You better binge the Fallout TV show because the next game is making its story canon, according to Todd Howard

The Fallout TV show’s second season has finished and is getting favorable reviews from the audience and critics alike. It continues where the first season left off, building on the characters, the world, and the story. And all of that could be part of Fallout 5, or so says Todd Howard.

Fallout 5 remains a figment of imagination, with the game probably up to a decade away. The Elder Scrolls 6, announced in 2018, is likely Bethesda’s current and main focus, though even that is probably some five years off by all accounts. Even so, Howard was keen on commenting about what that game could potentially entail, at least in relation to the currently-airing Fallout TV show.

Asked by the BBC whether the TV show will have an “impact” on this potential next installment in the long-running franchise, Howard said Bethesda is “taking [the show] into account.”

“Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening,” Howard explained. This would make the TV show fully canon to the games, making the seasons fundamentally important for anyone who wishes to experience Fallout 5.

Of course, you could argue that the game will most likely take place in a separate location and time period, but that nevertheless does not dispute the seasons as crucial parts of the overarching lore of the Fallout universe.

I myself have not yet seen any bit of the Fallout TV show, but with how much praise it’s getting, I might just do it. Now, with Howard’s extra bit of context, I’m inclined to reconsider my stance on the show, despite my many criticisms aimed at the epidemic of video game adaptations.