Earlier today, Bethesda sent its fan-base into a frenzy. The uproar was caused by a single tweet posted to Bethesda Game Studio’s Twitter account. That highly cryptic tweet appeared to be a teaser for an upcoming announcement, and it seems very likely indeed that it could be a teaser for Fallout 5.
“Please Stand By”
Bethesda’s tweet contains a gif of a retro-style broadcasting image that reads “Please Stand By”. Before the days of 24-hour scheduling, these images were broadcast in-between television shows. Famously, they have often been associated with breaks in scheduled broadcasting caused by unforeseen problems. As a result, they’ve long been associated with emergency broadcasting and disaster warnings (such as in the case of a nuclear strike, perhaps), especially during the Cold War. Right around the time period, in fact, when Fallout’s technology and style are drawn from. Fans of the series probably already know this, of course, and will likely recognize the image at once. The “Please Stand By” image has appeared in the franchise since the release of Fallout 3 at least.
#PleaseStandBy pic.twitter.com/5IUjkURCcM
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) May 29, 2018
When Might Bethesda Make a Formal Announcement?
If Bethesda’s tweet is teasing the announcement of a new Fallout game, it will probably happen at E3; the annual expo is less than two weeks away. Even before this teaser, it had seemed likely that Bethesda might announce Fallout 5 at the event. After all, Fallout 4 released three years ago. Rumors have been circulating for months that Bethesda would release the next game in the series relatively soon. If the company does plan to announce Fallout 5 at E3, it’s even possible that the game could launch before the end of the year. For now, the most pertinent question is whether this teaser is for Fallout 5 or something else, like Fallout Shelter.
Fans have high expectations for the next Bethesda title, whatever it proves to be. Recent games like God of War and Detroit: Become Human have set a high bar for story. As a studio renowned for RPGs, Bethesda will need to prove that it can meet the bar that has been set since Fallout 4. What fans may be most excited about, at least for now, however, is where Bethesda may have chosen to set a new game. With luck, the studio will arrive at E3 with a gameplay trailer of some sort; thus announcing the game, revealing the setting, and presenting a look at the core gameplay in one fell swoop. For now, Fallout fans can only wait and hope.