Video game fans will probably be familiar with the bittersweet feeling when highly anticipated games are announced, only for their release dates to seem impossibly far away. There are some major sequels that gamers know (or assume) are on the way, like Fallout 5 and Red Dead Redemption 3, but from what's been revealed so far it seems like their release dates could be inching into the 2030s. Developers often have to tread a fine line between revealing new titles to get players excited without playing their hand too early and risking losing steam, but players will inevitably have a long time to wait before they can experience the next Fallout or Red Dead game.
In the absence of concrete information, the actual release dates and the details of upcoming games' development cycles are anyone's guess, but from clues and knowledge about what else developers might be working on, players can narrow down potential launch windows. With comments made by prominent Bethesda figures like Todd Howard, gamers can assume that Fallout 5 is at the very least several years away, and it's not the only upcoming title that fans are looking forward to that might not be available until the start of the next decade.
Red Dead Redemption 3
While Red Dead Redemption 3 hasn't technically been confirmed yet, it seems more than likely that it will be on its way given the runaway success of its predecessors. In a previous interview in 2021 with Take-Two Interactive's CEO Strauss Zelnick, Red Dead Redemption was categorized as a franchise that never expires, leading many to believe this referenced future installments in the Wild West-focused series. This may not be an actual announcement that Red Dead Redemption 3 is in development, but as Red Dead is considered one of the developer's flagship franchises and given the critical acclaim Red Dead Redemption 2 was met with, Rockstar Games would be leaving money on the table if it didn't produce at least one other sequel.
Judging by the pattern of previous Red Dead games and the gaps in between their releases, it seems like Rockstar Games is taking more and more time to create each installment, with first six years and then eight between Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Each game increased its scope and featured sizable technical upgrades, culminating in Red Dead Redemption 2 which is considered by many to be a masterpiece. With the undoubtedly high level of expectation that will be placed on Red Dead Redemption 3, Rockstar Games will want to take its time to ensure that the next title is as good as it can be, meaning the development time might be longer than previous installments.
Rockstar Games also has a few officially announced games in development like the next Grand Theft Auto entry, showing that the studio has its focus elsewhere. At least that seems likely to release before the decade turns over, but even then, the years these games take likely push the next one into the 2030s.
Fallout 5 is Likely a 2030 Game, But TES6 Wouldn't Be Surprising Either
In contrast to Red Dead Redemption 3, Fallout 5 has been officially confirmed by Bethesda, but that doesn't mean its release date will be any time soon. While it was a relief to fans of the series that there would be more Fallout at some point in the future, Bethesda has been clear that there are two major games that it will be focusing on before Fallout 5 will see the light of day. Starfield, the massively ambitious space-faring RPG is Bethesda's first original IP in over two decades, and the highly-anticipated game has already been delayed into this year.
There's also the not-so-small issue of The Elder Scrolls 6, another much looked-forward-to title from Bethesda. This new installment to the popular franchise doesn't have a confirmed release date, and given the lack of information and some comments from the developer, it seems likely that it's still several years away. Todd Howard has stated that Fallout 5 won't be a focus for the studio until after The Elder Scrolls 6 is released, and given that the latter game is still in pre-production, work won't begin in earnest on Fallout 5 for a good while yet. Realistically, The Elder Scrolls 6 might not even release until the 2030s, though late 2020s does seem more likely, but the size of these games means anything's possible.
2030s: Games That Are Still Years Away
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The video game industry is a fast-changing one, and as such, it can be hard to predict. With evolutions in technology, culture, and gameplay standards, it's safe to say video games will be vastly different in 2030 from how they are in the current decade, but while some aspects remain completely unknown, others are at least a little clearer. There have been a few games that have already been announced or which are rumored to be in development that players can expect to see in the 2030s, including Fallout 5 and Red Dead Redemption 3.
One game whose future is very much uncertain is Kingdom Hearts 4. The next installment in the Kingdom Hearts series was confirmed to be in development in 2022, with no word yet as to when it will launch. The Kingdom Hearts timeline is famously complicated, with lots of spin-offs, collections, and half-sequels that muddy the water when it comes to working out what stage the franchise is at in terms of its releases. Much of Kingdom Hearts 4 remains a mystery, and this has led some gamers to believe that it's still in early development and therefore years away. It could come much sooner, but it could also be a lengthy development that might push the launch back to the early 2030s.
Meanwhile, Star Wars: Eclipse reportedly has late 2020 target dates, meaning slipping into the 2030s isn't impossible, nor is it likely that CD Projekt Red gets out its first new Witcher game in the new saga as well as the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel before 2030 hits. One of them seems possible, but not both of them. And then there are games where so little is known about development or potential development troubles-wise that, while they should release this decade, would not be surprising to see slip into next, like KOTOR Remake, Metroid Prime 4, Fable, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Zelda sequels, and other beloved IP that are spaced out by years. Again, with the nature of the industry, some games that release this decade could be surprising, while those that slip into the next could be equally so (and probably not even heard of yet).