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Todd Howard: Elder Scrolls 6 takes priority as multiple new Fallout projects quietly advance

A screengrab from Fallout 76 running on PC (image source: Steam Community)
A screengrab from Fallout 76 running on PC (image source: Steam Community)
Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard has confirmed that a new mainline Fallout, widely expected to be Fallout 5, is in early development alongside multiple unannounced Fallout projects. However, he cautions fans to remain patient as Elder Scrolls VI currently commands most of the studio’s internal resources. Buoyed by the breakout success of the Fallout TV series and sustained support for Fallout 76, Bethesda insists Fallout remains its top-priority franchise, with design leadership aiming for massively replayable experiences spanning hundreds of hours.

Bethesda Game Studios’ Director Todd Howard has recently popped up in numerous interviews following the success of the Fallout TV series. This time, he’s teased that a new mainline Fallout entry is on the horizon, hopefully Fallout 5, with multiple Fallout-related projects in the pipeline.

Speaking with GameInformer, he emphasized that Fallout is a top priority at Bethesda and said, “Fallout as a franchise is the one that we’re still doing the most work in above anything.”

Howard’s statement comes amid surging hype and praise for the hit Fallout TV series, which has boosted player numbers for titles like Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and the cult-classic Fallout: New Vegas, as well as its online-only Fallout 76 offering.

However, it’s been nearly over a decade since Fallout 4 launched back in 2015. Since then, Bethesda has been actively juggling The Elder Scrolls and Starfield. Elder Scrolls 6 is confirmed to be in active development with an estimated release date, while Starfield continues to receive significant updates. Given Bethesda’s backlog, sequels don’t come quickly.

Howard affirmed the Studio’s tunnel-visioned approach and said, “Now, the majority of our internal team is on Elder Scrolls VI. We are doing other things with Fallout that we haven’t announced, and there’ll come a time for that.”

He also pointed towards Fallout 76 and said, “ We’ve never stopped developing Fallout. We’ve had a full team on it for a long time.” Fallout 76 endured a bumpy start. However, the multiplayer post-apocalyptic take on the Fallout series has been receiving steady updates, including references and ties to the TV show, such as the addition of Walton Goggins’ Ghoul NPC.

Looking back on Fallout Day in October 2025, Bethesda celebrated the festivities with a Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition alongside native Fallout 76 upgrades for the Xbox Series S|X. He ended the event with a reassuring note, stating, “Hey, we read all your comments. Just know, we are working on even more. We’re looking forward to the day when we can share that with everybody.”

To further add fire to the pot, Bethesda’s design director Emil Paliarulo shared his own goals for the upcoming Fallout 5, stating, “I want an experience where players can play for 200, 300, or even 600 hours, because that’s the kind of games we make.”

Todd Howard has confirmed that Fallout 5 is in its early development stages and that fans should be patient. He mentioned:

Everybody will say to us, ‘It’s really disappointing you don’t have a new game to take advantage of this. And it’s like, ‘well, the show is excellent. It is what it is. It’s doing great for us. We’re taking advantage of it. And when the next main Fallout game comes along. I think it’ll do great as well.

Buy Fallout 76 on Amazon here

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2026 01 > Todd Howard: Elder Scrolls 6 takes priority as multiple new Fallout projects quietly advance
Rahim Amir Noorali, 2026-01- 1 (Update: 2026-01- 1)