studio to one that focuses on our strongest franchises and determining the content roadmap that best serves our players and Bethesda as a whole.”

“From there, we’ll align the right talent, technology, and resources across the organization to deliver on those priorities,” Braff added.