View source for Fallout (franchise)

{{Short description|Video game seriеs}}
{{Other uses|Fallout (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title                  = Fallout
| image                  = [[File:Fallout logo.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| caption                =
| creator                = {{ubl|[[Tim Cain]]|[[Leonard Boyarsky]]}}
| genre                  = {{ubl|{{small|'''1997–2004:'''}}|[[Role-playing video game|Role-playing]]|{{small|'''since 2004:'''}}|[[Action role-playing]]<br />[[First-person shooter]]<br />[[Third-person shooter]]}}
| developer              = {{ubl|[[Interplay Entertainment]]|[[Black Isle Studios]]|[[Micro Forté]]|[[Bethesda Game Studios]]|[[Obsidian Entertainment]]|[[Fantasy Flight Games]]|[[Modiphius Entertainment]]|Gaea Mobile}}
| publisher              = {{ubl|[[Interplay Entertainment]]|{{small|(1997–2004)}}|[[14 Degrees East]]|{{small|(2001)}}|[[Bethesda Softworks]]|{{small|(since 2004)}}}}
| first release version  = ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]''
| first release date     = October 10, 1997
| latest release version = ''[[Fallout 76]]''
| latest release date    = November 14, 2018
| platforms              = {{ubl|[[DOS]]|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]]|[[Mac OS X]]|[[Wii U]]|[[Nintendo Switch]]|[[Nintendo Switch 2]]|[[PlayStation 2]]|[[PlayStation 3]]|[[PlayStation 4]]|[[PlayStation 5]]|[[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]|[[Xbox 360]]|[[Xbox One]]|[[Xbox Series X/S]]|[[iOS]]|[[Android (operating system)|Android]]}}
}}

'''''Fallout''''' is an American media franchise of [[post-apocalyptic]] [[role-playing video game]]s created by [[Tim Cain]] and [[Leonard Boyarsky]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Middler |first1=Jordan |title=Fallout creator Tim Cain is consulting on The Outer Worlds 2 |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/fallout-creator-tim-cain-is-consulting-on-the-outer-worlds-2/ |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=VGC |date=January 4, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dransfield |first1=Ian |title=The History of Fallout |journal=Retro Gamer |date=October 4, 2018 |issue=186 |page=21}}</ref> at [[Interplay Entertainment]]. The series, set  in the first half of the 3rd millennium, follows the descendants of survivors of a [[Mutually assured destruction|mutually destructive]] [[nuclear war|nuclear exchange]] between the [[United States]] and [[China]] that marked the culmination of a series of [[Resource war|conflicts over resources]] which began in the middle of the 21st century. The games uses an [[atompunk]] [[retrofuturistic]] setting and artwork influenced by the [[post-war]] [[United States in the 1950s|culture of the 1950s United States]], with its combination of hope for the promises of technology and the lurking fear of [[nuclear annihilation]]. ''Fallout'' is regarded as a [[spiritual successor]] to ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]'', a 1988 game developed by [[Interplay Productions]]. It is generally regarded as one of the greatest video game series ever.

The series' first title, ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'', was developed by [[Black Isle Studios]] and released in 1997, and its sequel, ''[[Fallout 2]],'' the following year. With the [[tactical role-playing game]] ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel]]'', development was handed to [[Micro Forté]] and [[14 Degrees East]]. In 2004, Interplay closed Black Isle Studios,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6086046.html |title=Q&A: Feargus Urquhart, Part One |publisher=GameSpot.com |date=October 28, 2008 |access-date=September 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122144642/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6086046.html |archive-date=January 22, 2009}}</ref> and continued to produce ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]'', an [[action game]] with role-playing elements for the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], without Black Isle Studios. ''[[Fallout 3]]'', the third entry in the main series, was released in 2008 by [[Bethesda Softworks]], and was followed by ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', developed by [[Obsidian Entertainment]] released on October 19, 2010. ''[[Fallout 4]]'' was released in 2015, and ''[[Fallout 76]]'' released on November 14, 2018.

Bethesda Softworks owns the rights to the ''Fallout'' [[intellectual property]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Caron |first1=Frank |title=Bethesda obtains Fallout IP, gamers rejoice |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/04/bethesda-obtains-fallout-ip/ |access-date=16 December 2025 |work=Ars Technica |date=13 April 2007 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Contract between Bethesda and Interplay Entertainment Corp |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1057232/000117091807000324/0001170918-07-000324.txt |date=April 9, 2007 |access-date=May 16, 2007}}</ref> After acquiring it, Bethesda licensed the rights to make a [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]] (MMORPG) version of ''Fallout'' to Interplay. The MMORPG got as far as beta stage under Interplay,<ref>{{cite web |title=Beta Status for ''Fallout Online'' |url=http://www.betawatcher.com/game.aspx?gameid=417 |publisher=Betawatcher.com |access-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref> but a prolonged legal battle between Bethesda Softworks and Interplay disrupted the development of the game, eventually resulting in its cancellation. Bethesda argued in court that Interplay had failed to fulfill the terms and conditions of the licensing contract. The case reached a resolution in early 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bethesda acquires Fallout MMO rights |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/01/09/bethesda-settles-lawsuit-over-fallout-license.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111030547/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/01/09/bethesda-settles-lawsuit-over-fallout-license.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |publisher=Game Informer |access-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref>

== Origins ==
The ideas of the ''Fallout'' series began with [[Interplay Productions]]' ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]'', released in 1988. At that time, Interplay was not a publisher and used [[Electronic Arts]] for distribution of the game. According to Interplay's founder, [[Brian Fargo]], they wanted to explore a post-apocalyptic setting and created ''Wasteland'' for that. Sometime after release, Interplay decided to shift focus and become a publisher while still developing games. Fargo wanted to continue to use the ''Wasteland'' [[intellectual property]] but could not negotiate the rights back from [[Electronic Arts]].

Still wanting to do something in a post-apocalyptic setting, Fargo and his team decided to make a new setting and game. They determined what aspects of ''Wasteland'' were positives and wrote and developed a new game around them.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-complete-history-of-fallout/ |title=The complete history of Fallout |first=Ian |last=Dranfield |date=April 4, 2019 |access-date=April 4, 2019 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref> According to designer [[Christopher Taylor (game designer)|Chris Taylor]], they took major inspiration from the novel ''[[A Canticle for Leibowitz]]'' (1959) and the films ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981) and ''[[The City of Lost Children]]'' (1995).<ref>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Chris |date=July 28, 2022 |title=On 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' |url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32269576 |website=Hacker News |location= |publisher= |access-date=April 21, 2025 |quote=In the early 90s, I read all of the [[Hugo Award for Best Novel|Hugo winners]] at the time. ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' was one of my favorites. A few years later, it was one of the three major influences we used when making the original ''Fallout'' (along with ''Road Warrior'' and ''City of Lost Children'').}}</ref> The result was the first ''Fallout'' games, which were released nearly ten years after ''Wasteland''.

== Games ==
{{Timeline of release years
| range1        = 1997
| range1_color  = #3e95fb #faef71 <!-- colors are based on the series' logos -->
| compressempty = yes
| 1997  = '''''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'''''
| 1998  = '''''[[Fallout 2]]'''''
| 2001  = ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel|Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel]]''
| 2004  = ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel|Brotherhood of Steel]]''
| 2008  = '''''[[Fallout 3]]'''''
| 2009  =
| 2010  = '''''[[New Vegas]]'''''
| 2011  =
| 2015a = ''[[Fallout Shelter|Shelter]]''
| 2015b = '''''[[Fallout 4]]'''''
| 2016  = ''[[Fallout Pinball|Pinball]]''
| 2018  = '''''[[Fallout 76]]'''''
| 2019  = ''[[#Fallout Shelter Online (2019)|Shelter Online]]''
}}

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" style=width:40px; |Year
! rowspan="2" style=width:230px; |Title
! rowspan="2" style=width:100px; |Developer
! colspan="4" |Platform(s)
|-
! colspan="2" style=width:200px;|Computer
! style=width:200px; | Home console
! style=width:100px; | Mobile
|-
! colspan="7" |Main series
|-
|1997
|''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]''
|[[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]]
| style="background:#dfd;" rowspan="1" |[[Windows]], [[MS-DOS]]
| style="background:#dfd;" rowspan="2" |[[Classic MacOS]], [[Mac OS X]]
| style="background:#fdd;" rowspan="2"|
| rowspan="5" style="background:#fdd;" |
|-
|1998
|''[[Fallout 2]]''
|[[Black Isle Studios|Black Isle]]
| rowspan="4" style="background:#dfd;" |[[Windows]]
|-
|2008
|''[[Fallout 3]]''
|[[Bethesda Game Studios|Bethesda]]
| rowspan="3" style="background:#fdd;" |
| style="background:#dfd;" |[[PS3]], [[Xbox 360]]
|-
|2010
|''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]''
|[[Obsidian Entertainment|Obsidian]]
| style="background:#dfd;"| [[PS3]], [[Xbox 360]]
|-
|2015
|''[[Fallout 4]]''
|[[Bethesda Game Studios|Bethesda]]
| style="background:#dfd;" |[[PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[PS5]], [[Xbox X/S]], [[Nintendo Switch 2|Switch 2]]
|-
|{{TBA}}
|''[[Fallout 5]]''
! style="background:#DDF;" colspan="5" |{{nobold|{{abbr|TBA|To be announced}}}}
|-
! colspan="7" |Spin-offs
|-
|2001
|''[[Fallout Tactics]]''
|[[Micro Forté]]
| style="background:#dfd;" colspan="2" | [[Windows]]
| style="background:#fdd;" |
| style="background:#fdd;" rowspan="2" |
|-
|2004
|''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]''
|[[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]]
| style="background:#fdd;" colspan="2" |
| style="background:#dfd;" | [[PS2]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
|-
|2015
|''[[Fallout Shelter]]''
|[[Bethesda Game Studios|Bethesda]]
| style="background:#dfd;" colspan="2" | [[Windows]]
| style="background:#dfd;" | [[PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]]
| rowspan="2" style="background:#dfd;" |[[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]]
|-
|2016
|''[[Fallout Pinball]]''
|[[Zen Studios]]
| style="background:#dfd;" colspan="2" | [[Windows]]
| style="background:#dfd;" | [[PS3]], [[PS4]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Xbox One]], [[Wii U]]
|-
|2018
|''[[Fallout 76]]''
| [[Bethesda Softworks]]
| style="background:#dfd;" colspan="2" | [[Windows]]
| style="background:#dfd;" |[[PS4]], [[Xbox One]]
| style="background:#fdd;" colspan="1" rowspan="1"|
|-
|2019
|''Fallout Shelter Online''
|Gaea Mobile
| style="background:#fdd;" colspan="3" rowspan="1"|
| rowspan="1" style="background:#dfd;" |[[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]]
|}

=== Main series ===
==== ''Fallout'' (1997) ====
{{Main|Fallout (video game)}}

Released in October 1997, ''Fallout'' takes place in a post-apocalyptic [[Southern California]], beginning in the year 2161. The protagonist, referred to as ''the Vault Dweller'', is tasked with recovering a water chip in the Wasteland to replace the broken one in their underground shelter home, Vault 13. Afterwards, the Vault Dweller must thwart the plans of a group of [[mutants]], led by a grotesque entity named ''the Master''. ''Fallout'' was originally intended to run under the ''[[GURPS]]'' [[role-playing game system]]. However, a disagreement with the creator of ''GURPS'', [[Steve Jackson (US game designer)|Steve Jackson]], over the game's violent content required [[Black Isle Studios]] to develop the new SPECIAL system.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-fallout |title=IGN Presents the History of Fallout |date=June 4, 2020 |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=August 6, 2021}}</ref> ''Fallout''{{'}}s atmosphere and artwork are reminiscent of post–[[World War II]] United States during the [[Cold War era]] and the fear that the country was headed for [[nuclear war]] in the real world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 21, 1997 |title=Fallout Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fallout-review/1900-2535953/ |access-date=October 25, 2022 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout 2'' (1998) ====
{{Main|Fallout 2}}

''Fallout 2'' was released in October 1998, with several improvements over the first game, including an improved [[Game engine|engine]], the ability to set attitudes of [[non-player characters]] (NPC) party members and the ability to push people who are blocking doors. Additional features included several changes, including significantly more pop culture jokes and parodies, such as multiple special random encounters referencing [[Monty Python]] and ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', and self-parodying dialogue that broke the [[fourth wall]] to mention [[game mechanics]]. ''Fallout 2'' takes place eighty years after ''Fallout'', and centers around a descendant of the Vault Dweller, the protagonist of ''Fallout''. The player assumes the role of ''the Chosen One'' (Vault Dweller's actual grandchild) as they try to save their village, Arroyo, from famine and droughts. After saving the village, the Chosen One must fight the Enclave, the remnants of the pre-war United States government (as well as the shadow government in charge of the vault project).

==== ''Fallout 3'' (2008) ====
{{Main|Fallout 3}}
[[File:Fallout 3 Banner Ad 2.jpg|thumb|"Prepare for the Future" promotional campaign at the [[Metro Center (WMATA station)|Metro Center]] station in Washington, D.C.]]

''Fallout 3'' was developed by [[Bethesda Game Studios]] and released on October 28, 2008. The story picks up thirty years after the setting of ''Fallout 2'' and 200 years after the nuclear war that devastated the game's world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fallout.bethsoft.com/eng/info/faq.html |title=FAQ |publisher=[[Bethesda Softworks]] |date=May 5, 2008 |access-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref> The player-character is a Vault dweller in [[Vault 101]] who is forced to flee when the Overseer tries to arrest them in response to their father leaving the Vault. Once out, the player is dubbed the Lone Wanderer and ventures into the Wasteland in and around [[Washington, D.C.]], known as the Capital Wasteland, to find their father. It differs from previous games in the series by utilizing [[3D graphics]], a free-roam gaming world, and real-time combat, in contrast to previous games' [[2D computer graphics|2D]] [[isometric projection|isometric]] graphics and [[turn-based]] combat. It was developed for the [[Personal computer|PC]], [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]] using the [[Gamebryo]] [[Game engine|engine]]. It received highly positive reviews, garnering 94 out of 100,<ref name="metacritic-fo3">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/fallout3 |title=Fallout 3 PC Reviews at Metacritic |access-date=November 7, 2008 |website=Metacritic}}</ref> 92 out of 100,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/fallout3 |title=Fallout 3 PS3 Reviews at Metacritic |access-date=November 7, 2008 |website=Metacritic |archive-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913023712/http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/fallout-3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and 93 out of 100<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/fallout3 |title=Fallout 3 Xbox 360 Reviews at Metacritic |access-date=November 7, 2008 |website=Metacritic |archive-date=May 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523222640/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/fallout-3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> averages scores on [[Metacritic]] for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, respectively. It won [[IGN]]'s 2008 Overall Game of the Year Award, Xbox 360 Game of the Year, Best RPG, and Best Use of Sound, as well as [[E3]]'s Best of the Show and Best Role Playing Game.

==== ''Fallout: New Vegas'' (2010) ====
{{Main|Fallout: New Vegas}}
[[File:E3 2010 Bathesda games Fallout New Vegas booth.jpg|thumb|Exposition for ''Fallout: New Vegas'' at [[E3 2010]]]]

'''Fallout: New Vegas''' is a 2010 action [[role-playing game]] developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by [[Bethesda Softworks]]. Set in the post-apocalyptic [[Mojave Desert|Mojave]] Wasteland in the year 2281, the game follows the story of the Courier, a mysterious [[protagonist]] left for dead after being ambushed while delivering a valuable package. Unlike previous [[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]] entries, [[New Vegas]] introduces multiple factions vying for control over the region, with the [[New California Republic]] (NCR), [[Caesar's Legion]], and the enigmatic [[Mr. House]] serving as key power players. The game is renowned for its deep branching narrative, player choice, and freedom in shaping the story. Gameplay is built on the same engine as [[Fallout 3]], featuring first- and third-person combat, [[open-world]] exploration, and a robust dialogue system that significantly impacts the game's progression. The inclusion of [[Permadeath|Hardcore Mode]], which requires players to manage hunger, thirst, and sleep, adds an extra layer of survival realism. The game's setting, inspired by real-world [[Las Vegas]], features recognizable landmarks such as the New Vegas Strip, [[Hoover Dam]], and the surrounding desert landscape filled with mutated creatures, raiders, and vaults containing hidden secrets. Players can choose to side with one of the major factions, forge their own independent path, or manipulate events to suit their personal goals. The game also features an extensive [[modding]] community that has kept it alive for years, with numerous fan-made expansions and graphical enhancements. Despite a rocky launch plagued with bugs, [[Fallout: New Vegas]] has since become a cult classic, often praised for its writing, dark humor, and deep role-playing mechanics. The game's DLC expansions—Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road—further expand on the [[lore]], introducing new characters, environments, and moral dilemmas. Over a decade after its release, [[New Vegas]] remains a [[Benchmark (computing)|benchmark]] for storytelling in [[open-world]] [[Role-playing game|RPGs]], often considered the pinnacle of the Fallout series due to its player agency and world-building. Its legacy endures, with fans still hoping for a sequel or a modern remaster that could bring the game's beloved wasteland back to life.

==== ''Fallout 4'' (2015) ====
{{Main|Fallout 4}}

''Fallout 4'', developed by Bethesda Game Studios, was released on November 10, 2015. The game was released for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] and takes place in [[Boston]], Massachusetts, of the in-game New England Commonwealth and features voiced protagonists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-4-officially-confirmed-for-pc-xbox-one-ps4/1100-6427776/ |title=Fallout 4 Officially Confirmed for PC, Xbox One, PS4 |last=Hussain |first=Tamoor |date=June 3, 2015 |access-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/03/fallout-4-officially-revealed-by-teaser-site |title=FALLOUT 4 OFFICIALLY REVEALED BY TEASER SITE |last=Karmali |first=Luke |date=June 3, 2015 |access-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2BkLqMef4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603141618/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2BkLqMef4&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=June 3, 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Fallout 4 – Official Trailer |publisher=Bethseda Softworks |date=June 3, 2015 |access-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Why Fallout 4's Protagonists Have Voices – IGN |date=June 22, 2015 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/22/why-fallout-4s-protagonists-have-voices |access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref> The [[Xbox One]] version has been confirmed to have [[Mod (video gaming)|mods]] {{as of|2016|lc=y}}. Bethesda also confirmed mods for PlayStation 4, after lengthy negotiations with Sony.<ref>{{cite web |title=E3 2015: Fallout 4 to Support PC Mods on Xbox One – IGN |date=June 15, 2015 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/15/e3-2015-fallout-4-to-support-mods-on-xbox-one |access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref> A virtual reality version of the game was released on December 11, 2017, available on [[SteamVR]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vrheads.com/fallout-4-vr |title=VR |publisher=vrheads.com |access-date=May 12, 2018 |date=December 22, 2017 |archive-date=May 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522112714/https://www.vrheads.com/fallout-4-vr |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Fallout 4'' takes place in the year 2287, ten years after the events of ''Fallout 3''. ''Fallout 4''{{'}}s story begins on the day the bombs dropped: October 23, 2077. The player's character (voiced by either [[Brian T. Delaney]] or [[Courtenay Taylor]]), dubbed as the Sole Survivor, takes shelter in Vault 111, emerging 210 years later, after being subjected to [[suspended animation]]. The Sole Survivor goes on a search for their son who was taken away from the Vault.

==== ''Fallout 5'' (TBA) ====
In June 2022, [[Todd Howard]] stated in an interview that ''Fallout 5'' would begin development after the completion of ''[[The Elder Scrolls VI]]'', with an unspecified release window.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skrebels |first=Joe |date=June 14, 2022 |title=Todd Howard Confirms Fallout 5 Is Coming After Elder Scrolls 6 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/todd-howard-bethesda-fallout-5-elder-scrolls-6-starfield |access-date=June 14, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> 

In July 2025, ''Fallout 5'' was reportedly "fully greenlit," with development moving forward though the reporting outlet indicated that it remains unclear which studio (if any) is leading its production, as key studios at Bethesda were occupied with [[Starfield (video game)|Starfield]] DLC and [[The Elder Scrolls VI]] at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last=Koch |first=Cameron |title=Fallout 5 Is Now Reportedly "Fully Greenlit" |website=GameSpot |date=July 14, 2025 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-5-is-now-reportedly-fully-greenlit/1100-6533153/ |access-date=July 16, 2025}}</ref>

=== Spin-offs ===
==== ''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel'' (2001) ====
{{Main|Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel}}

''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel'' is the first ''Fallout'' game not to require the player to fight in a [[turn-based]] mode, and the first to allow the player to customize the skills, perks, and combat actions of the rest of the party. ''Fallout Tactics'' focuses on [[turn-based tactics|tactical]] combat rather than [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]]; the new combat system included different modes, stances, and modifiers, but the player had no dialogue options. Most of the criticisms of the game came from its incompatibility with the story of the original two games, not from its gameplay. ''Fallout Tactics'' includes a multiplayer mode that allows players to compete against squads of other characters controlled by other players. Unlike the previous two games, which are based in California, ''Fallout Tactics'' takes place in the [[Midwestern United States]]. The game was released in early 2001 to generally favorable reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fallout-tactics-brotherhood-of-steel-review/1900-2699080/ |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/fallout-tactics-brotherhood-of-steel/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}</ref> In 2020, [[Emil Pagliarulo]] stated that elements and lore from ''Fallout Tactics'' have been used in [[Bethesda Softworks]]' subsequent entries in the series.<ref>{{cite AV media| people = Emil Pagliarulo| title = Willkommen zu #BGC2020 - unser Gamescom Streaming-Format für euch!| medium = Stream| publisher = Bethesda Softworks DE| year = 2020|url=https://www.twitch.tv/videos/725149480?t=01h06m23s}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel'' (2004) ====
{{Main|Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}

''Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel'' became the first ''Fallout'' game for [[video game console|consoles]] when it was released in 2004. It follows an initiate in the [[Brotherhood of Steel]] who is given a suicidal quest to find several lost Brotherhood Paladins. ''Brotherhood of Steel'' is an [[action role-playing game]], representing a significant break from previous incarnations of the ''Fallout'' series in both gameplay and aesthetics. The game does not feature [[non-player character]]s that accompany the player in combat and uses [[heavy metal music]], including [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]], [[Devin Townsend]], and [[Killswitch Engage]], which stands in contrast to the music of the earlier ''Fallout'' games, performed by [[The Ink Spots]] and [[Louis Armstrong]]. It was the last ''Fallout'' game developed by [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]].

==== ''Fallout Shelter'' (2015) ====
{{Main|Fallout Shelter}}

''Fallout Shelter'' is a [[construction and management simulation|simulation]] game for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[Xbox One]], [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Nintendo Switch]]. The player acts as the Overseer, building and managing their Vault and its dwellers, sending them into the Wasteland on scouting missions and defending the Vault from attacks. Unlike the main entries in the franchise, this game has no ending and mostly revolves around attempting to keep the people who live in the vault, an intricate fallout shelter, alive. The game uses [[microtransaction]]s, a form of in-game purchases, that take the form of [[Nuka-Cola]] quantum, the game's "premium" currency; lunch boxes, an item that would give a random mixture of in-game items; pet carriers, something that would contain a pet, which can boost a single dweller's stats; and "Mister Handys" or "Snip-Snips" (same thing different skin), robots who can harvest the games materials or be assigned to outside the vault to harvest bottle caps, the game's currency. ''Fallout Shelter'' was released for iOS on June 14, 2015, Android on August 13, 2015, and for PC on July 15, 2016. On February 7, 2017, Bethesda launched ''Fallout Shelter'' on Xbox One. On June 10, 2018, Bethesda announced and launched ''Fallout Shelter'' on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

==== ''Fallout Pinball'' (2016) ====
In late 2016, [[Zen Studios]] developed a [[Pinball#Computer pinball simulation|virtual]] [[pinball]] game based on the ''Fallout'' universe as part of the ''Bethesda Pinball'' collection, which became available as part of ''[[Zen Pinball 2]]'', ''[[Pinball FX 2]]''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coppock |first1=Mark |date=December 6, 2016 |title=Now you can play pinball versions of Doom, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/bethesda-pinball-released-for-pinball-fx2/ |access-date=November 24, 2018 |website=DigitalTrends}}</ref> and ''[[Pinball FX 3]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last=Fahey |first=Mike |date=August 17, 2017 |title=Pinball FX 3 Is All About Cross-Platform Competition |url=http://kotaku.com/pinball-fx-3-is-all-about-cross-platform-competition-1797931064 |access-date=August 17, 2017 |work=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> as well as a separate [[free-to-play]] app for [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] mobile devices.<ref>{{cite web |last1=BarbieBobomb |date=December 6, 2016 |title=Bethesda and Zen Studios Team Up for an Epic Pinball Pack |url=https://blog.zenstudios.com/?p=6672 |access-date=November 24, 2018 |website=[[Zen Studios]] |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117035942/https://blog.zenstudios.com/?p=6672 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The pinball adaptation is based on ''[[Fallout 4]]'' while containing elements from previous installments as well.

==== ''Fallout 76'' (2018) ====
{{Main|Fallout 76}}
[[File:FANDOM-Gamescom-2018-Wednesday-040 (30350020708).jpg|thumb|"Our Future Begins" promotion for ''Fallout 76'' at [[Gamescom]] 2018]]

''Fallout 76'' is the first online [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer game]] in the franchise. It is set in [[West Virginia]], with a majority of monsters and enemies based on regional folklore. When the game was originally released, there were no human [[non-player character]]s, although it received NPCs and character dialogue with the "Wastelanders" update. It was released for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[PlayStation 4]], and [[Xbox One]] on November 14, 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=June 10, 2018 |title=Fallout 76 is the first multiplayer game set in the Fallout universe |url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/10/17405448/fallout-76-multiplayer-trailer-bethesda-e3-2018 |access-date=June 10, 2018 |work=Polygon}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout Shelter Online'' (2019) ====
''Fallout Shelter Online'' is a sequel to ''Fallout Shelter'' developed by [[Chinese companies|Chinese]] company Gaea Mobile.<ref name="PreReg">{{cite web |date=March 11, 2020 |title=Update: Pre-Registrations for the English Version of 'Fallout Shelter Online' Are Now Live |url=https://toucharcade.com/2020/03/10/fallout-shelter-online-english-release-pre-registrations-ios-android-free/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[TouchArcade]] |archive-date=March 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318151504/https://toucharcade.com/2020/03/10/fallout-shelter-online-english-release-pre-registrations-ios-android-free/}}</ref> It expands on the original games' mechanics while also introducing multiplayer capabilities such as [[PvP]] and the ability to play online, as well as [[gacha game|gacha]] mechanics.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 11, 2020 |title=Fallout Shelter's Sequel Could Be Launching Globally |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/03/fallout-shelter-online-english-launch/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[Kotaku]] |archive-date=March 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312085537/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/03/fallout-shelter-online-english-launch/}}</ref> It was released in June 2019 exclusively in [[China]].<ref>{{cite web |date=June 3, 2019 |title='Fallout Shelter' sequel adds PvP, but it's only available in China |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019-06-03-fallout-shelter-online-china-exclusive.html?guccounter=1 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[Engadget]] |archive-date=May 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530025217/https://www.engadget.com/2019-06-03-fallout-shelter-online-china-exclusive.html?guccounter=1}}</ref> On March 18, 2020, pre-registration for [[Indonesia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Philippines]], [[Thailand]], [[Singapore]], [[South Korea]], and [[Japan]] was opened.<ref name="PreReg" /> On June 1, 2020, it was released in the former territories on iOS and Android devices.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 1, 2020 |title='Fallout Shelter Online' Has Now Launched in Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and More on iOS and Android |url=https://toucharcade.com/2020/06/01/fallout-shelter-online-english-release-asia-ios-android-free/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=[[TouchArcade]] |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609201819/https://toucharcade.com/2020/06/01/fallout-shelter-online-english-release-asia-ios-android-free/}}</ref>

=== Tabletop games ===
==== ''Fallout: Warfare'' (2001) ====
{{seealso|Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel}}

''Fallout: Warfare'' is a [[Miniature wargaming|tabletop wargame]] based on the ''Fallout Tactics'' storyline, using a simplified version of the SPECIAL system. The rulebook was written by [[Christopher Taylor (game designer)|Christopher Taylor]], and was available on the ''Fallout Tactics'' bonus CD, together with cut-out miniatures. ''Fallout: Warfare'' features five distinct factions, vehicles, four game types and 33 different units. The rules only require ten-sided dice. The modifications to the SPECIAL system allow every unit a unique set of stats and give special units certain skills they can use, including piloting, doctor, and repair. A section of the ''Fallout: Warfare'' manual allows campaigns to be conducted using the ''Warfare'' rules. It has been chosen for many awards and won [[List of Game of the Year awards|game of the year]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

==== ''Fallout: The Board Game'' (2017) ====
{{Main|Fallout: The Board Game}}
''Fallout: The Board Game'' was announced by [[Fantasy Flight Games]] on August 8, 2017.<ref name="FBG">{{cite web |title=Fallout: The Board Game |url=https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/8/8/fallout/ |website=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110131802/https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/8/8/fallout/ |archive-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> In ''Fallout: The Board Game'', up to one to four players are able to explore the locations of ''Fallout 3'', ''Fallout 4'' and their associated downloadable content.<ref name="FBG" /> Pre-orders were opened on October 2, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wasteland Survival Guide |url=https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/10/2/wasteland-survival-guide/ |website=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=October 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104010620/https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/10/2/wasteland-survival-guide/ |archive-date=January 4, 2020}}</ref> It was released and made available to purchase online and at retailers on November 30, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Post-Nuclear Gift Guide |url=https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/30/post-nuclear-gift-guide/ |website=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=November 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616003805/https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/11/30/post-nuclear-gift-guide/ |archive-date=June 16, 2019}}</ref>

An expansion titled ''Fallout: New California'' was announced on July 13, 2018, which explores the area of New California featured in ''Fallout'' and ''Fallout 2''.<ref>{{cite web |title=New California |url=https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/7/13/new-california/ |website=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=July 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817095926/https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/7/13/new-california/ |archive-date=August 17, 2018}}</ref> Pre-orders were opened on October 2, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L.? |url=https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/10/8/what-makes-you-special/ |website=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=October 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104005617/https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/10/8/what-makes-you-special/ |archive-date=January 4, 2020}}</ref> It was released and made available to purchase online and at retailers on October 25, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to New California |url=https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/10/25/welcome-to-new-california/ |website=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=October 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421113641/https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/10/25/welcome-to-new-california/ |archive-date=April 21, 2019}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout: Wasteland Warfare'' (2018) ====
The [[Miniature wargaming|tabletop wargame]] ''Fallout: Wasteland Warfare'' was announced by [[Modiphius Entertainment]] in April 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geekandsundry.com/fallout-wasteland-warfare-bring-the-narrative-dystopia-to-the-tabletop |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624000938/http://geekandsundry.com/fallout-wasteland-warfare-bring-the-narrative-dystopia-to-the-tabletop/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2017 |title='Fallout: Wasteland Warfare' brings narrative dystopia to the tabletop |date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> It was released in March 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.modiphius.com/fallout.html |title=Modiphius Entertainment |access-date=October 5, 2017 |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130161429/https://www.modiphius.com/fallout.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A virtual tabletop version was released on [[Fantasy Grounds]] April 26, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Ruleset for Fantasy Grounds |url=https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.php?id=MUH052191FG |access-date=May 2, 2022 |website=Fantasy Grounds Website |language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout: The Roleplaying Game'' (2021) ====
The [[tabletop role-playing game]] ''Fallout: The Roleplaying Game'', also by [[Modiphius Entertainment]], was released digitally on March 31, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.modiphius.net/pages/fallout-the-roleplaying-game|title='Modiphius Entertainment - Fallout, The Roleplaying Game'|access-date=March 19, 2023}}</ref> The game features a modified version of the SPECIAL system, including the seven SPECIAL stats, skills, tag skills, and perks. Its core mechanic is Modiphius's "2d20" system, a [[dice pool]] system in which any given action is resolved by rolling two twenty-sided dice and counting the number of "successes", which are any result equal to or below the character's combined SPECIAL attribute plus their skill rank for a particular action. Players can roll additional dice by spending "Action Points", a resource shared by all active players in the game, which are generated and spent continuously over the course of a game session.

The game's default setting is the Commonwealth, the same as in ''Fallout 4'', at the same period in time. [[Flavor text]] throughout the rulebook describe characters featured in ''Fallout 4'' and suggest that events are set to occur the same way they are at the beginning of the videogame, such as the arrival of the ''Prydwen'' airship. The rulebook contains descriptions of locations, fictional corporations, factions, and events specific to the default greater Boston area. Support for regions that appeared in other Fallout videogames, such as New California, Midwest, Capital Wasteland, Mojave Wasteland or the Appalachia, were not included in the core rulebook.

On May 13, 2020, a supplement-sized questbook expansion titled ''Winter of Atom'' was announced.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fallout Friday May 2022 |url=https://www.modiphius.net/blogs/news/fallout-friday-may-2022 |website=[[Modiphius Entertainment]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=May 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513164820/https://www.modiphius.net/blogs/news/fallout-friday-may-2022 |archive-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> The expansion is set within the Commonwealth before the events of ''Fallout 4'' during a harsh winter, with the conflict involving defending settlements against the Last Son of Atom, the leader of a rogue sect of the Children of Atom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Did You Wish For a Nuclear Winter? |url=https://www.modiphius.net/blogs/news/did-you-wish-for-a-nuclear-winter |website=[[Modiphius Entertainment]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131203607/https://www.modiphius.net/blogs/news/did-you-wish-for-a-nuclear-winter |archive-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref> Four new factions are also introduced,<ref>{{cite web |title=New Fallout RPG Factions: Beatniks, Big Tops, Traveling Casinos and Sisters of Mechanical Worship |url=https://www.modiphius.net/blogs/news/new-fallout-rpg-factions-beatniks-big-tops-traveling-casinos-and-sisters-of-mechanical-worship |website=[[Modiphius Entertainment]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217231550/https://www.modiphius.net/blogs/news/new-fallout-rpg-factions-beatniks-big-tops-traveling-casinos-and-sisters-of-mechanical-worship |archive-date=February 17, 2023}}</ref> as well as additional player character origins for Synth, Protectron and Child of Atom players.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synth, Protectron, and Children of Atom Player Characters in Fallout |url=https://www.modiphius.net/en-us/blogs/news/synth-protectron-and-children-of-atom-player-characters-in-fallout |website=[[Modiphius Entertainment]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=April 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408024716/https://www.modiphius.net/en-us/blogs/news/synth-protectron-and-children-of-atom-player-characters-in-fallout |archive-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref> Physical pre-orders for ''Winter of Atom'' were opened in May 2023, which included a digital copy in PDF form upon purchasing.<ref name="Ship">{{cite web |title=Fallout fans can return to the Commonwealth in the Winter of Atom campaign book |url=https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23688240/fallout-roleplaying-game-winter-of-atom-campaign-book |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420140321/https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23688240/fallout-roleplaying-game-winter-of-atom-campaign-book |archive-date=April 20, 2023}}</ref> Physical copies were slated to ship in July 2023.<ref name="Ship" />

====''Magic: The Gathering: Fallout'' (2024)====
A set of four pre-constructed decks for ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' based on all previous ''Fallout'' video games was released by [[Wizards of the Coast]] under license from Bethesda on March 8, 2024, as part of the ''Universes Beyond'' program of cross-over Magic products. These decks were designed for the Commander format of multiplayer Magic and represent different factions: Survivors, Legions, Scientists, and Mutants. The set contains a total of 146 new cards, representing characters, equipment, vaults, and other elements of the Fallout games, along with reprints of older cards all with new art depicting the post-apocalyptic setting.<ref>[https://bethesda.net/en/article/5qFaNh5eCdjvudypJL8xn2/magic-the-gathering-fallout-march-8-2024 Bethesda]</ref><ref>[https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/fallout Wotc ]</ref>

====''Fallout Factions'' (2024)====
The tabletop skirmishing wargame, ''Fallout Factions'', was announced by Modiphius Entertainment on September 10, 2022, during their online event, ModCon 2022.<ref>{{cite AV media| people = [[Modiphius Entertainment]]| title = Fallout: Wasteland Warfare - Wave 7 / Forged in the Fire - Every Mini Revealed! - ModCon 2022| medium = Stream VOD| publisher = Modiphius Entertainment| year = 2020|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=V4tDkvMPp4CnRRU2&t=3173&v=Y1CGbUW-UWM}}</ref> The game's first release, ''Fallout Factions: Nuka World'', is played using miniatures of three Raider gangs: the Operators, the Pack, and the Disciples, which were originally introduced in ''Fallout 4'''s ''Nuka-World'' add-on.<ref name="Mini">{{cite web |title=Fallout 4 is getting a new skirmish miniatures game from former Warhammer designer |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/fallout-factions-nuka-world/news/fallout-factions-nuka-world-announced-skirmish-miniatures |website=[[Dicebreaker]] |access-date=September 15, 2023 |date=September 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915200554/https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/fallout-factions-nuka-world/news/fallout-factions-nuka-world-announced-skirmish-miniatures |archive-date=September 15, 2023}}</ref> The game's miniatures were also announced to be compatible with ''Fallout: Wasteland Warfare''.<ref name="Mini" /> On September 15, 2023, it was announced via newsletter that the game would be released in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Modiphius Newsletter - Round-Up #167 - ModCon 2023, Fallout Factions, Cohors Cthulhu! |url=https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=3a03f2f0abc7da8e538e00cb4&id=0ee81f4927 |website=[[Modiphius Entertainment]] |access-date=September 15, 2023 |date=September 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915222258/https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=3a03f2f0abc7da8e538e00cb4&id=0ee81f4927 |archive-date=September 15, 2023}}</ref>

=== Cancelled games ===
==== ''Fallout Extreme'' ====
''Fallout Extreme'' was in development for several months in 2000 but was canceled before leaving the concept stage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/01/27/no-more-than-words-fallout-extreme/ |title=No More Than Words: Fallout Extreme |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |last=Gillen |first=Kieron |date=January 27, 2010 |access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref> It was intended to be a squad-based, [[First-person shooter|first]] and [[Third-person shooter|third-person]] tactical shooter to be released on [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]<ref>{{Cite web |title='Fallout Extreme' revealed as another nuked project |url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-01-27-fallout-extreme-revealed-as-another-nuked-project.html |access-date=August 8, 2020 |website=Engadget |date=January 27, 2010 |language=en}}</ref> and built on [[Unreal Engine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fallout Extreme – kolejny Fallout, którego nie było {{!}} Polygamia |date=January 27, 2010 |url=https://polygamia.pl/fallout-extreme-kolejny-fallout-ktorego-nie-bylo/ |access-date=August 8, 2020 |language=pl-PL}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout Tactics 2'' ====
''Fallout Tactics 2'' was proposed as a sequel to ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel]]'', although it was originally conceived as a sequel to ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]'', the video game that inspired the ''Fallout'' series. It was developed by [[Micro Forté]], but the production was canceled in December 2001 after the poor sales of ''[[Fallout Tactics]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unseen64.net/2010/03/26/fallout-tactics-2-pc-cancelled/ |title=Fallout Tactics 2 [PC – Cancelled] – Unseen64 |date=March 26, 2010}}</ref>

====''Van Buren'', Black Isle Studios' ''Fallout 3''====
{{main|Van Buren (video game){{!}}''Van Buren'' (video game)}}
''Van Buren'' is the codename for the canceled version of ''Fallout 3'' developed by [[Black Isle Studios]] and to be published by [[Interplay Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Patrick|last=Klepek|url=https://kotaku.com/that-time-someone-else-was-making-fallout-3-1744268228|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124010109/https://kotaku.com/that-time-someone-else-was-making-fallout-3-1744268228|title=That Time Someone Else Was Making Fallout 3|website=[[Kotaku]]|archivedate=November 24, 2015|date=November 23, 2015|accessdate=January 21, 2024}}</ref> It featured an improved engine with 3D graphics as opposed to sprites, new locations, vehicles, and a modified version of the SPECIAL system. The story disconnected from the Vault Dweller/Chosen One bloodline in ''Fallout'' and ''Fallout 2''. Plans for the game included the ability to influence the various factions. The game was canceled in December 2003 when budget cuts forced Interplay to dismiss the PC development team. Interplay subsequently sold the ''Fallout'' [[intellectual property]] to [[Bethesda Softworks]], who began development on their own version of ''Fallout 3'' unrelated to ''Van Buren''. Main parts of the game were incorporated into ''Fallout 3'' and its add-ons as well as ''Fallout: New Vegas''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

==== ''Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2'' ====
''Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2'' is the canceled sequel to ''Brotherhood of Steel''. The development of the game started before the completion of the original, and its development caused the cancellation of the ''[[Van Buren (video game)|Van Buren]]'' project. Like its predecessor, the game would have used the [[Dark Alliance Engine]]. It featured fourteen new weapons and ten new enemies. The game would have used a simplified [[reputation system]] based on previous entries; depending on whether the player was good or evil, the game would play out differently. Each of the four characters that were playable had a different fighting style, therefore every new play-through would have been a different experience. It had two player co-op action for players to experience the game with their friends. The Dark Alliance Engine would be fleshed out to refine player experience. A new stealth system would have been added to the game. This system would have allowed players to stalk enemies or stealthily assassinate them with a sniper rifle. For characters that could not use the sniper rifle, Interplay added a turret mode allowing those characters to use turrets.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://planetfallout.gamespy.com/articles/news/650/Brotherhood-of-Steel-2-design-documents |title=BOS2 Gameplay |access-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324002505/http://planetfallout.gamespy.com/articles/news/650/Brotherhood-of-Steel-2-design-documents |archive-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref>

While the main quest of the game would have been linear, how the player reach the conclusion would have been their choice. The main character would have been a Latino girl named Lilith, who was said to have a short temper with short black hair, green eyes and a sexy body. She would have worn a sports bra and jeans. Three other characters would be Maxus, the son of Cyrus, and Jaffe, a Brotherhood R&D worker who was pulled from duty due to Brotherhood/NCR tensions. Scarlet is a character that is completely albino, was raised by Harold, and inspired by the stories of Dweller, the main character of the original ''Fallout''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atomicgamer.com/files/76426/fallout-brotherhood-of-steel-2-design-doc |title=Lilith, the main character of Fallout: BOS2 |access-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001012449/http://www.atomicgamer.com/files/76426/fallout-brotherhood-of-steel-2-design-doc |archive-date=October 1, 2011}}</ref>

==== ''Fallout Online'' ====
{{Main|Fallout Online}}

''Fallout Online'' (previously known as ''[[Project V13]]'') is a canceled project by Interplay and [[Masthead Studios]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6207361.html?tag=result;title;0 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717011533/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6207361.html?tag=result;title;0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |title=Earthrise studio arming Fallout MMORPG |publisher=Gamespot.com |first=Tor |last=Thorsen |date=April 3, 2009 |access-date=April 10, 2009}}</ref> to develop a ''Fallout''-themed [[massively multiplayer online game]]. It entered production in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stuffwelike.com/stuffwelike/2008/04/09/interplay-returns-brings-fallout-mmo/ |title=Interplay returns; brings Fallout MMO |publisher=StuffWeLike.com |first=Garbled |last=Zombie |date=April 10, 2008 |access-date=April 10, 2008}}</ref> In 2009, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Interplay regarding ''Project V13,'' claiming that Interplay has violated their agreement as development had not yet begun on the project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massively.com/2009/09/11/bethesda-and-interplay-lock-legal-horns-over-fallout-mmo/ |title=Bethesda and Interplay lock legal horns over Fallout MMO |publisher=Massively.com |first=Colin |last=Brennan |date=September 11, 2009 |access-date=September 12, 2009}}</ref> On January 2, 2012, Bethesda and Interplay reached a settlement, the terms of which include the cancellation of ''Fallout Online'' and transfer of all rights in the franchise to Bethesda.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Great Fallout Legal Battle Ends Without a Fallout MMO |date=January 9, 2012 |url=http://kotaku.com/5874561/the-great-fallout-legal-battle-ends-without-a-fallout-mmo |publisher=Kotaku |access-date=January 10, 2012}}</ref> Since then, ''Project V13'' has been revived as a completely different project called [[Project V13#Development|Mayan Apocalypse]], unrelated to ''Fallout''.

== Gameplay ==
=== SPECIAL ===

SPECIAL is a [[character creation]] and statistics system developed for use in the ''Fallout'' series. "SPECIAL" is an [[acronym]], representing the seven [[attribute (role-playing games)|attributes]] used to define characters': '''S'''trength, '''P'''erception, '''E'''ndurance, '''C'''harisma, '''I'''ntelligence, '''A'''gility and '''L'''uck. SPECIAL is heavily based on [[GURPS]], which was originally intended to be the character system used in the game.

The SPECIAL system involves the following sets of key features:

* [[Attribute (role-playing games)|Attributes]] (listed above) represent a character's core, innate abilities. Attributes stay largely constant throughout the game, though they can be temporarily affected by [[medication|drugs]], altered indefinitely by conditions such as the usage of Power Armor, the presence of certain NPCs, eye damage received from a critical hit, or permanently changed at certain points in the game through use of certain items or perks.
* [[skill (role-playing)|Skills]] represent a character's chance of successfully performing a group of specific tasks (such as firing a gun, or picking a lock). They are represented as [[percentage]]s, though these percentages can extend well beyond the expected maximum of 100%, at increased cost for skills over 100%. The SPECIAL stats continually add bonuses to skills. This is done passively, i.e. if the SPECIAL stats change, the bonuses are automatically and instantly adjusted. Skill Points that are earned each time the character [[levels up]] can be used to raise skill percentage. At [[character creation]], the player selects three "tag skills"—skills which can be increased at multiples of the normal rate, starting at one skill point per 2% skill at under 101% skill.

The SPECIAL system was used in ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'', ''[[Fallout 2]]'', and ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel]]''. A modified version of the system was used in ''[[Fallout 3]]'', ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', ''[[Fallout 4]]'', ''[[Fallout 76]]'' and ''[[Fallout Shelter]]''.

Aside from ''Fallout'' games, modified versions of SPECIAL were also used in ''[[Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader]]'' (also referred to as ''Fallout Fantasy'' early in production), a fantasy [[role-playing video game]] that involved spirits and magic in addition to the traditional SPECIAL features, as well as the canceled project ''[[Black Isle's Torn]]''.

{{Anchor|pipboy}}{{Anchor|vaultboy}}

=== The Pip-Boy and Vault Boy ===
{{Main|Pip-Boy|Vault Boy}}
[[File:Bloody Mess.jpg|thumb|The ''Fallout'' series' aesthetic is represented in the user interface of the Pip-Boy computer, and the frequent occurrences of the Vault Boy character, illustrating perks and mechanics.]]

The [[Pip-Boy]] (Personal Information Processor-Boy) is a wrist-computer given to the player early in ''Fallout'', ''Fallout 2'', ''Fallout 3'', ''Fallout: New Vegas'', ''Fallout 4'', and ''Fallout 76'' which serves various roles in quest, inventory, and battle management, as well as presenting player statistics. The model present in ''Fallout'' and ''Fallout 2'' is identified as a Pip-Boy 2000, and both games feature the same unit, used first by the Vault Dweller and later inherited by the Chosen One. ''Fallout Tactics'' contains a modified version of the 2000 model, called Pip-Boy 2000BE, while ''Fallout 3'' and ''Fallout: New Vegas'' uses a Pip-Boy 3000. ''Fallout: New Vegas'' has a golden version of it, called the Pimp-Boy 3 Billion that is given to the player as a reward for completing a quest in a certain way. ''Fallout 4'' contains a modified version of the 3000, called the Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV. ''Fallout 76'' contains a modified version of the Pip-Boy, called the Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI, which is another version of the Pip-Boy 2000.

The [[Vault Boy]] character is Vault-Tec's [[mascot]], and is a recurring element in Vault-Tec products in the game world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bethblog.com/index.php/2008/06/25/papercraft-vault-boy-now-online/ |title=Papercraft Vault Boy now online |publisher=Official Bethesda Softworks Blog |date=July 25, 2008 |access-date=November 23, 2008}}</ref> This includes the Pip-Boy, where the Vault Boy illustrates all of the character statistics and selectable attributes. From Bethesda's ''Fallout 3'' onward Vault Boy models all of the clothing and weaponry as well.<ref name="Bethesda">{{cite web |url=http://fallout.bethsoft.com/eng/vault/diaries_diary5-6.6.08.html |title=Creating Collectibles |publisher=Fallout.bethsoft.com |date=2008 |access-date=February 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607104050/http://fallout.bethsoft.com/eng/vault/diaries_diary5-6.6.08.html |archive-date=June 7, 2008}}</ref> The character was originally designed by [[Leonard Boyarsky]], based partly on [[Rich Uncle Pennybags]]' aesthetic from the ''Monopoly'' board game.

=== Power armor ===
[[File:PAX 08 (2837169733).jpg|thumb|A replica of T-45 power armor, which first appears and is prominently featured in ''Fallout 3'']]
Powered combat infantry armor, or power armor, is a type of [[powered exoskeleton]] featured in every game in the ''Fallout'' series. It allows for protection from enemy fire and enables the wearer to carry extremely heavy weapons and other objects with ease. It is considered an iconic part of the ''Fallout'' universe, an effective marketing tool for a faceless protagonist, and a prominent symbol within the game's lore.<ref name="Lafleuriel-2019"/>

The final design of the power armor in the original ''Fallout'' was created by artist Leonard Boyarsky from a helmet rendering made to showcase "something more detailed to show (on) the cover and in the cinematics" of the game. The design of the helmet and eyepiece was stated by Cain to be partly inspired by the film ''[[The City of Lost Children]]'', with its "tubing and vents" serving as "very inspirational" to the overall aesthetic of the game.<ref>{{cite web|website=Tweak Town|last=Strickland|first=Derek|date=June 9, 2023|title=Tim Cain reveals the books, films, games & real-life influences that inspired the first Fallout|url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/91806/tim-cain-reveals-the-books-films-games-real-life-influences-that-inspired-first-fallout/index.html}}</ref> Leonard Boyarsky stated that he was inspired by the "very industrial...very hardcore mechanical" design of the helmet and "loved it so much" that he revised the initial in-game design of the power armor to reflect the concept art that he had made.<ref>{{cite web|website=YouTube|title=A Chat With Leonard Boyarsky|author=Timothy Cain|date=May 29, 2023|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egh2p8ajb3w}}</ref>

The power armor's recurring appearances in subsequent titles following the acquisition of the ''Fallout'' intellectual property by Bethesda Softworks represents a crucial visual motif used to establish continuity with earlier works in the franchise. Lead art director Istvan Pely stated that the power armor was the first asset developed for ''[[Fallout 3]]'' because the "iconic element of the series...seemed like a great place to start" and was a "useful exercise in finding a balance between staying true to the original game's vibe and introducing a fresh aesthetic for the new game".<ref name=Art/>

In earlier ''Fallout'' games, power armor was depicted as sizeable and imposing powered combat suits that substantially increased the physical stature of the occupant. In ''Fallout 3'' and ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', power armor is depicted as symmetrical in height and width to regular apparel in gameplay due to engine limitations. This change was poorly received by many critics and fans, who felt that power armor no longer lived up to its reputation as large and formidable powered exoskeleton suits that greatly enhanced the physical capabilities and endurance of the wearer. ''PCGamesN'' reported a fan-created mod called ''Titans of The New West 2.0'' for ''Fallout:'' ''New Vegas'', which introduced aesthetic changes to the game's power armor design expressly intended to mirror the original design philosophy of power armor from ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'', ''[[Fallout 2]]'', and ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel|Fallout Tactics]]'' by adding custom models, animations, and sound effects to reflect their height, weight and heft, along with optional gameplay enhancements when using power armor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Will |date=October 30, 2022 |title=Fallout: New Vegas mod revamps power armour to mirror the older games |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-new-vegas/mod-power-armour |access-date=July 14, 2023 |website=[[PCGamesN]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Evan Lafleuriel observed that ''New Vegas'' is the only game in the series to eschew the use of power armor to advertise the game, which did not leave a lasting impression in his view.<ref name="Lafleuriel-2019"/>

In ''[[Fallout 4]]'', power armor is notably more heavily integrated into gameplay, with suits becoming customizable, interactable objects in the game world that the player climbs into rather than typical clothing and requiring fusion cores to use.<ref name="Martin-2015">{{Cite web|last=Martin|first=Matt|date=November 17, 2015|title=Fallout 4 players are building very cool Power Armor collections|url=https://www.vg247.com/2015/11/17/fallout-4-best-power-armor/|access-date=October 30, 2020|website=VG247}}</ref> The studio initially began a "reimagining" of the classic design during the development of ''Fallout 4'' but created a new and revised design that was "bigger, more imposing, more realistic and fully functional" to create the impression of the power armor feeling less like a suit and more like a vehicle that a player would operate,<ref name=Art>{{cite book|title=The Art of Fallout 4|publisher=Dark Horse Books|author=Bethesda Game Studios|editor=Aaron Walker|url=https://archive.org/details/the-art-of-fallout-4.-official-artbook-libgen.li_202306}}</ref> which resonated with some commentators of ''Fallout 4''.<ref name="Lafleuriel-2019">{{Cite book |last=Lafleuriel |first=Erwan |title=Fallout: A Tale of Mutation |publisher=Third Editions |year=2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Patricia|date=November 12, 2015|title=Fallout 4's Power Armor Is Better Than Ever|url=https://kotaku.com/fallout-4s-power-armor-is-better-than-ever-1742184183|access-date=October 30, 2020|website=[[Kotaku]]|language=en-us}}</ref> In addition, players are capable of creating collections of power armor in concert with the game's base-building features.<ref name="Martin-2015" />

====Lore====
Within series lore, it was developed before the Great War by a group of [[United States]] [[defense contractors]] called West Tek in response for the need for a "walking tank" for the United States mechanized cavalry. From 2065 to 2067, several failed prototypes were created, though this research led to the creation of a compact [[Fusion power|fusion]] cell. The fusion cells worsened relations with China, which was already facing an [[energy crisis]] due to over-dependence on [[fossil fuel]]s. China soon invades Alaska, and the Power Armor is deployed in 2067, proving extremely effective in battle. The pinnacle of Power Armor technology was achieved in 2077, with units capable of cutting a swath through the Chinese forces.<ref name="Chris Avellone-2002">{{Cite book |last=Chris Avellone |year=2002 |title=Fallout Bible |url=http://archive.org/details/falloutbiblecomplete}}</ref> Their success on the battlefield ultimately prompts the Great War, a last-ditch [[nuclear exchange]] between America and China later in 2077 that annihilates most of modern civilization, save for irradiated [[Ghoul (Fallout)|ghouls]] and those sheltering in the Vault Network.

The 2019 publication ''Fallout: A Tale of Mutation'' explained that within the context of series lore, the Power Armor represents pre-war [[North America]]n power, since every battle against the Chinese was fought by soldiers wearing the armor. Additionally, it is a reminder of how powerless the United States was to prevent its destruction at the hands of [[nuclear weapon]]s.<ref name="Lafleuriel-2019"/>

Post-war, Power Armor is most widely used by the [[Brotherhood of Steel]], a cult-like organization that collects and preserves technology.<ref name="Chris Avellone-2002" />

====Merchandise====
A Power Armor [[figurine]] made by [[Japan]]ese toymaker ThreeZero was released in 2016 for nearly $400 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US|value=400|start_year=2016}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matulef|first=Jeffrey|date=January 23, 2016|title=Fallout 4 14.5 inch power armour figurine costs £279|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-01-23-fallout-4-14-5-inch-power-armour-figurine-costs-279|access-date=October 30, 2020|website=Eurogamer|language=en}}</ref> A $200 version of ''[[Fallout 76]]'' known as the Power Armor Edition was bundled with a replica Power Armor [[helmet]]. While its appearance was praised as "top notch", aspects such as the paint job and voice box were criticized as "cheap", and the visor as difficult to see through.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|date=November 13, 2018|title=We unbox the $200 "power armor" Fallout 76 version so you don't have to|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/11/we-unbox-the-200-power-armor-fallout-76-version-so-you-dont-have-to/|access-date=October 30, 2020|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref> While not part of the Power Armor Edition, red "Nuka-Cola" helmets sold at [[GameStop]] were recalled due to mold contamination, said to be part of a "comedy of errors" surrounding the game's release.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gonzalez|first=Oscar|title=Fallout Power Armor helmet recalled due to mold|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/fallout-power-armor-helmet-recalled-due-to-mold/|access-date=October 30, 2020|website=CNET|language=en}}</ref>

== Series overview ==
=== Setting ===
[[File:Flag of the United States (Fallout).svg|thumb|Fallout's [[Flag of the United States|U.S. flag]] shown here is inspired by the [[Cowpens flag]], but with the center star enlarged to represent the nation as a whole.]]
[[File:Nuka-Cola logo.svg|thumb|Logo of the [[Nuka-Cola]] Corporation]]

The series is set in a fictionalized United States in an [[alternate history]] scenario that diverges from reality after 1945, following [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/major-events-in-the-fallout-timeline/ |title=Major events in the Fallout timeline |first=Jody |last=Macgregor |date=July 28, 2018 |access-date=August 14, 2018 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref> In this alternative [[atompunk]] "golden age," [[vacuum tubes]] and [[atomic physics]] serve as the foundations of scientific progress, while [[transistors]] are not as scientifically crucial in this world.{{efn|A popular myth is that the transistor was never invented throughout the series; the developers have debunked this myth.}} As such, a bizarre socio-technological status quo emerges, in which advanced robots, [[nuclear propulsion|nuclear-powered]] cars, [[directed-energy weapon]]s, and other futuristic technologies are seen alongside 1950s-era computers and televisions. The United States divides itself into 13 [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|commonwealths]] and the aesthetics and [[Cold War]] [[McCarthyism|paranoia of the 1950s]] continue to dominate the American lifestyle well into the 21st century.

More than a hundred years before the start of the series, an [[energy crisis]] emerged as a result of [[oil depletion]], leading to a period called the "Resource Wars" starting in April 2052 – a series of events caused by global resource scarcity which included a war between the European Commonwealth and the [[Middle Eastern]] states (2053-2060) which led to the collapse of both regions, the disbanding of the [[United Nations]] (July 26, 2052) the U.S. invasion of [[Mexico]] (2051) and hostile [[annexation of Canada]] (2072), and a [[China|Chinese]] invasion and subsequent military occupation of [[Alaska]] in 2066 leading to the decade-long "Sino-American War" (2066-2077) between China and the U.S. coupled with the emergence of a disease known as the "New Plague" (2053) that devastated the American mainland. As global situations worsened, the American government became increasingly [[jingoistic]] and authoritarian (2000’s-2077), going as far as having political dissidents and Chinese-American citizens arrested and sent off to [[Political indoctrination|re-education]] camps where they were abused and even experimented on. By 2077 the tension between the United States and China had grown to critical levels as the U.S. retook Alaska and invaded mainland China, eventually culminating in the "[[World War III|Great War]]" on the morning of October 23, 2077, eastern daylight time, a two-hour long global [[nuclear exchange]] on an apocalyptic scale, which subsequently created the [[post-apocalyptic]] United States, the setting of the ''Fallout'' world.

=== Vaults ===
[[File:Vault-Tec Corporation logo.svg|thumb|Logo of the [[Vault-Tec|Vault-Tec Corporation]]]]
Having foreseen this outcome decades earlier, the U.S. government began a nationwide project in 2054 to build [[fallout shelter]]s known as "Vaults." The Vaults were ostensibly designed by the [[Vault-Tec Corporation]] as public shelters, each able to support up to a thousand people. Around 400,000 Vaults would have been needed, but only 122 were commissioned and constructed. Each Vault is self-sufficient, so it could theoretically sustain its inhabitants indefinitely. However, the Vault project was not intended as a viable method for repopulating the United States in the event of such deadly events. Instead, most Vaults were secret, unethical social experiments and were designed to determine the effects of different environmental and [[psychological]] conditions on their inhabitants. Seventeen [[Scientific control|control]] Vaults were made to function as advertised, in contrast with the Vault experiments. Still, they were usually shoddy and unreliable, as most of the funding went towards the experimental ones. Many Vaults remained sealed as part of their respective experiments even after the radiation had reached safe levels.

Experiments were widely varied and included: a Vault filled with [[Cloning|clones]] of an individual; a Vault where its residents were frozen in [[suspended animation]]; a Vault where its residents were exposed to psychoactive drugs; a Vault where they are instructed to sacrifice one inhabitant each year; a Vault with only one man and puppets; a Vault where its inhabitants were segregated into two hostile factions; two Vaults with disproportionate ratios of men and women; a Vault where the door never fully closed, exposing the inhabitants to the dangerous nuclear fallout; a Vault with limited space where all its dwellers had access to firearms; a deliberately overcrowded Vault and a number of Vaults where the inhabitants were exposed to the mutagenic Forced Evolutionary Virus (F.E.V.), creating [[posthuman]] and human/animal hybrid mutants including the monstrous ''Super Mutants''. Ultimately, many of the experiments had disastrous results, usually leading to their derailment and the Vault's collapse. Several Vaults became occupied by raiders, Super Mutants, or other mutated creatures following their abandonment.

=== Postwar conditions ===

[[File:Flag of the New California Republic.svg|thumb|Flag of the New California Republic|200px]]
[[File:Enclave symbol.svg|thumb|Symbol of the Enclave|200px]]
In the years following the Great War, the United States devolved into a post-apocalyptic environment commonly referred to as "the Wasteland." The Great War and subsequent [[nuclear Armageddon]] had severely depopulated the country, leaving large expanses of property decaying from neglect. In addition, virtually all food and water are irradiated, and most lifeforms have mutated due to high radiation combined with mutagens of varied origins. Despite the large-scale devastation, some areas were fortunate enough to survive the nuclear apocalypse relatively unscathed, even possessing non-irradiated water, flora, and fauna. However, these areas are exceedingly rare. With a large portion of the country's infrastructure in ruins, basic necessities are scarce. Barter is a common method of exchange, with bottle caps serving as a more conventional form of currency. Most cities and towns are empty, having been looted or deserted in favor of smaller, makeshift communities scattered around the Wasteland.

Many humans who could not get into the Vaults but survived the atomic blasts, affected by the radiation, turned into so-called "[[Ghoul (Fallout)|ghouls]]." While their lifespans are greatly extended, their bodies develop widespread [[necrosis]] or rot; many lose their hair, their voices take on a raspy tone, and otherwise have permanently deformed physical features. Ghouls often resent normal human beings, either out of jealousy or in response to discrimination. Ghouls typically resent any comparison to zombies, and being called a zombie is viewed as a great insult. Ghouls who continue to be exposed to high radiation levels can have their brains experience irreversible damage, causing them to become "feral" and attack almost anything on sight, having lost their minds.

Creatures known as "Deathclaws" roam the wilderness. They were deliberately created by humans as [[biological weapons]] prior to the Great War. Escaping into the wild afterwards, they went on to thrive in the nuclear wasteland, becoming [[apex predator]]s. Known as one of the ''Fallout'' series' most recognizable and iconic elements, Deathclaws were praised by critics for their design and the fear they induce in the player due to their immense power. As a result of their popularity, numerous [[Mod (video games)|mods]] were created for ''Fallout'' series games with the Deathclaw as a central theme, either to tame the creatures as a pet or use them in combat, concepts which were later added as an official feature.

Various factions of humans would later form in the Wasteland, with four of the most prominent being the [[Brotherhood of Steel]], the [[New California Republic]] (NCR), the Enclave, and the Institute. The Brotherhood came together when a group of soldiers led by [[U.S. Army]] Captain Roger Maxson started a mutiny after finding out about the Forced Evolutionary Virus experiments. Declaring themselves independent from the U.S. government, their rebellion never got off the ground due to the outbreak of the Great War. The defectors, safe in the underground confines of the base, emerged and reconnected with other survivors, then headed to the Lost Hills bunker to start anew. The NCR was formed by a group of Vault 15 dwellers who would go on to found the town of Shady Sands. Over time, under the leadership of their elder Aradesh and his daughter Tandi, Shady Sands became a major economic power in the [[Southwest United States|southwest]]. They united with other major hubs of civilization in the area to found the New California Republic. The Enclave was a secret cabal of wealthy industrialists, military personnel, and influential politicians who operated in the shadows and exerted a significant degree of control over the United States' government. This enigmatic alliance of private interests eventually subverted and developed from the [[continuity of government]] protocol to ensure its survival as the real United States, laying claim to the North American mainland. The Institute is a reclusive scientific society comprising various intellectuals and mechanists descended from the staff of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. Emerging as a major post-war power in the 2200s, the Institute considers itself a bastion of knowledge and prosperity amid a dying world, developing numerous revolutionary and advanced technologies. The Synths, androids that resemble humans almost exactly, stand at the forefront of the Institute's scientific achievements, working to benefit the organization's goals by inserting themselves into major post-war factions.

=== Influences ===
''Fallout'' satirizes the 1950s' and 1960s' fantasies of the United States' "post-nuclear-war-survival",<ref name=Canavan>Canavan, Gerry & Stanley, Kim (April 15, 2014). "Green Planets: Ecology and Science Fiction" Wesleyan University Press. p. 278. {{ISBN|9780819574282}}</ref><ref name=ReFu>Tringham, Neal Roger (September 10, 2014). "Science Fiction Video Games."  CRC Press. p. 154. {{ISBN|9781482203899}}. Quote: "Its visual design has a strong "retro futurist style, drawing on cinematic influences ranging from ''Forbidden Planet'' (1956) to the Flash Gordon serials. Fallout's tone is often satirical, and on occasion cheerfully brutal."</ref><ref>Tom Bissell, Tom. (June 8, 2010) "Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter." Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 4-5. {{ISBN|9780307379283}}. Quote: "The first ''Fallout'' games, which were exclusive to the personal computer, were celebrated for their clever satire and often freakishly exaggerated violence."</ref><ref>David G. Embrick, Talmadge J. Wright, Andras Lukacs (March 1, 2012). "Social Exclusion, Power, and Video Game Play: New Research in Digital Media." Lexington Books. p. 235. {{ISBN|9780739138625}}</ref> thus draws from 1950s [[pulp magazine]] science fiction and [[superhero]] comic books, all rooted in [[Atomic Age]] optimism of a nuclear-powered future, though gone terribly awry by the time the events of the game take place. The technology is [[retro-futuristic]], with various [[Raygun Gothic]] machines such as laser weaponry and boxy ''[[Forbidden Planet]]''-style robots.<ref name=ReFu /> Computers use [[vacuum tubes]] instead of transistors (of which only a few exist), the architecture of ruined buildings feature [[Art Deco]], [[Streamline Moderne]], and [[Googie]] designs, direct-energy weapons resemble those used by [[Flash Gordon]], and what few vehicles remain in the world are all 1950s-styled. ''Fallout''{{'}}s other production designs, such as menu interfaces, are similarly designed to resemble advertisements and toys of the Atomic Age. Advertising in the game, such as billboards and brochures, has a distinct 1950s motif and feel. The lack of retro-stylization was a common reason for criticism in spin-off games, as well as the inclusion of modern features in weapons and other models.

A major influence was ''[[A Boy and His Dog]]'', where the main character Vic and his dog Blood scavenge the desert of the [[Southwestern United States]], stealing for a living and evading bands of marauders, berserk androids, and mutants. It "inspired ''Fallout'' on many levels, from underground communities of survivors to glowing mutants."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_211/6283-Junktown-Dog.2 |title=Junktown Dog |publisher=The Escapist |date=July 21, 2009 |access-date=July 29, 2011 |author=Fiegel, Michael |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120191317/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_211/6283-Junktown-Dog.2 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other film influences include the [[Mad Max (franchise)|''Mad Max'']] series, with its depiction of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In the first game, one of the first available armors is a one-sleeved leather jacket that resembles the jacket worn in ''[[Mad Max 2]]''.<ref>{{citation |title=Fallout: New Vegas designer Josh Sawyer on post-apocalyptic games |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/nov/10/fallout-new-vegas-interview |publisher=guardian.co.uk |access-date=May 4, 2011 |date=November 10, 2010}}</ref>

==Other media==
===Canceled films===
In 1998, [[Interplay Entertainment]] founded the film division Interplay Films to make films based on its properties, and announced that a ''Fallout'' film was one of their first projects, along adaptations of ''[[Descent (video game)|Descent]]'' and ''[[Redneck Rampage]]''. In 2000, Interplay confirmed that a film based on the original ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' game was in production with ''[[Mortal Kombat Annihilation]]'' screenwriter Brent V. Friedman attached to write a [[film treatment]] and with [[Dark Horse Entertainment]] attached to produce it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/content.php?page=news-archive-08-2000 |title=August 2000 |website=No Mutants Allowed |access-date=November 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919183426/http://www.nma-fallout.com/content.php?page=news-archive-08-2000 |archive-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref> The division was later disbanded without any film produced, but Friedman's treatment was leaked on the Internet in 2011.

In 2009, [[Bethesda Softworks]] expressed its interest in producing a ''Fallout'' film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=77663852&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> After four extensions of the trademark without any use, Bethesda filed a "Statement of Use" with the USPTO in January 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn77663852&docId=SOU20120127150953USPTO |title=USPTO TSDR Case Viewer |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> In the next month, instead of a ''Fallout'' film, a special feature was made, entitled "Making of ''[[Fallout 3]]'' DVD",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn77663852&docId=ASU20120222054751#docIndex=2&page=1 |title=USPTO TSDR Case Viewer |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> which was accepted as a film on March 27 of the same year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn77663852&docId=ORC20120327001013#docIndex=0&page=1 |title=USPTO TSDR Case Viewer |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> This action removed the requirement to continue to re-register that mark indefinitely. In the DVD commentary of ''[[Mutant Chronicles (film)|Mutant Chronicles]]'', voice actor [[Ron Perlman]] stated that if a ''Fallout'' film was made, he would like to reprise his role as the Narrator. In 2016, Todd Howard stated that Bethesda had turned down the offers of making a film based on ''Fallout'', but that he did not rule out the possibility.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-03-10-kneel-before-todd-bethesdas-howard-on-a-lifetime-of-achievement |title=Kneel before Todd: Bethesda's Howard on a lifetime of achievement|date=March 10, 2016 }}</ref>

===Television series===
{{Main|Fallout (American TV series)}}

A ''Fallout'' television series based on the franchise was announced in July 2020 for [[Amazon Prime Video]]. The series was written, created and executive produced by [[Lisa Joy]] and [[Jonathan Nolan]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |last2=Petski |first2=Denise |title='Fallout' TV Series From 'Westworld' Creators Based On Games In Works At Amazon With Series Commitment |url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/fallout-television-series-based-game-franchise-amazon-studios-westworld-creators-1202976079/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=July 2, 2020 |date=July 2, 2020 |archive-date=February 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228001003/https://deadline.com/2020/07/fallout-television-series-based-game-franchise-amazon-studios-westworld-creators-1202976079/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2022, Amazon officially moved forward with the series, with Nolan directing the pilot episode and [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]] and Graham Wagner joining as [[showrunner]]s. Filming was completed on March 28, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |title='Fallout': Kilter Films' TV Series Based On Games Moving Forward At Prime Video With Jonathan Nolan Directing |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/fallout-series-games-prime-video-jonathan-nolan-geneva-robertson-dworet-graham-wagner-kilter-1234905676/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=January 6, 2022 |date=January 6, 2022 |archive-date=January 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106232953/https://deadline.com/2022/01/fallout-series-games-prime-video-jonathan-nolan-geneva-robertson-dworet-graham-wagner-kilter-1234905676/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The show is canonical to the games, with its 2296 setting, making it the furthest along the timeline in the franchise.<ref name="russell20240411">{{Cite web |date=April 11, 2024 |last=Russell |first=Bradley |title=Is the Fallout TV show canon? Here's what Bethesda's Todd Howard and the showrunners have to say |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/is-the-fallout-tv-show-canon-bethesda-games-todd-howard/ |website=[[Total Film]] |access-date=April 19, 2024 }}</ref> [[Ella Purnell]] and [[Walton Goggins]] were cast in lead roles as an inexperienced vault dweller venturing to the surface and a ghoul mercenary, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title=''Fallout'': Walton Goggins To Star In Prime Video's TV Series From Kilter Films Based On Games |url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/fallout-walton-goggins-star-prime-videos-tv-series-ghoul-kilter-films-jonathan-nolan-1234956734/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=18 February 2022 |date=February 18, 2022|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218193131/https://deadline.com/2022/02/fallout-walton-goggins-star-prime-videos-tv-series-ghoul-kilter-films-jonathan-nolan-1234956734/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |title=''Fallout'' TV Series at Amazon Casts 'Yellowjackets' Star Ella Purnell in Lead Role |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/fallout-tv-series-amazon-cast-ella-purnell-1235219101/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=March 30, 2022 |date=March 30, 2022 |archive-date=July 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706153745/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/fallout-tv-series-amazon-cast-ella-purnell-1235219101/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The series premiered [[Fallout season 1|its first season]], consisting of eight episodes, on April 10, 2024. Later that month, the series was renewed for [[Fallout season 2|a second season]], which is set to premiere on December 17, 2025.<ref name="S2Renewal">{{Cite web |last=Campione |first=Katie |date=April 18, 2024 |title='Fallout' Renewed For Season 2 At Amazon |url=https://deadline.com/2024/04/fallout-renewed-season-2-amazon-1235889742/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418231908/https://deadline.com/2024/04/fallout-renewed-season-2-amazon-1235889742/ |archive-date=April 18, 2024 |access-date=April 18, 2024 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fallout-season-2-new-vegas-first-look-1236345535/|title=‘Fallout’ Heads to Post-Apocalyptic Las Vegas in Season 2 First Look|last=Vlessing|first=Etan|date=August 18, 2025|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=August 24, 2025|archive-date=August 18, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250818170929/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fallout-season-2-new-vegas-first-look-1236345535/|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2025, ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season.<ref name="S3Renewal">{{cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=May 12, 2025|title=''Fallout'' Gets Early Season 3 Renewal At Prime Video|url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/fallout-renewed-season-3-prime-video-1236394147/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=May 12, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250512231311/https://deadline.com/2025/05/fallout-renewed-season-3-prime-video-1236394147/|archive-date=May 12, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>

===The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook===
The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook contains recipes for food items found within the Fallout universe, such as [[Nuka-Cola]], [[Macaroni and cheese|BlamCo Mac N' Cheese]], and various others. It was written by Laurie Ulster and Victoria Rosenthal, and was published on October 23, 2018, to coincide with the release of Fallout 76, and the in-game date of the Great War.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rosenthal |first1=Victoria |title=Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook |date=October 23, 2018|oclc=1041803340|isbn=9781683833970|publisher=Insight Editions}}</ref>

===''Fortnite: Battle Royale''===
The T-60 Power Armor appeared in [[Fortnite]], in the ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale|Battle Royale]]'' gamemode, as a cosmetic outfit in the Chapter 5 Season 3 Battle Pass, alongside a pickaxe tool attaining to the Assaultron, an emote depicting a Mister Handy robot, and many other cosmetic items bearing reference to the series. Nuka Cola also appeared as a consumable,<ref>{{Cite web |author=The Fortnite Team |date=May 24, 2024 |title=Crash the Party in Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked! |url=https://www.fortnite.com/news/crash-the-party-in-fortnite-battle-royale-chapter-5-season-3-wrecked |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524070724/https://www.fortnite.com/news/crash-the-party-in-fortnite-battle-royale-chapter-5-season-3-wrecked| archive-date=May 24, 2024|access-date=May 24, 2024 |website=[[Fortnite]]}}</ref> as did the laser rifle as an in-game weapon, in a later update.

===''Super Smash Bros Ultimate''===
During the summer of 2020, the mascot of Vault-Tec, Vault Boy, appeared as a [[Mii|Mii Gunner]] costume for the Nintendo Switch title ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/22/21298993/fallout-vault-boy-joins-smash-bros-ultimate-mii-fighter-gunner-nintendo|title=Fallout's Vault Boy joins Super Smash Bros. as a Mii Fighter|last=Mitchell|first=Cass|access-date=January 5, 2025|date=June 22, 2020|website=polygon.com|publisher=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref>

===''Call of Duty''===
On June 18, 2024, [[Activision]] announced a collaboration between the ''[[Call of Duty]]'' franchise and ''Fallout'', which saw the addition of a cosmetic bundle for purchase in ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III]]'' and ''[[Call of Duty: Warzone (2022 video game)|Call of Duty: Warzone]]''. The bundle contains "Vault 141" outfits for four operator characters Soap, Price, Ghost, and Gaz, in addition to Vault-themed weapon skins and other items based on ''Fallout''. The bundle was released on June 20, 2024, in addition to a free in-game event where players can earn other ''Fallout''-themed cosmetic items, including a Nuka-Cola Quantum weapon camouflage.<ref name="COD">{{Cite web|date=June 18, 2024|title=Call of Duty x Fallout Sees Task Force 141 Join the Vault Dwellers, Available June 20 |url=https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2024/06/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-iii-warzone-wzm-fallout-141-bundle|website=Call of Duty Blog|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref>

== Reception and legacy ==
{{Video game series reviews|seriesQid=Q167835}}

The ''Fallout'' series has been met with mostly positive reception. The highest rated title is ''Fallout 3'' and the lowest is ''Fallout 76'' according to review aggregator [[Metacritic]].<ref name="metacritic-fo3" />

=== Controversy and fandom ===
Some fans have expressed dismay at the direction the ''Fallout'' series has taken since its acquisition by [[Bethesda Softworks]]. Notorious for their vehement support of the series' first two games, ''Fallout'' and ''Fallout 2'',<ref name="escapist_fringe">{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_102/565-Gaming-s-Fringe-Cults.2 |title=Gaming's Fringe Cults |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107014659/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_102/565-Gaming-s-Fringe-Cults.2 |archive-date=January 7, 2019 |url-status=dead |last1=BLANCATO |first1=JOE |date=June 19, 2007 |website=The Escapist |publisher=Defy Media LLC |access-date=December 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name="kotaku_relent" /> members centered around one of the oldest ''Fallout'' [[fansite]]s, ''No Mutants Allowed'', have complained over departures from the original games' stories, gameplay mechanics and setting.<ref name="kotaku_relent" /> Minor criticisms include the prevalence of unspoiled food after 200 years, the survival of wood-framed dwellings after a nuclear blast, and the ubiquity of Super Mutants at early levels in the game.<ref name="kotaku_relent" /> More serious criticisms involve the quality of the game's writing, lack of verisimilitude, the switch to a first-person action game format, and the reactiveness of the surrounding game world to player actions.<ref name="kotaku_relent">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/the-relentless-champions-of-classic-fallout-1715984448 |title=The Relentless Champions Of Classic Fallout |last1=Winkie |first1=Luke |date=September 29, 2015 |website=Kotaku |access-date=December 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/01/08/games-for-2008-fallout-3/ |title=Games for 2008: Fallout 3 |last1=Gillen |first1=Kieron |date=January 8, 2008 |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |access-date=December 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/fallout-4-for-pc-ps4-xbox-one |title=Vault-111 Opens in Boston: Fallout 4 is Coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One |last1=Williams |first1=Mike |date=June 3, 2015 |website=US Gamer |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=December 21, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905184803/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/fallout-4-for-pc-ps4-xbox-one |url-status=dead }}</ref> In response, [[James Stephanie Sterling]] of ''[[Destructoid]]'' has called fan groups like ''No Mutants Allowed'' "selfish" and "arrogant"; stating that a new audience deserves a chance to play a ''Fallout'' game; and that if the series had stayed the way it was back in 1997, new titles would never have been made and brought to market.<ref name="destructoid_shutup">{{cite web |url=http://www.destructoid.com/videogame-fans-need-to-shut-up-about-everything-164476.phtml |title=Videogame 'fans' need to shut up about everything |last1=Sterling |first1=Jim |date=February 20, 2010 |website=Destructoid |access-date=December 20, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222142227/http://www.destructoid.com/videogame-fans-need-to-shut-up-about-everything-164476.phtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> Luke Winkie of ''[[Kotaku]]'' tempers these sentiments, saying that it is a matter of ownership; and that in the case of ''Fallout 3'', hardcore fans of the original series witnessed their favorite games become transformed into something else and that they are "not wrong" for having grievances.<ref name="kotaku_relent" />

The redesigned dialogue interface featured in ''Fallout 4'' received mixed reception by the community.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/fallout-4-s-full-dialogue-mod-makes-the-game-way-better-1750181929 |title=Fallout 4's 'Full Dialogue' Mod Makes The Game Way Better |last1=Hamilton |first1=Kirk |date=December 29, 2015 |website=Kotaku |access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gameskinny.com/ups3n/fallout-4s-dialogue-wheel-bringing-a-good-game-down |title=Fallout 4's dialogue wheel: bringing a good game down? |last1=Adamczyk |first1=John |date=November 10, 2015 |website=GameSkinny |access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref> Unsatisfied fans created mods for the game, providing subtitles and allowing the player to know what their character would say before choosing it as it was in previous games in the franchise such as in ''Fallout 3'' and ''Fallout: New Vegas''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.polygon.com/fallout-4/2015/11/18/9756972/fallout-4-dialogue-mod-pc-xbox-playstation |title=Fallout 4 mod reveals all of the game's dialogue, before you say it |last1=Good |first1=Owen |date=November 18, 2015 |website=Polygon |access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/11/fallout-4-mod-replaces-simplified-dialogue-with-full-subtitles/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119142832/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/11/fallout-4-mod-replaces-simplified-dialogue-with-full-subtitles/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 19, 2015 |title=Fallout 4 Mod Replaces Simplified Dialogue With Full Subtitles |last1=Walker |first1=Alex |date=November 19, 2015 |website=Kotaku |access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref> Though even taking the mods into account, Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku still criticized the writing of the game in her review, describing it as "thin", "You never have particularly long or nuanced conversations with the other characters. I like to play a Charisma-focused character, and I was disappointed."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://kotaku.com/fallout-4-the-kotaku-review-1743410637 |title=Fallout 4: The Kotaku Review |last1=Hernandez |first1=Patricia |date=November 19, 2015 |website=Kotaku |access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref>

Upon release, ''Fallout 76'' became the lowest rated title.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://segmentnext.com/2018/11/20/fallout-76-is-lowest-rated-fallout-game-in-history-fallout-4-dlcs-have-higher-scores/ |title=Fallout 76 is the Lowest Rated Fallout Game in History, Fallout 4 DLCs Have Higher Scores |first=Sarmad |last=Lillah |date=November 20, 2018 |work=SegmentNext}}</ref> It has been the subject of [[List of video games notable for negative reception#Fallout 76 (2018)|several controversies]] since its release. ''IGN'' gave the game a five out of ten rating, criticizing the game for its lackluster graphics, poor use of multiplayer, and bugs, saying, "Fallout 76 fails to do any of it well enough to form an identity. Its multiplayer mindset robs its quests of all the moral decision making that makes the series great, and all that's left is a buggy mess of systemic designs that never seems to work [culminating] in an aggravating endgame that's more busywork than satisfying heroics. Bethesda missed the mark with Fallout 76...because it seems it could never decide what it was aiming for." ''PC Gamer'', rated the game a six out of ten, praising it for its evocative and beautiful setting, large world, and combat. However, they also criticizing the game for its bugs, poor UI, and repetitiveness, saying, "[T]he world retains a lot of what I love about Bethesda's previous RPGs with finely crafted environments, enjoyable weapons and crafting, and surprising little scraps of story to uncover and investigate. Like Valley Galleria, though, it doesn't take long to for the shine to fade, the once-fascinating areas to lose their wonder among the mobs of identical enemies I've killed there time and time again."<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Christopher Livingston |date=November 21, 2018 |title=Fallout 76 review |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-76-review/ |access-date=October 25, 2022 |website=pcgamer |language=en}}</ref>

== Legal action ==
[[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] was threatened with bankruptcy and sold the full ''Fallout'' franchise to Bethesda, but kept the rights to the ''Fallout'' MMO through a back license in April 2007 and began work on the MMO later that year. Bethesda Softworks sued Interplay Entertainment for [[copyright infringement]] on September 8, 2009, regarding the ''[[Fallout Online]]'' license and selling of ''Fallout Trilogy'' and sought an injunction to stop development of ''Fallout Online'' and sales of ''Fallout Trilogy''. Bethesda argued that Interplay did not have the right to sell ''Fallout Trilogy'' on the Internet via [[Steam (service)|Steam]], [[Good Old Games]] or other online services. Bethesda also claimed that "full scale" development on ''Fallout Online'' was not met and that the minimum financing of 30 million of "secured funding" was not met. Interplay launched a counter suit claiming that Bethesda's claims were meritless and that it did have the right to sell ''Fallout Trilogy'' via online stores via its contract with Bethesda. Interplay also claimed secure funding had been met and the game was in full scale development by the cut off date. Interplay argued to have the second contract that sold ''Fallout'' voided, which would result in the first contract that licensed ''Fallout'' to come back into effect. This would mean that ''Fallout'' would revert to Interplay. Bethesda would be allowed to make ''Fallout 5''. Bethesda would have to pay 12% of royalties on ''Fallout 3'', ''Fallout: New Vegas'', ''Fallout 4'' and expansions plus interest on the money owed. On December 10, 2009, Bethesda lost the first injunction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/09/11/bethesda-softworks-files-lawsuit-against-interplay-over-fallout/ |title=Bethesda-Fallout Lawsuit |access-date=June 21, 2011 |archive-date=January 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114010413/http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/09/11/bethesda-softworks-files-lawsuit-against-interplay-over-fallout |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Bethesda shortly afterward tried a new tactic and fired its first lawyer, replacing him and filing a second injunction, claiming that Interplay had only back-licensed the name ''Fallout'' but no content. Interplay has countered showing that the contract states that they must make ''Fallout Online'' that has the look and feel of ''Fallout'' and that in the event Interplay fails to meet the requirements (30 million minimum secure funding and "full scale" development by X date) that Interplay can still release the MMO but they have to remove all ''Fallout'' content. The contract then goes on to list all ''Fallout'' content as locations, monsters, settings and lore.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} Bethesda has known that Interplay would use ''Fallout'' elements via internet emails shown in court documents and that the contract was not just for the name.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/interplay-bethesda-knew-i-fallout-i-mmo-was-about-more-than-the-name |title=New Turn in Interplay-Bethesda Lawsuit |access-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> The second injunction by Bethesda was denied on August 4, 2011, by the courts. Bethesda then appealed the denial of their second preliminary injunction. Bethesda then sued Masthead Studios and asked for a restraining order against the company. Bethesda was denied this restraining order before Masthead Studios could call a counter-suit.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37428/Bethesda_Denied_Restraining_Order_Against_Fallout_MMO.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925164146/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37428/Bethesda_Denied_Restraining_Order_Against_Fallout_MMO.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |title=Bethesda's Restraining Order Denied |access-date=September 25, 2011}}</ref> Bethesda lost its appeal of the second injunction.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1210805p1.html?_ |title=Bethesda Appeal Denied |last=Goldfarb |first=Andrew |date=October 26, 2011 |access-date=October 29, 2011}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Bethesda filed [[motion in limine]] against Interplay. Interplay filed a motion in limine against Bethesda the day after. The [[trial by jury]] which Bethesda requested on October 26, 2010, was changed to a trial by court because the APA contract stated that all legal matters would be resolved via a trial by court and not a trial by jury. The trial by court began on December 12. In 2012, in a press conference Bethesda revealed that in exchange for 2 million dollars, Interplay gave to them full rights for ''Fallout Online''. Interplay's rights to sell and merchandise ''Fallout'', ''Fallout 2'' and ''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel'' expired on December 31, 2013.

== See also ==
* ''[[Exodus (role-playing game)|Exodus]]'', a role-playing game previously associated with the ''Fallout'' intellectual property during its development
* ''[[Fallout: Equestria]]'', a crossover fan fiction between the Fallout franchise and the 2010 cartoon [[My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]].

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite magazine |last1=Gervais |first1=Noah |title='Fallout 4' DLC 'Nuka World' Proves Nothing Matters Anyway|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 7, 2016 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/fallout-4-dlc-nuka-world-proves-nothing-matters-anyway-115194/ |language=en-US |access-date=April 13, 2024}}
* {{Cite web |last1=Marshall |first1=Cass |title=The Fallout franchise has had a risky roller coaster of a decade |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=November 8, 2019 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/8/20937599/fallout-76-4-new-vegas-shelter-bethesda-obsidian |language=en-US |access-date=November 10, 2019}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Fallout}}
* {{Official website|https://fallout.bethesda.net/en}}
* [https://fallout.wiki/wiki/Fallout_Wiki Independent Fallout Wiki]
* [https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout_Wiki Fandom Fallout Wiki]

{{Fallout}}
{{Wasteland}}
{{Black Isle Studios}}
{{ZeniMax Media}}
{{Authority control}}

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