Fallout 3 fans have had to go through the wringer recently, thanks in large part to the Amazon TV show and its mysterious countdown to the hour after the final episode. Though the show was its own sort of reward for the fanbase, the ticking clock on the website was tough because the weight of a remaster announcement was too much for it to bear. But Fallout is riding higher than it has in years thanks to the show, and various subtle social media nudges and leaked internal documents have kept Fallout 3 in the conversation about what’s next, for good reason.
In the cold light of day, it seems clearer than ever that Fallout 3 Remastered is real, and that it’s not a question of if, but when. The situation is akin to the Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Remake—there’s too much out there for it to be anything other than an inevitability. There’s actually so much proof of life for a Fallout 3 Remastered being in active development that it’s worth breaking it down, step by step.
The Fallout Remakes Have to Ditch Oblivion Remastered's Worst Design Choice
If a potential Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas remake wants to survive and thrive, it'll have to beat out Oblivion Remastered in one major way.
The Evidence for Fallout 3 Remastered Keeps Piling Up
The first major domino fell during Microsoft’s legal battle with the FTC, when internal documents referenced both an Oblivion remaster and a Fallout 3 remaster as future projects for release in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Roadmaps change—and clearly have here—but the inclusion of Fallout 3 wasn’t speculative, and it rarely gets more concrete in terms of proof than an internal document like that. It was listed plainly, alongside other Bethesda initiatives.
The FTC document, though verifiably real, is dated incongruously for a variety of reasons: the pandemic, the realities of game development, and the legal battle between Xbox and the FTC itself all delayed the leaked projects by years.
From that point forward, especially with the run-up and subsequent release of the Fallout TV show, there was a steady drip of rumor and speculation about a remake of Fallout 3. The second season came and went, as did that mysterious, uneventful timer, but news about the remaster maintained pace, with industry insiders like Jez Cordon revealing details about remasters of both Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Though Bethesda has yet to formally confirm anything, the consistency of the leaks over time continues to give the rumors substance.
Virtuos’ Fallout-adjacent Activity
Adding fuel to the fire is Virtuos, the studio widely associated with Bethesda’s remaster efforts. Virtuos recently engaged with Fallout- related content surrounding the Amazon show on social media and detailed its involvement in some of the CGI work on the show. It was a small but eyebrow-raising move given its involvement in legacy Bethesda projects. It’s hardly confirmation, but in the world of remaster sleuthing, even subtle social media signals can carry meaning.
Fallout 3 Is Likely In Active Development
The most recent news about a potential Fallout 3 remaster comes from The Verge, however. According to their reporting, as an Xbox project, Fallout 3 Remastered is in active development. As exciting as that sounds, it does leave fans with a very unclear timeline and plenty of questions to boot.
If Fallout 3 Remastered entered production before or even shortly after the FTC documents surfaced publicly, that would put it several years into development already. If it were only in the planning stage, then it means an actual release might still be a year or more off. The good news is that it’s likely that Fallout 3 is going the way of Oblivion Remastered, and it’ll be handled by Virtuos Studios. That means it can progress in parallel with The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield support uninhibited, and its release window may not be as distant as some expect.
What Does Active Development Actually Mean?
“Active development” can mean a lot of things in modern game production, but Virtuos Studios’ work with Oblivion Remastered gives fans something to expect. In this case, it suggests something more ambitious than higher-resolution textures, improved lighting, and quality-of-life refinements. Though some things (like mod support) are likely still in serious conversation or risk a lack of inclusion, one thing seems very likely: when it does arrive, Fallout 3 Remastered will be shadow-dropped.
Fallout 3 Remastered Would Almost Certainly Be Shadow Dropped
Assuming Fallout 3 Remastered is real, there’s a strong chance Bethesda won’t stretch its marketing cycle over months. Based on the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the shadow drop of Bethesda’s Oblivion, its last remastered classic, a shadow drop feels far more likely. Microsoft’s Game Pass ecosystem makes that strategy even more compelling.
Oblivion Remastered proved a remake doesn’t need a year-long hype campaign, and benefits all the more from a stage, a trailer, and an “available now” card at the end. For a project rooted in nostalgia, immediacy is powerful, and inclusion in a service like Game Pass is a large part of that feeling. Ensuring players could download the remaster the day it was announced created an explosion of social media hype around Oblivion Remastered that did most of the advertising work for free, so it seems entirely likely to happen again.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Fallout 3 Is the Right Game to Modernize First
And when it comes to the Fallout franchise, Fallout 3 is so primed for a release of this kind, especially compared to New Vegas. It introduced many modern players to Fallout; it’s structurally easier to remaster than New Vegas, and though it’s not quite as universally praised, it does carry the bulk of the nostalgia for that period in the franchise. Its visuals and gunplay also feel the most dated today.
The Signs Are Too Consistent to Ignore
Ultimately, Bethesda may not be ready to confirm Fallout 3 Remastered just yet, but the pattern is near-impossible to dismiss. The FTC leak, Virtuos’ quiet proximity to the franchise, and the franchise’s cultural resurgence all point in the same direction. The reasoning behind a remake is incredibly clear; it all feels sufficiently fateful.
Fallout 3 Remastered is all but confirmed now, and what a wonderful thing that could be for fans. The project is waiting for the right stage, and the only thing left to do from a player's standpoint is wait. There may be less of an element of surprise, but nonetheless, smart money is that Fallout 3’s stage will arrive sooner rather than later.
- Released
- October 28, 2008
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
- Gamebryo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
