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Fallout 5 in Pre-Production, as Bethesda Playing The Elder Scrolls 6 Everyday
Bethesda Game Studios has confirmed that Fallout 5 has entered pre-production, though the studio says its "primary development focus today" remains The Elder Scrolls 6, first announced several years ago. The update matters because fans have grown impatient for concrete news on both long-awaited sequels, and it signals how Microsoft's Xbox division is leaning on Bethesda's flagship franchises even as the studio faces internal turmoil.
The Elder Scrolls 6 remains without a release date, but Bethesda said the "majority of our team" is currently working on it and that it is "loving how it looks". Both upcoming titles will run on Creation Engine 3, an updated engine designed to let multiple projects be developed simultaneously. The announcement follows other recent Fallout news, including remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas and a new Fallout project being developed with Obsidian Entertainment, and comes shortly after mass layoffs at Xbox prompted protests at Bethesda this week.
In short
- Fallout 5 has entered pre-production at Bethesda
- Elder Scrolls 6 remains the studio's main current focus
- Both games will use the new Creation Engine 3
- News follows recent Xbox layoffs and staff protests
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Bethesda's prioritisation of The Elder Scrolls 6 is justified—the franchise has gone fifteen years without a new release, substantially longer than Fallout's decade-long wait since 2015. Concentrating resources ensures the studio delivers an exceptional sequel to meet exceptionally high expectations, whilst pre-production on Fallout 5 demonstrates genuine commitment to both franchises. Creation Engine 3 was specifically designed to enable this staged approach.
The case against
Fallout has also endured a substantial wait since 2015, and Bethesda's recent announcements of remasters and an Obsidian collaboration demonstrate active franchise momentum that risks dissipating during pre-production. Parallel development of both franchises would better serve their respective fanbases and maintain excitement across the studio's portfolio. Concentrating all resources on Elder Scrolls risks allowing competitors to exploit the prolonged Fallout hiatus.
Explained simply
Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are two of the largest video game franchises, each with millions of devoted players worldwide who have waited years for new games in the series. Bethesda Game Studios, owned by Microsoft, develops both franchises, and fans have long hoped for updates on when the next entries would arrive.
The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced several years ago but has no release date yet, whilst the development status of Fallout 5 remained unclear until now. News on these projects matters because they represent long-awaited titles for fans and are significant parts of Microsoft's strategy for gaming.
Both upcoming games will be built using the same updated game engine, designed to allow large projects to be worked on simultaneously. The announcement arrives during a period of significant changes at Xbox, highlighting how central these franchises are to Microsoft's gaming plans.
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