Bethesda Puts Fallout 5 in Preproduction and Confirms Remasters
Bethesda Game Studios officially announced that Fallout 5 has entered preproduction as part of a development roadmap published on July 17, 2026. The multi-game plan details the immediate and long-range future of the studio's main franchises following weeks of industry changes. The studio released this public statement directly on its official website to outline its shifting internal priorities.
The studio clarified that The Elder Scrolls VI remains its main development target, with most of the team actively working on the sequel. Fallout 5 serves as a secondary, long-term project that will follow the next Elder Scrolls release. Engineers are constructing both upcoming titles using Creation Engine 3, a shared technology platform that allows the studio to support multiple titles simultaneously.
The studio detailed the distribution of its internal resources in the official statement:
"The Elder Scrolls VI is our primary development focus today, with the majority of our team currently working on the next chapter of the franchise...We're where we planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day."
"Our teams are now developing The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 on Creation Engine 3, a shared technology platform we've been building since Starfield's launch,"
"It allows our teams to support multiple projects simultaneously with new tools, rendering, and systems that define our games."
Bethesda also confirmed the development of official remasters for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. The studio is collaborating with Obsidian Entertainment, the original developer of New Vegas, on an entirely separate, unannounced Fallout project.
This arrangement returns Obsidian to the franchise for the first time since the 2010 release of the original game.
The announcement highlighted the studio's immediate focus on the series:
"Fallout is one of our biggest priorities today"
"While we're not announcing any dates today, we have been working on remasters for both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas."
"Fallout 5 remains our long-range destination, and we have multiple Fallout projects in active development right now."
The franchise update arrives less than two weeks after parent company Xbox announced job cuts across its gaming divisions.
The layoffs eliminated 3,200 positions, affecting staff at both Bethesda Game Studios and Obsidian Entertainment. The update addresses consumer questions regarding the studio's capacity following the workforce reduction.
Live-service support for Fallout 76 will continue with an expansion titled Raven Rock, which the studio scheduled for release in 2027. The expansion functions as a narrative prequel to the events of Fallout 3.
ZeniMax Online Studios will partner closely with Bethesda Game Studios to assist with the development of the broader Elder Scrolls franchise. Production on the third season of the live-action television adaptation by Amazon Studios is actively progressing following its recent award nominations.
