Talk about Fallout 4 in the last couple of months shifted from “When is it coming?” and “What will it be like?” to “Why is Bethesda denying it so vehemently”? Okay, it’s no big secret that Bethesda keeps a tight grip on its projects and is extremely strict about teasers, spoilers or unprepared and rushed announcements. Still, the press and fans have been slamming the table, over-analyzing every bit and scrap of information, trying to figure out what exactly is Fallout 4’s status, and whether it’s coming at all or not.
Well, you can put off hopes for any announcements. It’s time to face reality, and the reality is rather bitter. There’s no indication that Fallout 4 will be coming, at least not any time soon. Sure, eventually we’ll be seeing Fallout 4, Bethesda isn’t Valve and the Fallout series definitely isn’t Half Life. But it’s nowhere near on the horizon, and there’s no indication that Bioware will be announcing anything any time soon. In fact, Bethesda game director Todd Howard explicitly put off any rumors, killing all traces of hope for an imminent announcement of Fallout 4.
“We don’t [have a timeframe for our next game announcement], but I think it’s gonna be a while. We’ve gotten fairly used to all the questions and curiosity over the years. Everyone wants information. Right now, we’re just trying to figure out which of our ideas are going to stick and finding an appropriate time to talk about it.” he said when interviewed by Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
This contradicts the earlier rumors about a voice casting being held for a Bethesda project, a casting that supposedly leaked out and revealed information such as the Boston location of Fallout 4. It was also information that fueled the hype and rumor bandwagons, but alas, as usually the case with rumors, they proved to be untrue. We’re not sure if a voice-casting session was ever held for Fallout 4, but chances are slim. After the survivor hoax, it’s hard to really believe anything unless it comes from an official Bethesda source, which seems doubtful in the coming months.
Still, hope isn’t entirely dead yet. Todd Howard did use the word “awhile”, and Bethesda’s line-up for this year seems pretty straightforward. Every major project they have on the table will be released by summer, so perhaps this will result in more resources allocated towards Fallout 4. Until then, I’ll be re-installing Fallout 3, and reminding me over and over again why waiting for Fallout 4 is so hard to bear.