Fallout London dev might be “forced” to release it despite the Fallout 4 next-gen update

With Starfield DLC and The Elder Scrolls 6 still in the works, Fallout London feels like the closest thing to a genuine Fallout 5 that we could see for a while. A gigantic mod that relocates Bethesda’s apocalypse RPG to the eponymous UK capital, it’s the creation of Team FOLON, and likely one of the most anticipated PC launches of 2024. Recently, the developer announced that Fallout London would be delayed from its previous Tuesday April 23 release date as the launch of the Fallout 4 next-gen upgrade would demand a series of changes, overhauls, and adaptations to ensure London was playable for all. Now, Team FOLON says it may be “forced” to release Fallout London, despite the coming update to FO4.

The Fallout 5 release date may be on its way, eventually, but even with the runaway success of the TV adaptation, it’s unlikely we’ll be returning to the wasteland until the Starfield DLC and The Elder Scrolls 6 are under Bethesda’s belt. That leaves the Fallout 4 next-gen upgrade and of course Fallout London itself as our best reasons to return to the nuclear RPG games. A Fallout 4 mod of staggering ambition, London was originally set to launch today, April 23

Team FOLON delayed the game so as not to collide with the revamped version of Fallout 4, which lands Thursday April 25. The problem is that London has been built for the original version of FO4, meaning the FOLON team now needs additional time to retool it for the next-gen relaunch. However, the developer says that could change – it’s not what the team wants, but practicalities may force its collective hand.

“Many of you are curious about why we haven’t simply released what we currently have on the old version,” Team FOLON project manager Dean Carter says on the game’s official Discord. “It’s important to understand that this mod is for everyone, not just a select few. The majority of gamers will benefit from the [Fallout 4 next-gen] update, and cutting off a significant portion of our player base isn’t a viable option.

“Moreover, maintaining two separate builds moving forward would be impractical, especially for what we have planned. While I understand this situation can be frustrating, it’s the reality we’re facing. We’re hopeful that the update will be relatively minor and that we can deliver those fixes to you as soon as possible. However if it poses a significant risk to our creation, we may be forced to release what we have as is against our plans.”

So, while the plan for Team FOLON is to rework the mod so it is fully compatible with Fallout 4 next-gen, if that becomes a significant obstacle and requires an overly long delay, the current version of Fallout London, which works with the original FO4, may be released. We will just have to wait and see. But after working so hard and so long on something that looks so promising, even if we’re all eager to play it, it would be better to just give Team FOLON the time it needs to make the game that it wants.

Besides, you can always play some of the other best games like Fallout in the meantime, or maybe check out the best Fallout New Vegas mods, if you want to relive Obsidian’s take on the apocalypse instead.

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