The Fallout Season 2 Finale Hints at Where Fallout 5 Will Take Place

We've been waiting over 10 years for the next mainline Fallout game, and thanks to the recent buzz the critically acclaimed TV show is making, we're starting to get glimpses of what Fallout 5 might just look like.

Fans have been feasting for details on the next installment in the Fallout franchise, and while we've had a stellar TV show and the live-service Fallout 76 to keep us busy, there's no denying gamers are eager to explore a new continent in the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout.

Bethesda has been quick to keep fan expectations grounded regarding Fallout 5's release date. However, studio director Todd Howard has confirmed that the studio is in the early stages of development and that the TV show will influence the next game.

With Fallout season 2 wrapping just the other week and pointing towards an unexplored region in the Fallout universe, fans are putting on their speculation caps and hedging their bets that we're getting our first look at where the next Fallout game will be taking place.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's recap how Fallout season 2 ended and how it might tie into the long-awaited fifth numbered title in the series.

How Does Fallout Season 2 End?

Fallout's second season doesn't necessarily resolve its plot points. Instead, the finale of season 2 sets up several new chess pieces that may come to fruition in the show's eventual third season.

The NCR, Caesar's Legion, and the Brotherhood of Steel are gearing up for what seems like an all-out war.

Lucy manages to capture her dad, Hank, after implanting him with one of his mind control chips. After being revealed as a secret Enclave agent and seeing justice waiting for him, he chooses to activate all the mind control chips, including his own. This all but wipes away Hank's personality, leaving him unable to remember his own daughter and past life.

Back in Vault 32, the denizens of the vault have turned on their overseer, Stephanie Harper. Realizing her back's against the wall, she calls on the Enclave to activate phase two of some secret plan, which is sure to make her a major antagonist in the future.

As for Lucy's brother, Norm, we see him and Claudia as the sole survivors of a dangerous Radroach attack that killed all the remaining members of Vault 31. We don't know where their story is going, but I'm sure it'll tie into the Enclave's plan with Vaults 31, 32, and 33.

We also see Mr. House revived, thanks to the finally delivered Cold Fusion. As Maximus and Lucy look at the horizon of the desert from the Lucky 38 penthouse, we see Mr. House's monitor switch back on, hinting that the duo may end up working for him in the future.

Finally, we see The Ghoul (once Howard Cooper) discovering that his wife and daughter's cryo-pods are in fact empty, but he finds a postcard hinting that they may in fact be in Colorado.

The snowy state of Colorado is home to the elusive Vault 0, which carries significant lore baggage with it. The Enclave facility we see in Fallout's first season is also speculated to be located in the Colorado Rockies.

With The Ghoul embarking for the state, along with the Enclave's significant presence, it's fair to assume we're set to see the region finally depicted. The question is whether we'll get to explore it in-game.

What Do We Know About the Next Fallout Game?

Bethesda has always kept details sparse while developing a new game. For example, Fallout 4 was announced mere months before its November 2015 launch date, with only online rumors and whispers across social media sites like Reddit to keep fans guessing about when and where the next game would take place.

It's no surprise, then, that Bethesda is familiarly tight-lipped regarding details about the inevitable Fallout 5, but director Todd Howard has given some updates on the most recent press trail for Fallout Season 2.

Howard has confirmed that Fallout 5 won't be in active development until Elder Scrolls 6 is released. With Starfield receiving its long-speculated PS5 port and sweeping changes, one can only hope that development on the follow-up to 2011's Skyrim is finally picking up.

Elder Scrolls 6 was announced as part of E3 in 2018, but in rare Bethesda fashion, Howard would share that the game was years away from being released. It wasn't until 2024 that it was announced that the RPG was finally in full development, leading many to speculate on a 2028-2029 release date.

So, while Bethesda has laid plenty of easter eggs to keep us guessing, we're years away from any actual confirmation from the developers on where Fallout 5 will take place.

How Does Fallout Season 2 Tie Into the Next Fallout Game?

As of writing, there's no clear indication that the Fallout TV show will tie into the next Fallout game. In saying that, Todd Howard has stated that the events in the show are canon to the Fallout universe, and Bethesda is actively developing Fallout 5 with events from the show in mind.

"In short, yes," Howard would confirm when asked about the TV show. "Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening."

The leading fan theory right now is that Fallout 5 may very well also take place in Colorado, with the events in the show tying into the game. We've seen foreshadowing that the Enclave is operating out of the snowy state in Season 1, where we watch Dr. Siggi Wizlig (yes, that is his real name) escape the facility with Cold Fusion. This could be setting up the Enclave as the primary villains in the next game, who have suspiciously been absent in Fallout media in recent years.

Previous games, Fallout Tactics and Fallout: New Vegas, make allusions to Vault 0 and the Enclave's presence in Colorado. Now that the TV show has committed to exploring such a lore-rich location, this may also signal that we'll get the opportunity to explore it in a mainline title.

In saying that, there are some theories countering this speculation. Fans also believe the next location could be San Francisco, as several mentions are made of the city in Fallout 4.

Before Boston was confirmed as the setting for Fallout 4, plenty of seeds had been planted in Fallout 3 for the eventual debut of the Commonwealth.

For example, Dr. Li, a colleague of The Lone Wanderer's dad, would mention that she plans to move to the Commonwealth. There's also the side quest "The Replicated Man", which involves you hunting down a synth for a mysterious benefactor. The quest will even introduce players to the Railroad, which featured as one of the four factions players can align with in Fallout 4.

Like the Institute and the Commonwealth being set up in Fallout 3, its numbered sequel would feature similar mentions of San Francisco.

The game's earliest antagonist, Kellogg, has deep ties to San Francisco and mentions trying to raise a family there. Fallout 4 also features several mentions of the Golden Gate Bridge throughout the game.

A returning faction, the Hubologists, also appeared in the Nuka-World DLC, with members of the cult popping up in the Raiders' den. The group originally debuted in Fallout 2, standing in opposition to the Shi, another powerful faction in the game. A potential Fallout 5 could very easily expand on these pre-existing factions and their blooming conflicts, explored in Fallout 2.

Still, until Bethesda finally drops that long-awaited Fallout 5 trailer, it's anyone's guess as to where the highly anticipated sequel will take place.

I'm personally holding out for Colorado, as I'd love to explore a snowier setting in the Fallout universe. I'm also keen to see the Enclave take center stage as antagonists after a fairly weak showing in Fallout 3, and would love to see their reputation redeemed in Fallout 5 and the TV show.

In saying that, if fan speculation on San Francisco is correct, we're in for a treat with the various faction conflicts that should lend themselves to some of that classic Fallout satire we've all come to love from the series. Either way, here's hoping we'll get to play it before this decade ends.