Fallout TV Series Timeline Controversy Clarified by Todd Howard

A week after its premiere, Fallout is being well-received by critics and fans alike. However, some hardcore fans are very concerned about the lore of the video game, which has conflicted with the official timeline of where the Prime Video series takes place. In response to this, Todd Howard, Executive Producer of the series and Director of Bethesda Game Studios, along with Jonathan Nolan, Executive Producer and Director of the series, have come to clarify certain details on this subject in an interview with IGN.

Warning: Fallout spoilers below

One of the details that has made fans of the series scratch their heads or get angry is the situation with an iconic location in the series, such as Shady Sands. This location has been part of the extensive Fallout lore throughout 3 of its games. However, there is one detail that does not quite add up, and that is the date of its destruction, as according to the Prime Video series, Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan) was the cause of the destruction of this town.

This led many fans to believe that Fallout New Vegas had been removed from the canon. In light of this, it was Todd Howard himself who addressed the issue, mentioning that “New Vegas happened”: “There might be a little bit of confusion at some places, but everything that happened in the previous games, including New Vegas, happened. We’re very careful about that.”

What happens to Shady Sands?

There is a scene in the series during Episode 6 where it appears that the “Fall of Shady Sands” took place in 2277, years before the events of New Vegas. According to the canon, Fallout New Vegas takes place a few years later, in 2281, and Shady Sands is still standing.

When asked about this, Howard said, “All I can say is that we’re spinning it a little bit thinner there, but the bomb drops right after the events of New Vegas. That’s when Shady Sands explodes,” clarifying that “The Fall of Shady Sands” is not necessarily about the destruction of a nuke. “We are tight on the dates, if you really want to get into it. But what’s important is when the show takes place. What is happening in the time period of the show? And that’s what’s most important to us.”