- What is it?
- Timeline
- Cast
- Release date
Bethesda Game Studios has worked on its iconic post-apocalyptic game franchise since before it was acquired in 2007, and the series keeps getting bigger. After numerous games, Bethesda teamed up with Kilter Films and Amazon MGM Studios in order to bring the world of Fallout to a new medium on Prime Video.
With the Fallout TV series, Fallout expanded through an eight-episode season that took players further into the story than ever before. The series was a huge hit, and Amazon MGM Studios didn't wait long to renew the series for a second season. While there's a lot that still needs to be answered, we already know a few interesting things about where the show is going. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions, alongside everything we know about the Fallout TV series Season 2.
What is the Fallout TV series?
Best answer: Fallout is a TV series on Prime Video adapted from the ZeniMax Media game franchise of the same name. The show is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Kilter Films, Bethesda Game Studios, and Bethesda Softworks.
A deal was first reached between to adapt Fallout into a TV series in July 2020. Husband and wife pair Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy of Kilter Films helped Amazon MGM Studios create the adaption, bringing in Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet as writers and showrunners.
On the ZeniMax Media side, Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios and James Altman of Bethesda Softworks also served as executive producers on the series. German composer Ramin Djawadi (known for his work on Westworld, Game of Thrones, and Gears 5) provided the score for the show.
The first season of the Fallout TV series premiered on April 10, 2024, with all eight episodes dropping at once. Just eight days later, we learned that the series was renewed for Season 2, with Amazon also sharing that the series was one of the top three most-viewed shows on Prime Video.
In our review of the Fallout TV series' first season, I wrote that "Almost everything on screen showed me that Nolan, Robertson-Dworet, Wagner, and everyone else involved in the creation of this series just get it. We might be waiting a long time for a new game, but this is the next chapter of Fallout, and I'm excited to see where it leads in the future."
The series has been critically acclaimed, scoring well over a dozen Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series and Walton Goggins (The Ghoul) for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
If you're interested in learning more about the creation of the series, I also interviewed Nolan, Wagner, and Robertson-Dworet (as well as some of the cast) about the process of adapting Fallout into a TV series. Some of the topics discussed include the nature of freedom in Bethesda Game Studios' titles, the advantages and disadvantages of shorter TV seasons, and more.
Fallout TV series timeline
Best answer: The Fallout TV series takes place in 2296, making its events the latest chronological part of the Fallout franchise.
We have a definitive timeline that makes it very clear where the Fallout TV series fits in the greater timeline. You can see the timeline of the Fallout games below, though it's important to note that the extended flashback sequences in the series and Fallout 4 take place before the bombs drop in 2077.
- The atomic bombs fall everywhere — 2077
- Fallout 76 — 2102
- Fallout — 2161
- Fallout Tactics — 2197
- Fallout 2 — 2241
- Fallout 3 — 2277
- Fallout: New Vegas — 2281
- Fallout 4 — 2287
- Fallout TV series — 2296
As you can clearly see, the Fallout TV series is the latest thing in the franchise chronologically, taking place nine years after the events of Fallout 4, 15 years after Fallout: New Vegas, and 19 years after Fallout 3.
We'll have to wait and see how much time passes in-universe between future seasons, as well as finding out if Fallout 5 advances the timeline even further. We're not expecting any meaningful time skips in the series though, which means the timeline will only increase slightly, if at all.
Fallout TV series Season 2 cast
Best answer: The cast of the Fallout TV series includes Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins.
While the official cast list for Fallout's second season has not been released, we're expecting a large portion of the cast for the first season to return. The lead protagonists, Lucy MacLean, Maximus, and Cooper Howard/The Ghoul, are played by Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins, respectively, and there's no reason to think they won't be back.
We should also see Lucy's father Hank and brother Norm again, as portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan and Moises Arias, respectively. Another likely returning member of the cast could be Matt Berry, who provides the voice for the Mr. Handy line of robots.
It's reasonable to expect that the cast will grow with some new characters, but it'll be a while before we get any news on that front.
When is the Fallout TV series Season 2's release date?
Best answer: Season 2 of the Fallout TV series does not currently have a release date.
We don't have a release date or even a release window for Season 2 of the Fallout TV series yet. Many shows are taking longer and longer to make, especially shows that feature a hefty amount of CGI, which vastly extends the post-production period, resulting in situations where a series has been completely filmed for over a year before it is released. HBO's House of the Dragons, which saw its first season arrive in 2022, is only now getting a second season in 2024.
Strikes can also delay the release of movies and TV shows, and we saw a massive strike take place in 2023 prior to the release of the series' first season. The current SAG-AFTRA agreement runs through 2026, so we're not expecting another strike to interrupt the production of the Fallout TV series' second season.
A conservative yet reasonable estimate could place the arrival of Season 2 around sometime in early 2026, but we'll have to wait and see.
It's certainly possible the next installment of the show could arrive sooner, as the teams now have experience from working on the first season, including a number of props and outfits that can presumably be reused. Fallout was lauded for using real props and sets over hefty amounts of CGI, which could end up being a boon for getting future seasons out at a faster rate.
Speaking with Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke confirmed the team is working on a second season as fast as possible.
"On Fallout, the team has had such a crisp and clear vision all along, so I can share that we already have scripts in hand for Season 2,” she says. “We’ve set a high quality bar, so we’re going to make sure that Season 2 not only lives up to Season 1 but delivers even more. We’ve got a plan that we’re moving very fast on. I can’t tell you an exact date, but I think everyone will be happy with how quickly we’re able to get back with Season 2."
Fallout Season 2 setting
In a recent interview, the show's creators have all but confirmed that New Vegas will be a part of Fallout Season 2. Without actually saying the words, it's the clearest confirmation yet that the tease from the Season 1 finale will be explored when the show returns. In their words, New York isn't particularly likely after that, is it?
The same interview also teases that the fallout from that Vault-Tec and friends meeting in Season 1 has more to offer, and that the story over who dropped the bombs will be explored further, as will the shadowy characters overseeing said meeting.
We also shouldn't expect New Vegas to be as we remember. The world has changed in the time between the ending of Fallout: New Vegas and the time the show occupies, so it'll be interesting to see how this iconic location will be brought back to life.
