When Bethesda releasedFallout 4, it actually wasn’t the fourth game in the series. By the time the title came out, there had already been six previousFalloutgames. The series dates all the way back to 1997 with the groundbreaking first entry that introduced the irradiated world of the Vault Dweller.Fallout 4was released a full 18 years after the originalFallout, but where does it fall on the in-game timeline?
It turns out,all the numberedFalloutgames were released in chronological order.This means that theevents ofFallout 3take place after the events ofFallout 2, and so on.Fallout 1is set in 2161, nearly a century after a nuclear war devastated the entire world. By the timeFallout 4comes around, a significant amount of time has passed.
Where Does Fallout 4 Fall On The Series Timeline?
The History Of Fallout 4
Fallout 4takes place in the year 2287,but the protagonist’s story actually starts much earlier than that. Players watch their character go through their life and create a family. The game’s events are put into motion on June 09, 2025, the day of the Great War. On this day, the character, their spouse, and their son are cryogenically frozen in Vault 111.
Entire Fallout Timeline Explained: When Every Fallout Game Takes Place In Canon
Although each game in the Fallout series functions as a mostly standalone story, they each have their place in the franchises' canon timeline.
They are seen again years later whenthe protagonist’s spouse and son are woken up in 2227.Players watch helplessly as the spouse is killed, and the son is kidnapped before the protagonist is refrozen again. When they awaken again, it’s July 30, 2025, making it a whole210 years after the Great War and their initial freezing.
The protagonist realizes upon awakening that they’re the only one left alive from their Vault, giving them the name the Sole Survivor. They then embark on a quest to avenge their spouse’s death and find their son.Fallout 4is not a perfect game andit includes several plot holes, but it is one of the most beloved titles in the series.
The Full Timeline Of All The Fallout Games
When Will Fallout 5 Take Place?
Fallouttakes a fairly linear approach to storytelling, with most games taking place after the previous installment. The only real exception isFallout 76,whose events play out before the first game in the series. The full timeline of theFalloutgames is:
2102
2018
2161
1997
2197
2001
2208
2004
2241
1998
2277
2008
2281
2010
2287
2015
Fallout(TV show)
2296
2024
The story of theFalloutfranchise is far from over.Fallout 5is currently in the early stagesof production, with very little details known about the location, year, or story. Chances are, though, it will continue from whereFallout 4takes place. If prior games are any indication,Fallout 5will likely take place somewhere in the US,despitemods likeFallout: London.The next game will also probablytake place at least 10 years afterFallout 4,moving the universe ever forward.
