Fallout games in order: the short answer
Fallout games in order of release start with Fallout on October 10, 1997 and run through Fallout 2 (October 1998), Fallout Tactics (early 2001), Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004), Fallout 3 (October 28, 2008), Fallout: New Vegas (October 19, 2010), Fallout 4 (November 10, 2015) and Fallout 76 (November 14, 2018). Spin-offs such as Fallout Shelter and Fallout Pinball sit alongside them.
The next entries are already confirmed but undated. On July 17, 2026 Bethesda said it is working on remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas and that Fallout 5 is in preproduction. This guide sorts everything by release date, separates the numbered games from the side projects, covers the TV show and ends with where to start.
The Black Isle era: Fallout and Fallout 2
The first Fallout came out on October 10, 1997, developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment. Wikipedia lists its platforms as Windows, MS-DOS, Classic Mac OS and Mac OS X. It set the template the series still uses: a post-nuclear world, character stats, and consequences for how you talk to people.
Fallout 2 followed in October 1998, again from Black Isle and again on Windows. Together they form the isometric, turn-based era, and both are older than most of the audience now buying the series, which matters if you are deciding where to start.
“Fallout 5 is currently in preproduction.”
The spin-offs between the numbers
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel arrived in early 2001 from Micro Forté and 14 Degrees East, a Windows game. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, a console action game from Interplay, followed in 2004 on PS2 and Xbox. Both are tagged as Fallout games but sit outside the mainline RPGs, and neither is a recommended entry point.
Later side projects include Fallout Pinball, released in late 2016 by Zen Studios, and Fallout Shelter Online, a mobile game from Gaea Mobile that released in China in June 2019 and on iOS and Android elsewhere on June 1, 2020, per Wikipedia. They are worth knowing about for completeness, and not worth building a playlist around.
The Bethesda era: Fallout 3, New Vegas and Fallout 4
Bethesda obtained the Fallout IP from Interplay in 2007, according to an Ars Technica report dated April 13, 2007 cited by Wikipedia. Its first game, Fallout 3, released on October 28, 2008 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and moved the series into first-person 3D.
Fallout: New Vegas followed on October 19, 2010. Wikipedia credits Obsidian Entertainment as developer and Bethesda Softworks as publisher, which is why many fans treat it as a spiritual return to the Black Isle style of writing. Fallout 4 released on November 10, 2015 on Windows, PS4 and Xbox One, and Wikipedia's table now lists PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2 among its platforms as well.
Fallout Shelter and Fallout 76: the live-service lane
Fallout Shelter, Bethesda's free management game, launched on iOS on June 14, 2015 and Android on August 13, 2015. It reached PC on July 15, 2016, Xbox One on February 7, 2017, and Switch and PS4 on June 10, 2018, per Wikipedia.
Fallout 76, the online entry, released on November 14, 2018 for Windows, PS4 and Xbox One. Its launch was rough: Metacritic scores were 52 on PC, 53 on PS4 and 49 on Xbox One, and IGN, which gave it five out of ten, wrote that it "fails to do any of it well enough to form an identity." Wikipedia notes the Wastelanders update later added to the game, though we did not verify its current state, so treat it as a different game from launch.
Release order or story order?
Release order is the safest way to play because the games are largely self-contained. The series does not run on a single continuous plot, and each mainline game follows new characters in a different part of the wasteland. Guides that sort by in-universe chronology do exist, and they generally disagree on details, so we have not published a year-by-year story timeline here.
Our advice, and it is an editorial view: pick your entry by the style of game you want, not by lore. Release order is the best way to watch the series change, from isometric turn-based RPG to first-person action RPG to online survival.
Where to start with Fallout
If you want a modern, first-person experience, start with Fallout 4 or Fallout: New Vegas. New Vegas has the reputation for writing and choices, while Fallout 4 is the most recent single-player mainline game. Fallout 3 is the natural pick if you want the game that brought the series to Bethesda, but its remaster is confirmed, so you may prefer to wait.
If you like older RPGs, start with Fallout and Fallout 2. If you want to play with friends online, Fallout 76 is the only multiplayer entry. The TV series, whose first season premiered April 10, 2024 with eight episodes and whose second season premiered December 16, 2025, is a separate story and not required reading for any of the games.
What is coming next: remasters, Obsidian and Fallout 5
On July 17, 2026, Video Games Chronicle reported that Bethesda Game Studios confirmed: "we have been working on remasters for both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas," while "not announcing any dates today." The note also said Obsidian is "working with us on a new Fallout project" and that "Fallout 5 is currently in preproduction," calling it "our long-range destination."
Bethesda said The Elder Scrolls VI is its primary development focus and that The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 are being built on Creation Engine 3, a shared technology platform. No release window is given for any Fallout project, so anyone choosing between playing the originals now and waiting is guessing at timing. The TV series has been renewed for a third season, per Wikipedia.
Frequently asked
What are the Fallout games in order of release?
Fallout (October 10, 1997), Fallout 2 (October 1998), Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (early 2001), Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004), Fallout 3 (October 28, 2008), Fallout: New Vegas (October 19, 2010), Fallout 4 (November 10, 2015) and Fallout 76 (November 14, 2018). Fallout Shelter (2015) and Fallout Pinball (late 2016) are spin-offs that sit between them.
Do you need to play the Fallout games in order?
No. The mainline games are mostly self-contained stories set in different parts of a shared wasteland, with new characters in each. Playing in release order shows how the series evolved, but it is optional. Most new players start with Fallout 4 or Fallout: New Vegas and go back to the others later, because the story does not depend on earlier entries.
Which Fallout game should I play first?
For a modern first-person game, start with Fallout 4 (November 10, 2015) or Fallout: New Vegas (October 19, 2010). For older isometric RPGs, start with Fallout (1997). For online play, Fallout 76 is the only multiplayer entry. This is editorial advice, not an official recommendation. Remasters of Fallout 3 and New Vegas are confirmed but undated.
Are Fallout 3 and New Vegas getting remasters?
Yes. On July 17, 2026, Bethesda Game Studios said it has been working on remasters for both games and is not announcing dates yet. It also confirmed Obsidian is working with the studio on a new Fallout project and that Fallout 5 is in preproduction. No release windows have been announced for any of them.
Is there a Fallout 5 release date?
No. Bethesda said on July 17, 2026 that Fallout 5 is currently in preproduction and called it its long-range destination. The studio also said The Elder Scrolls VI is its primary development focus and that both games are being built on Creation Engine 3. No date, platform list or window has been announced, so treat any rumoured date as unconfirmed.
When did the Fallout TV show come out?
Season 1 of the Amazon Fallout series premiered on April 10, 2024 with eight episodes. Season 2 premiered on December 16, 2025, and a third season was renewed in May 2025, per Wikipedia. The show is a separate story from the games, so you can watch it without having played any of them or the other way round.