The Fallout games in order of release are Fallout (1997), Fallout 2 (1998), Fallout Tactics (2001), Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004), Fallout 3 (2008), Fallout: New Vegas (2010), Fallout Shelter (2015), Fallout 4 (2015) and Fallout 76 (2018).
This list also gives the story order, the re-releases and editions that came later, where each game is sold today, and what is known about Fallout 5.
All Fallout games in order
Nine Fallout games have been released, counting the main series and the spin-offs. The dates below are the release dates shown on each game's official store listing, or the release year where only that is published.
| Order | Game | Release date | Type | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game | 1997 (Steam lists September 30, 1997) | Main series | Interplay |
| 2 | Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game | 1998 (Steam lists December 1, 1998) | Main series | Black Isle Studios |
| 3 | Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel | 2001 (Steam lists March 1, 2001) | Spin-off | 14 Degrees East |
| 4 | Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | 2004 | Spin-off | Interplay |
| 5 | Fallout 3 | October 28, 2008 | Main series | Bethesda Game Studios |
| 6 | Fallout: New Vegas | October 2010 (Steam lists October 22, 2010) | Spin-off | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 7 | Fallout Shelter | 2015 on mobile | Spin-off | Bethesda Game Studios |
| 8 | Fallout 4 | November 10, 2015 | Main series | Bethesda Game Studios |
| 9 | Fallout 76 | November 14, 2018 | Online spin-off and prequel | Bethesda Game Studios |
Fallout 4 is the newest numbered game. Fallout 76 is newer, but it is an online multiplayer game rather than Fallout 5.
Every Fallout game in chronological order
The story order is different from the release order, because Fallout 76 is a prequel. It is set on Reclamation Day in 2102, when Vault 76 opens 25 years after the Great War.
| Story order | Game | Where it fits in the timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fallout 76 | 2102, 25 years after the Great War, in West Virginia's Appalachia |
| 2 | Fallout | The original wasteland story, generations after the war |
| 3 | Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel | A Brotherhood of Steel squad campaign set between the first two games |
| 4 | Fallout 2 | 80 years after the first game |
| 5 | Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | A console action side story with the Brotherhood of Steel |
| 6 | Fallout 3 | Vault 101 in the Capital Wasteland, after 200 years sealed underground |
| 7 | Fallout: New Vegas | The Mojave Wasteland, Hoover Dam and the New Vegas Strip, after Fallout 3 |
| 8 | Fallout 4 | The sole survivor of Vault 111 emerges in the Commonwealth, around the ruins of Boston |
| Any time | Fallout Shelter | A Vault management game with no fixed place in the timeline |
Play in release order if you want to see the series grow. Play in story order only if you start with Fallout 76 and accept its online requirement.
Fallout main series games vs spin-off games
Four games make up the numbered main series. Every other Fallout release is a spin-off, even New Vegas, which many players treat as a main entry.
| Game | Series | Style | Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallout | Main | Turn-based isometric RPG | Single-player |
| Fallout 2 | Main | Turn-based isometric RPG | Single-player |
| Fallout 3 | Main | Open-world RPG in first or third person with V.A.T.S. | Single-player |
| Fallout 4 | Main | Open-world RPG with settlement building | Single-player |
| Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel | Spin-off | Squad-based tactical combat | Single-player and multiplayer |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | Spin-off | Action game for consoles | Single-player |
| Fallout: New Vegas | Spin-off | Open-world RPG built on the Fallout 3 style | Single-player |
| Fallout Shelter | Spin-off | Free Vault management game | Single-player |
| Fallout 76 | Spin-off | Open-world online RPG | Online, solo or co-op |
What Fallout game should I play first?
| Your situation | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want the most modern single-player Fallout | Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition | Base game, all 6 official expansions and 150+ Creation Club items in one package |
| You want the classic story from the beginning | Fallout, then Fallout 2 | The original two games, sold together in the Fallout Classic Collection on Steam |
| You want the best-known spin-off | Fallout: New Vegas | The Mojave story, sold as the Ultimate Edition with its add-ons |
| You want to play with friends | Fallout 76 | Solo or co-op online play in Appalachia, with free updates |
| You want something free on a phone or Switch | Fallout Shelter | Free to play, with in-app purchases |
| You want the full Capital Wasteland story | Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition | Includes all five Fallout 3 add-on packs |
None of the games requires the others. Each main entry has its own hero and region, so any one is a fair starting point.
Fallout re-releases, editions and ports in order
Several later releases bring older Fallout games to new platforms or bundle their add-ons. They are not new games, but they decide which version you buy today.
| Release | Date | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition | October 13, 2009 on Steam | All five add-ons: Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta |
| Fallout Shelter on PC | March 29, 2017 on Steam | The mobile Vault game on Windows |
| Fallout 4 VR | December 12, 2017 on Steam | The full Fallout 4 in virtual reality |
| Fallout Shelter on Nintendo Switch | June 10, 2018 | The free Vault game on Switch, also playable on Switch 2 |
| Fallout 76 on Steam | April 14, 2020 | The PC version on Steam |
| Fallout 4 for PS5 | April 25, 2024 | The native PS5 version on the PlayStation Store |
| Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition | November 10, 2025 | Base game, 6 official expansions and 150+ Creation Club items |
Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is also sold for Nintendo Switch 2 on Nintendo's own store.
Fallout 4 DLC in order
Fallout 4 has six official expansions. All six come with the Game of the Year Edition and the Anniversary Edition.
| Expansion | What it is |
|---|---|
| Automatron | Robot-themed add-on |
| Wasteland Workshop | Settlement building add-on |
| Far Harbor | Story add-on with a new region |
| Contraptions Workshop | Settlement building add-on |
| Vault-Tec Workshop | Build and manage your own Vault |
| Nuka-World | Story add-on |
Where to play Fallout games on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch
The classic games are PC-only today, while the newer games are on every current console. US Xbox Store prices are shown as they appear on xbox.com in November 2026.
| Game | Where it is sold now | Xbox Store price |
|---|---|---|
| Fallout | Steam, Xbox Store | $9.99 |
| Fallout 2 | Steam, Xbox Store | $9.99 |
| Fallout Tactics | Steam, Xbox Store | $9.99 |
| Fallout 3 | Steam, Xbox Store | From $9.99; Game of the Year Edition $19.99 |
| Fallout: New Vegas | Steam, Xbox Store | From $9.99; Ultimate Edition $19.99 |
| Fallout 4 | Steam, Xbox Store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo Switch 2 (Anniversary Edition) | From $19.99; Anniversary Edition from $59.99 |
| Fallout 76 | Steam, Xbox Store, PlayStation Store | From $39.99 |
| Fallout Shelter | Steam, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, mobile | Free |
| Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | Not sold on Steam or the Xbox Store | Not listed |
Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 are both included in the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog. Steam also sells a Fallout Franchise Bundle that groups eight items from the series.
What is new in Fallout 76 and Fallout Shelter
Fallout 76 and Fallout Shelter still get regular updates, so they are the two Fallout games that keep changing after release.
| Game | Latest update | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fallout 76 | The Slasher, a murder-mystery update with Season 26 (Beware the Blood Moon) | Available now |
| Fallout 76 | World Pets and Hideouts, with Cats, Dogs, Radhogs and domesticated Deathclaws | Public Test Server now, full release planned for winter 2026 |
| Fallout Shelter | In Gold We Trust season | Returned October 22, 2026 |
| Fallout Shelter | Baby Deathclaw pet and seasons inspired by the TV show | Coming soon, no date |
Bethesda says Fallout 76 has passed 25 million players. A separate Prime Video competition series, Fallout Shelter: The Experiment, premieres January 13, 2027.
Is there a Fallout 5 release date?
No. Bethesda has not announced Fallout 5 or a release date for it. The Fallout Day 2026 roundup on fallout.bethesda.net covered Fallout 4 Creations, Fallout 76 World Pets, Fallout Shelter seasons and the Fallout Shelter TV competition, with no new numbered game. Fallout 4 from 2015 remains the latest main-series release.
No remaster of Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas has been announced on Bethesda's own channels either. Treat any date you see elsewhere as a rumour until Bethesda posts it.
Fallout games order FAQ
What is the first Fallout game?
The first Fallout game is Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game from 1997. Interplay developed it, and Bethesda Softworks now publishes it on Steam, where it is also sold in the Fallout Classic Collection with Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics.
What is the newest Fallout game?
Fallout 76, released on November 14, 2018, is the newest Fallout game. Fallout 4 from November 10, 2015 is the newest numbered game, and its Anniversary Edition, released November 10, 2025, is the latest new edition in the series.
How many Fallout games are there?
There are nine Fallout games: four main-series games (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3 and Fallout 4) and five spin-offs (Fallout Tactics, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout Shelter and Fallout 76). Fallout 4 VR is a version of Fallout 4, not a separate game.
Do you need to play Fallout games in order?
No. Each main game has its own hero, region and story, so you can start with any of them. Release order shows how the series developed, while story order starts with Fallout 76 because it is a prequel set in 2102.
Is Fallout New Vegas a sequel to Fallout 3?
Fallout: New Vegas is a follow-up to Fallout 3 rather than a numbered sequel. Obsidian Entertainment developed it, it came out in October 2010, and it moves the story to the Mojave Wasteland, Hoover Dam and the New Vegas Strip.
Is Fallout 76 a prequel?
Yes. Fallout 76 is a multiplayer prequel to the rest of the series. It is set on Reclamation Day in 2102, 25 years after the Great War, when the residents of Vault 76 emerge into West Virginia.
Is Fallout 4 on Nintendo Switch?
Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is sold for Nintendo Switch 2 on Nintendo's store. On the original Switch, the only Fallout game sold is Fallout Shelter, released June 10, 2018, which also runs on Switch 2 with the same behavior.
Is Fallout Shelter free?
Yes. Fallout Shelter is free to play and offers optional in-app purchases. It launched on mobile in 2015, reached PC on Steam on March 29, 2017, and arrived on Nintendo Switch on June 10, 2018.
Can you play the old Fallout games on Windows 11?
Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics are sold on Steam and the Xbox Store for PC, both of which run on current Windows. Steam itself supports only Windows 10 and later, so use one of those versions of Windows.
