Fallout 76 has an interesting legacy. The game's launch was not only met with largely negative responses that were compounded by numerous controversies surrounding the game's release. In the years following its release, Fallout 76 has repeatedly received updates and new pieces of content that have helped bring the game much closer to a state that fans hoped the game could be when it was announced. These updates have included adding NPCs, new factions appearing in Appalachia, and a countless number of quality-of-life improvements.
Despite its successes, Fallout 76 has called into question what lasting impact it will have on the Fallout franchise moving forward. Fans of Fallout have concerns about whether or not future entries will return to a single-player formula, or if they will feature the more classic aspects of Fallout at all. Since Fallout 76 is also a live service title that promises new updates for the foreseeable future, players are also wondering when they can expect to see a Fallout 5, especially with Bethesda currently working on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. However, Fallout 76's position in the industry could have a very big implication for the series that likely won't be felt a while yet.
How Bethesda Has Handled The Elder Scrolls
Fans of Bethesda's other premiere RPG series The Elder Scrolls are no stranger to waiting long periods for a new entry. The last mainline entry in the series Skyrim was originally released almost a decade ago, and Bethesda just recently said that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still in the design phase. In the interim between the two titles, Bethesda has opted to re-release Skyrim enough times that it has become a meme while the game is available on nearly every platform that players could ever want it on.
One curious aspect of the company's handling of the series is that it has not chosen to re-release any previous Elder Scrolls titles despite games like Oblivion and Morrowind having large player bases in their own rights that would love a remaster or re-release. Bethesda has said that it will continue to re-release Skyrim as long as players continue to buy it, meaning that every re-release of the game must have performed rather well thus far. This has allowed the studio to take its time with The Elder Scrolls 6, as fans of the series are seemingly satiated by replaying Skyrim with the incremental improvements that each re-release introduces. With how long it could be until Fallout 5 releases, it could be that Bethesda is hoping to do something similar with that series as well.
How Fallout 76 is Different From Skyrim
If Bethesda does aim to have Fallout 76 fill a similar role as Skyrim for its franchise, there are some big differences between the two titles that will likely make it much more difficult to do so. One large aspect of this is that Fallout 76 is a live service title that players expect to be continuously updated and added to over time. Not only does this mean that the game can't be re-released as Skyrim has been, but it also means that the game could have a hard time attracting new players to its ecosystem. Every re-release of Skyrim sees new players trying it for the first time, but that will likely be much harder for Fallout 76 to accomplish when new players will have to contend with other players having already played for dozens and dozens of hours.
It is worth mentioning that Fallout 76 will also have to overcome the stigma that is still attached to the title from its rough launch. Games like No Man's Sky and even Fallout 76 have improved themselves since their rough launch, but there are still many players that will never check them out because of the first impression that they made. This will also make it much harder for Fallout 76 to support the franchise on its own as there is a smaller pool of potential players that it can attract to its ongoing ecosystem. This is made all the worse by Bethesda's apparent reluctance to remaster older entries in their series, no matter how much older Fallout titles may be improved with one.
What This Could Mean for Fallout 5
It seems inevitable that Fallout 5 will release eventually, but Fallout 76's likely long time in the spotlight could have a very big impact on it by the time it releases. Since Fallout 5 will likely have to wait until after Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, it could very well be that there will be a decade-long gap between Fallout 4 and Fallout 5. This large gap could see many younger players associating the entire Fallout franchise with only Fallout 76, which could, in turn, lead to Bethesda incorporating many of its elements into the newest mainline entry.
This development would undoubtedly be very disappointing for many Fallout fans who would prefer an experience more similar to that of Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas rather than the survival MMO. It also could mean that Fallout 5 does not receive the same amount of hype and attention as The Elder Scrolls 6. Skyrim was a cultural touchstone that still has a tangible impact on the games industry to this day, but Fallout 76's stigma and lack of wider impact mean that it could lead to Fallout 5's announcement not receiving nearly as warm of a welcome. This could even lead to wider audiences ignoring the improvements Fallout 5 could make over the franchise, which would be very unfortunate to see.
It will be very interesting to see what lasting impact Fallout 76 has on the franchise and Bethesda as a whole in the future. The immense success of the Fallout franchise makes it seem almost guaranteed that a Fallout 5 will release eventually, especially now that Bethesda is a first-party studio for Xbox. Hopefully, The Elder Scrolls 6 will make some improvements that fans love, and that Fallout 5 will eventually follow suit. Until then, Fallout fans will just have to be patient.
Fallout 76 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.