Bethesda has confirmed that the beloved Fallout 3 is getting a prequel, and it will be available for fans to check out next year. Fallout 3 was Bethesda’s first crack at the Fallout franchise, and it’s safe to say that the company exceeded expectations. While some hardcore purists bristled at Fallout 3 abandoning the isometric view of its predecessors in favor of an Elder Scrolls-style adventure, the change greatly expanded the franchise’s horizons and helped bring in millions of new fans.
Fallout 3 earned critical acclaim at the time of its release and remains one of Bethesda’s most popular games. There is a great deal of fan demand for a Fallout 3 remaster, and it was recently confirmed that such a project is in existence. Bethesda stopped short of announcing a release date for the Fallout 3 remaster, but it did give a release window for the game’s upcoming prequel.
The Fallout 3 Prequel is Coming Next Year
Recently, Bethesda laid out a roadmap for its future plans, including what it has in store for the Fallout franchise. Among Bethesda’s plans is more content for the multiplayer-focused Fallout 76. Bethesda confirmed that the next Fallout 76 expansion is entitled Raven Rock, and it will serve as a prequel story to Fallout 3. More details on the Fallout 76 Raven Rock expansion have yet to be revealed at the time of this writing, but we do know that it will launch at some point in 2027.
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I don’t want to get into spoilers for those that have yet to play Fallout 3, but Raven Rock is basically a military base associated with the Enclave faction, and is central to some of the main quest’s most interesting plot developments. Seeing Raven Rock through the lens of Fallout 76 should be especially interesting for fans of Fallout 3, and it will be exciting to see what new revelations there are to uncover ahead of the remaster’s eventual launch.
Fallout 76‘s Raven Rock expansion being a prequel should give added context to Fallout 3‘s main quest and could help prepare players as they wait for the remaster. The scope of the remaster has yet to be revealed, but one has to imagine it will be something similar to what was done with the Oblivion remaster. Basically, fans can expect a near-identical gameplay experience when compared to the original 2008 release, but with vastly improved graphics that better match modern standards.
Fallout 3 isn’t the only classic Fallout game that’s getting a remaster. Bethesda has also confirmed that Fallout: New Vegas is getting remastered as well. Franchise fans can also look forward to a third season of the popular Fallout TV series on Prime Video, and, eventually, Fallout 5. Fallout 5 is Bethesda’s next big project after it’s wrapped development on the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6, so it’s likely many years away from release. In fact, fans shouldn’t expect to see it until the 2030s. A brand-new Obsidian Fallout game is expected to release before then, though, so at least franchise fans will have something to help tide them over.
- Released
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October 28, 2008
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
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Gamebryo
