Phil Spencer explained why Bethesda did not release Fallout 5 for the start of the Fallout series

You might think that the lack of a new Fallout amid the explosive popularity of Amazon’s Fallout series would be a missed opportunity for Xbox, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer doesn’t think so.

Image Source: Amazon Studios

Let us remind you that the release of the first season of the Fallout series resulted in an increase in the popularity of already released games in the series and mods for them, as well as an astronomical (7500%) jump in sales in Europe for Fallout 4.

Amid the show’s runaway success, fans have wondered why Bethesda and its parent company Microsoft haven’t released a new Fallout game to capitalize on the increased interest in the franchise.

Image source: Bethesda Softworks

At the Paley International Council Summit in New York, Spencer acknowledged the delay of the new Fallout game, noting that ultimately everyone involved benefited from it.

«We haven’t prepared a new game for the launch [of the series]. I think it gave us some creative freedom that we wouldn’t have had if we were trying to coordinate the production of two very different creative processes,” Spencer said.

The Fallout series is part of the franchise’s official canon (Image source: Amazon Studios)

Fallout 5, of course, is in Bethesda’s plans, but judging by Spencer’s words, Microsoft is not going to rush for short-term gain: “The plan is much more long-term than boosting gift sales.”

The head of Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard, mentioned that the studio will release Fallout 5 only after The Elder Scrolls VI, which is still far from release. Microsoft is rumored to be looking for ways to speed up development.