Fallout 76: Raven Rock is due in 2027, but it’s not Fallout 5

Bethesda has now confirmed what a lot of fans probably didn’t want to hear: Fallout 5 is a long way off. The next big Fallout release on the calendar is Fallout 76: Raven Rock, which Bethesda has lined up for 2027.

Right now, Fallout 5 is only in early development. So if you were hoping the Fallout TV surge had moved a new single-player game higher up the list, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The wider reporting still says full production won’t begin until after The Elder Scrolls VI is out.

That leaves Fallout 76: Raven Rock as the franchise’s next major announced release. It’s being framed as a big story expansion for 2027, and Bethesda says it ties directly into Fallout 3.

That’s where things get interesting. Bethesda is presenting Raven Rock as a prequel to Fallout 3, with the story built around the Enclave’s infamous Raven Rock base. Fallout 76 takes place roughly 175 years earlier, though, so there are some pretty obvious lore questions hanging over how that connection is supposed to work.

Bethesda also says Fallout 76 still pulls in millions of players and has picked up nearly 70 free updates so far. Support for the game clearly isn’t easing up.

If you’re more interested in Fallout lore than another round of seasonal filler, Fallout 76: Raven Rock is probably worth keeping an eye on. Still, some fans are only going to care when Fallout 5 gets properly announced, and others are still wary of Fallout 76 because of the uneven update quality and server issues.

So for now, the next chapter of Fallout 76 arrives in 2027. Fallout 5, along with the reported Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remasters or remakes, still doesn’t have any release window attached.