Fallout 3 Remaster Frenzy Erupts After Todd Howard Teases Bethesda Is Working on Some Other Things

Seventeen years after launch, Fallout 3 could be heading for a remaster, with Bethesda’s Todd Howard hinting the studio has more in the pipeline beyond Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls 6.

File this under: not confirmed, but definitely worth watching. Todd Howard just hinted that Bethesda has more Fallout cooking than the stuff we already know about, and the rumor mill immediately zeroed in on a Fallout 3 remaster. Given the timing, the leaks, and Bethesda's recent playbook, that guess is not wild.

What Todd actually said (and why people are connecting dots)

In a GQ chat on November 10, Todd Howard looked back on a decade of Fallout 4 and said that hundreds of people at Bethesda Game Studios are currently working on Fallout-related projects. He name-dropped Fallout 76 and, more intriguingly, said there are 'some other things' in the mix. That turned the speculation faucet wide open.

Video Games Chronicle followed up by reporting that one of those 'other things' is a Fallout 3 remaster. Nothing official from Bethesda yet, but VGC is not exactly a random Reddit post.

This has been bubbling for a while

Back in 2023, internal Xbox documents surfaced during the FTC hearing and listed a Fallout 3 remaster as part of Microsoft's planning slate. We never saw it materialize, likely because Bethesda was busy shipping Starfield and moving Indiana Jones and the Great Circle along. The fact that nobody at the time shot down the remaster's existence is doing a lot of work for believers now.

Also, Howard has long been high on Fallout 3. He has called its opening the best he has ever worked on, which is the kind of praise that usually precedes a return trip to the Capital Wasteland.

If this is real, what would it look like?

The safe bet is Bethesda repeats the approach it used for Oblivion Remastered: Unreal Engine 5 for the shiny new visuals, Creation Engine under the hood for gameplay systems. That would give Fallout 3 a fresh coat of paint without sanding down the mechanics that made it feel like Fallout 3 in the first place.

When could it drop?

Here is where it gets interesting. Oblivion Remastered was shadow-dropped earlier this year and did just fine. Howard even framed it like Bethesda was testing out a surprise-release strategy.

'You might say that was a test run. It worked out well.'

So, a stealth launch for Fallout 3 is not crazy. On the other hand, those leaked Xbox/FTC docs also suggested Fallout 3 Remastered was slated to land two years after Oblivion Remastered, which would put it around 2027. That gives us two plausible lanes: a sooner-than-later surprise if Bethesda wants to ride current momentum, or a longer wait if the schedule sticks.

For what it is worth, Bethesda's Fallout Day 2025 stream in October came and went without a new game announcement. If they are holding something back, early 2026 suddenly looks like a nice window.

The TV show factor

The Fallout series on Prime was a legit hit last year and pulled millions of new players into the games. Season 2 heads to New Vegas in December. Lining up a remaster near that would be shrewd timing, and Bethesda knows how to capitalize on a wave when they see one.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Bethesda plate

Howard made it clear The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a thing, and Fallout 76 continues to get updates. He also teased fans during Fallout Day with a simple promise that there is more in the pipeline.

• GQ interview on Nov 10: Howard says hundreds at BGS are on Fallout work, mentions Fallout 76 and 'some other things.'
• VGC reports one of those 'other things' is a Fallout 3 remaster.
• 2023 Xbox/FTC document leak included a Fallout 3 remaster plan; likely paused while Bethesda focused on Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
• Oblivion Remastered set the template: UE5 for visuals, Creation Engine for gameplay; it was also shadow-dropped to success.
• Timing tea leaves: potential stealth drop sooner than expected, or per leaked planning, around 2027.
• Fallout Day 2025 had no new game reveals; Howard teased more is coming.
• Fallout TV momentum: Season 2 hits New Vegas in December; synergy window is obvious.
• And yes, Fallout 3 quietly turned 17 on October 28, 2025, which is a neat bit of timing for all this chatter.

Bottom line: nothing is official, but there is way too much smoke here to ignore. If Bethesda is lining up a modern return to the Capital Wasteland, do not be shocked if it lands with little warning and perfect timing.