It’s been a disappointing time lately for Fallout fans, with many players wondering why a new mainline game from one of Bethesda’s most popular IPs hasn’t been released in over a decade. While Fallout 5 has been confirmed to be on Bethesda’s docket after The Elder Scrolls 6 eventually comes out, fans are left with underwhelming announcements and recycled Fallout content, such as the latest Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition launch.

An announcement from Xbox that the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition will become available today (via X) stated that “Everyone liked that,” referencing the in-game NPC reaction. Players on Reddit, however, were quick to slap back, stating that in fact, “Everyone did not like that” and wondering, “at what point are they just rubbing it in our faces?”

Bethesda also released a Fallout 4 Creations Bundle, which includes over 150 Creation Club items (Fallout 4’s in-game marketplace), which players are realizing quickly is “very disappointing” (Solid_Channel_1365). To make matters worse, fans have been reporting major performance issues for the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition (via X), noting bugs, screen tearing, crashes, and more.

Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition Sparks Backlash From Fans

Fans Think The Fallout IP Has Been Squandered

Fallout news has been very disappointing for players over the past few years, and many fans are fed up with being let down. This year’s Fallout Day was yet another massive flop, with the big announcement being a new Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, which is available for purchase now.

Players were hopeful for a possible remaster or remake announcement of one of the beloved games in the franchise, such as Fallout 3 or even Fallout: New Vegas, but had no such luck. It’s officially been over 10 years since Fallout 4’s release, and players are concerned for the franchise’s future.

With Fallout 5 reportedly not going to happen before The Elder Scrolls 6, which Todd Howard stated recently was still “a long way off,” fans can’t come to terms with the fact that the best Fallout content being released will not be in the form of video games at all. As TheWealthyCapybara points out, “It’s unbelievable that an Amazon show and a Magic The Gathering set are the only new things Fallout has received this decade.” Ultimately, players see this Anniversary Edition release as a blatant and unsurprising cash grab, and fans are deeply concerned over the franchise’s future.

Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition Isn’t What Players Want

Bethesda Is Stringing Its Most Dedicated Fallout Fans Along

Ultimately, it’s pretty obvious that the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition is not what players really want or deserve, and it’s sad that Bethesda continues to release recycled content that’s full of bugs instead of giving players new games or at least the highly requested remakes of their hits.

Further, details about Fallout 5, its progress, or even a potential timeframe for its possible release would go a long way to give players peace of mind. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition will still appeal to a certain subset of players, and as long as this sort of content results in sales, Bethesda’s marketing strategy is likely to remain unchanged.

It’s unclear if Bethesda has plans to announce anything substantive about its future Fallout projects anytime soon, but for the time being, the Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, Fallout 76 content, and various anniversary-related content bundles are going to remain the main focus. On a positive note, the second season of Amazon’s Fallout TV show premieres December 17, 2025, so at least there’s something for players to look forward to after Fallout 4‘s disappointing ten-year anniversary.