When Bethesda released Fallout 4, it actually wasn't the fourth game in the series. By the time the title came out, there had already been six previous Fallout games. The series dates all the way back to 1997 with the groundbreaking first entry that introduced the irradiated world of the Vault Dweller. Fallout 4 was released a full 18 years after the original Fallout, but where does it fall on the in-game timeline?

It turns out, all the numbered Fallout games were released in chronological order. This means that the events of Fallout 3 take place after the events of Fallout 2, and so on. Fallout 1 is set in 2161, nearly a century after a nuclear war devastated the entire world. By the time Fallout 4 comes around, a significant amount of time has ed.

Where Does Fallout 4 Fall On The Series Timeline?

The History Of Fallout 4

Fallout 4 takes 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 October 23, 2077, the day of the Great War. On this day, the character, their spouse, and their son are cryogenically frozen in Vault 111.

They are seen again years later when the 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 October 10, 2287, making it a whole 210 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 4 is not a perfect game and it 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?

Fallout takes a fairly linear approach to storytelling, with most games taking place after the previous installment. The only real exception is Fallout 76, whose events play out before the first game in the series. The full timeline of the Fallout games is:

The story of the Fallout franchise is far from over. mods like Fallout: London. The next game will also probably take place at least 10 years after Fallout 4, moving the universe ever forward.