When Fallout was first released in the late 90s, gamers could only rely on information from video game magazines. Usually, their information was slightly more authoritative since it originated from the developers themselves, but sometimes incorrect information fell through the cracks. Of course, you wouldn’t know unless you paid attention to the corrections section.

With the primary means of communicating video game information now online, it’s even harder to rummage through all of the rumors to find facts. Anyone can print out false information with an official-looking letterhead, and claim it’s a circulated document going through Bethesda. Though this is cruel and ultimately pointless, countless fans who are eager for more Fallout news fall for the lies. Rumors spread like wildfire, and it’s usually up to the public relation’s team to squash the fake news. Usually, by the time they control the rumors, many fans still believe the false news and spread it anyway. Once it the rumors has online, it’s hard to correct.

Though due diligence should be done when reading any news in general, some Fallout rumors sounded too real. Maybe it was us just wanting them to be real, but these rumors were so believable that we were shocked when they were proven false by the developer. Check out our list of some Fallout rumors that seemed too real to be fake.

20 Everyone Thought This Was A Teaser

via: TheSurvivor2299.com

In 2015, a mysterious website called TheSurvivor2299.com was launched. It broadcast different morse code messages that were translated into references to the Institute and Vault 119. There was a countdown timer that was scheduled to end on December 11. Speculation quickly spread that the game would be the official website for Fallout 4. Though the Institute did have a significant role in Fallout 4, the Sole Survivor did not come from Vault 119.

Fans reached out to Bethesda and asked if it was real. Bethesda ignored the fake website for weeks until the Vice President of PR, Pete Hines, cleared the air. He said they know rumors circulate and the company chooses to ignore it, But due to the scale of this story, in the future, Bethesda would try to be faster in debunking rumors.

19 No Girls Allowed

via: craveonline.com

While fans were scraping the internet for Fallout 4 information in mid-2014, the news made its way to the Fallout subreddit. A user named SandraReed claimed to be an ex-Bethesda employee who was fired for leaking information. Her post spread like wildfire on other gaming subreddits and gaming news websites.

One of SandraReed's most shocking rumors was that Fallout 4 would only allow players to play as a male protagonist. Previous Fallout games allowed for players to create a male or female character for an optimal role-playing experience. When a trailer was released with the protagonist, a male, narrating the introduction for the first time in Fallout's history, many believed her lies. After doing some research, fans were able to prove there were voice actors and actresses cast for both the male and female protagonist.

18 Tamriel Meets Post-Apocalyptic America

via: reddit.com

Bethesda is currently working on two extremely popular IPs: The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. The developer and publisher know they have loyal fans for both franchises. They included an Easter egg in Fallout 4 that references The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Onboard the Brotherhood of Steel's Prydwen, you can find a "Mysterious Plant" being grown in a biological lab. The plant has the familiar ringing noise and physical characteristics of the Nirnoot of Skyrim.

Upon discovering the plant, fans started rumors that Skyrim and Fallout are connected. Pete Hines put a stop to the rumor, making it clear Bethesda did not change the world of Fallout so it would be connected to the world of The Elder Scrolls.

17 Explore The Commonwealth With A Real Person

via: mods.bethesda.net

Fallout 3 included no possibility of online play, but many still found the single player experience enjoyable. The ownership of Fallout Online was still in limbo between Bethesda and Interplay. With the growing popularity of online games and the success of The Elder Scrolls Online, fans speculated that Fallout 4 would include online play. Fans began to believe that they could explore the Commonwealth with a real-life companion, instead of an AI partner. The technology to utilize online play exists, but Bethesda chose to go with a single player experience. The only reason to play the game online was to download updates and now, to download mods from Bethesda's new Creation Club. There's still a possibility Bethesda will release an online Fallout game, but for now, we'll have to wait for future news.

16 A Tactical Game To Promote New Vegas

via: moddb.com

In 2010, rumors began circulating that Bethesda was working on an iOS mobile game called Fallout Tactics: New Vegas. Fans already knew that Todd Howard, Bethesda's Director and Executive Producer, was interested in bringing Fallout to mobile devices. Originally, they were planning to work with iD Software, but plans were scrapped to work with the company.

PocketGamer announced that Bethesda and Oblivion were working on a smartphone app that would be released simultaneously with Fallout: New Vegas. It would be a tactical RPG in the style of Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel and take place in Southwest America. With the mobile game, Bethesda hoped to increase interest in Fallout: New Vegas. The rumor claimed more information would be revealed at E3.

Though a Fallout game for smartphones was believable, it turned out Fallout Tactics: New Vegas was just a rumor.

15 Highly-Anticipated Sequel Shown In Secret

via: gospelherald.com

Many gamers believe that game journalists get special perks from developers. That's how a rumor began spreading that Bethesda was showing off Fallout 4 in secret at E3 2013. Gamers believed that Bethesda was secretly sharing exclusive Fallout 4 information in exchange for positive press. They showed it to journalists early so they would have time to create coverage. Many believed that game journalists knew more than the fans did about the upcoming sequel. After hearing about the possible Fallout 4 leak, other gaming sites that did not appear at E3 went with it anyway and began speculating about the sequel.

This rumor was ultimately squashed. Bethesda made it clear they did not show any secret Fallout coverage. In fact, Fallout 4 had not yet been officially announced. The only games Bethesda showed at E3 2013 were Wolfenstein: The New Order, The Elder Scrolls Online, and The Evil Within.

14 Return To The Mojave Desert

via: fraghero.com

Fans of the original Fallout series were thrilled when they heard Obsidian, which employed former Black Isle Studios developers, would be working on a 3D Fallout game entitled Fallout: New Vegas. Fans continue to play the game, even after the release of Fallout 4. In early 2017, a rumor began to spread that Obsidian was working on Fallout: New Vegas 2. It sounded reasonable. Fallout: New Vegas used ideas from Van Buren, Black Isle Studio's original Fallout 3, so maybe they had more ideas for the Fallout universe.

Sadly this was just a rumor. Within 48 hours of the rumor's birth, the PR Manager for Obsidian, Mikey Dowling, said: "We’ve said plenty of times that we’d love to work on a Fallout again if Bethesda wanted us to, we just aren’t at this time."

13 Anticipated Sequel Already In Progress

via: whatculture.com

Fallout 4 was first released in late 2015. Bethesda promised months of additional DLC content with their Season Pass. Unfortunately, the last bit of DLC content came with Nuka-World in August 2016. Fans were upset, but rumors began to circulate that the work on Fallout 4 stopped to begin work on Fallout 5. Speculation started to spread online, and fans had high hopes for quickly returning to the post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Fans are always hopeful to hear new Fallout 5 information but were disappointed when Bethesda shared no related news at E3 2017. Pete Hines tried to calm down upset fans by explaining Bethesda's process: "They're not a two-button vending machine, where first we press Elder Scrolls, and then we press Fallout, and then we press Elder Scrolls, and then we press Fallout."

12 Adding Firearms Into A Fantasy World

via: gamespot.com

When it was announced that Bethesda purchased the rights to Fallout, fans of the series weren't sure what to expect. Their isometric RPG was now in control of a developer they only knew for The Elder Scrolls series. Rumors began to spread on internet forums that the game would resemble Oblivion, yet set in a post-apocalyptic world. Instead of swords, players would use guns. The term "Oblivion with guns" was quickly coined and before the game was released, fans had already made up their minds that Fallout 3 would be terrible.

Fallout 3 ended up being an entirely different experience from Oblivion. The conversion from isometric to 3D graphics surprised old fans and brought new fans into the series. Fallout 3 grew into a different series from Black Isle Studio's original game and The Elder Scrolls.

11 A Television Or Movie Adaptation Of The Series

via: consoleplanet.it

Many fans of the Fallout series would be more than happy to see an adaptation on television screens. In 2013, their dreams seemed to become a reality. Fans found a filing from Bethesda at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office for "Entertainment services like an on-going television program set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world." Fans immediately believed that with the popularity of Fallout 3 and New Vegas, they could launch a popular new television series. At Comic-Con, gamers thought that a series called Fallout Revelations would put truth into the rumor. The series turned out to be a fan-made series and had no affiliation with Bethesda.

Sadly, there are no upcoming TV or movie plans for Fallout. Although the idea isn't off the table, Todd Howard stated that the studio isn't ready to head into that direction. The copyright only exists to hold claim to it, just in case plans change for the future.

10 Predictions Of The Future

via: reddit.com

Some video game fans are willing to stretch the truth to have something new to share online. In Fallout 3, rumors began to spread that the game could predict the future. If you're a skeptic of the supernatural, you may have quickly dismissed it.

If you killed Three Dog, the enthusiastic DJ of Galaxy News Radio and played until Raven Rock was destroyed, the station would be replaced with morse code messages. A few developed fans decided to take it a step further and translate all of the morse code in the game. The messages included the date of death for the Queen of England and Gary Coleman. When asked for clarity, Bethesda stated: "Sounds like a cool theory, but there's no truth in it."

9 Going The Massive Multiplayer Route

via: fonline-reloaded.net

With a seven-year gap between the numbered Fallout series, fans started speculating on the fourth sequel. Many already knew that Bethesda had decided to terminate the Fallout Online license. Interplay and Bethesda soon found themselves in court battling it out. For those who followed the case, it was confusing, with Bethesda losing, yet filing an appeal, then going after Masthead Studios instead.

Many assumed that a large developer and publisher like Bethesda couldn't lose. The rights to Fallout Online was eventually restored to Bethesda in 2012. With The Elder Scrolls Online finally shaking off its poor release, fans assumed Bethesda would take Fallout on the MMORPG route with their newly acquired license. Instead, Bethesda continued to work on the single player game Fallout 4.

8 The Galaxy News Radio DJ Would Return

via: lparchive.org

Fallout 4 takes place ten years after the events of Fallout 3. The fourth sequel takes place in the Commonwealth, which isn't a long distance from the Capital Wasteland. Though we eventually learned that other characters from Fallout 3 would make an appearance in 4, Erik Todd Dellums led players to believe his character; Three Dog, would be returning.

Though there is an option to kill Three-Dog, he would return for a majority of players. Rumors quickly spread after Dellums began teasing in January 2013 that he would return. After being reached for clarification, it turned out that Dellums was told there would be a possibility the character would return, and it wasn't definite. Not only were fans falsely led to believe the rumor, but Dellums also had to find out the hard way.

7 Taking Fallout Into The Swamps Of The Southern USA

via: youtube.com (Roshank Redemption)

Fallout 3 was initially released in October 2008. Though Fallout: New Vegas was released two years later, it was a long seven years until the numbered sequel was published in November 2015. Fans are now impatiently waiting for Fallout 5. Rumors sent the fans crazy when it was revealed Fallout: New Orleans was trademarked. It wasn't a numbered sequel, so fans were unsure if it was Fallout 5. With no other information, gamers believed this would be a new sequel from Obsidian, the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas.

Obsidian didn't allow the rumor to circulate for long. The developer announced via Twitter that a Fallout: New Orleans was "very doubtful." Though they previously expressed interest in working with Bethesda again, they are currently focusing on Pillars of Eternity 2.

6 Government Forces Team Up With Secretive Scientists

via: modsfallout4.com

The Enclave had a huge role in the Fallout series. Naturally, gamers believe the shadow government would return in Fallout 4. They were mostly disbanded in Fallout 3's DLC Broken Steel, but there was still a chance the Lone Wanderer didn't kill them all. Fans speculated surviving Enclave members went to the Institute, which was one of the largest growing factions in the Commonwealth. Both would work together to build Synths and turn the commonwealth into their perfect world.

Sadly, those rumors were quickly squashed when Fallout 4 was released. To the disappointment of many gamers, the Enclave didn't have a role in the game. Instead, the Institute was their major faction, while smaller forces like the Brotherhood of Steel, Railroad, and Minutemen fought against them.

5 An Unnumbered Sequel From Bethesda

via: youtube.com (AOD Gaming)

Few are faster than internet fans when discovering video game news. A NeoGAF member discovered a Bethesda copyright in Germany called Fallout: Shadow of Boston. Since many use NeoGAF as a news source, gaming sites jumped on the news and began writing countless articles about it before official confirmation from Bethesda. Soon, the rumor began to spread about a new Fallout game.

Bethesda quickly took to Twitter to debunk the hoax. They stated: "The German trademark filing that's making the rounds is a hoax. This didn't come from our offices." No one knows where the trademark originated from, or if it even existed in the first place, but a tiny bit of information was enough to make fans go wild for one afternoon.

4 A New Developer To Handle Online Gaming

via: infinitecreative.com

With Bethesda Softworks working on new projects and growing in size, they started a new development team called BattleCry in Austin, Texas. Headed by the former Vice President of BioWare Austin, Rich Vogel, BattleCry announced they had begun work on an "unannounced project." Since Bethesda is owned by ZeniMax Media, who works on The Elder Scrolls Online, fans speculated this project would be the long-awaited Fallout Online. Fans were fine with ESO being the guinea pig for a polished Fallout MMORPG. The unannounced project turned out to be an unreleased title called BattleCry. The only game the development team has worked on since its creation was Doom in 2016. There is no confirmed information if BattleCry will ever work on a Fallout game.

3 Sequel Would Take Players To The Golden State

via: youtube.com (TheEpicNate315)

After the success of Fallout: New Vegas, fans began to speculate where the game was headed next. Though most believed the numbered series would continue on the East Coast, some wondered if it would stay in the Western part of the United States. Developer Chris Avellone spoke about his thoughts on where he would like to take Fallout next. As he spoke, fans began to develop rumors. They believed a sequel would bring them to Los Angeles, more specifically, The Boneyard. Players would have to deal with higher amounts of radiation and find new ways to survive.

Though Fallout 4 was revealed to take place in Boston, fans had high hopes they would travel back out West, away from the Capital Wasteland on the East Coast.

2 Would Improve On Graphics

via: dsogaming.com

Fans both cheered and moaned about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition. Though it didn't add new gameplay, it completely revamped the graphics, even more than Bethesda's official high-resolution texture pack. For fans who already owned Skyrim on PC, they received the upgrade for free.

With the possibility of updated graphics, fans believed there would be remastered versions of Fallout 3, New Vegas, and 4. Fans knew that Bethesda has no problem re-releasing a video game with different versions including Game of the Year, Collector's Editions, and Special Editions, so this was one more potential money maker for the developer and publisher. Instead, they released Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition in September 2017. Though it wasn't a complete remaster, it included some graphics enhancements

1 Expand On Map Sizes

via: reddit.com

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim impressed fans with a massive open world environment. Though most of it was mountains, there were still several cities and caves to explore. With Fallout 4 set to be released in 2015, fans hoped that Bethesda would expand on the size of the map. The notorious fake Bethesda employee SandraReed promised on Reddit that the map size of Fallout 4 would be three times the size of Skyrim's map. Though most of the information in her post was false, there were some things proven to be true.

The large size of Fallout 4's map was proven to be false. It's reasonable to believe Bethesda would create a larger world with the advance in technology. Without including DLC, Fallout 4's map was 14.2 square kilometers compared to Skyrim's 14.8 square kilometers. It turns out that Fallout 4's map was smaller than Bethesda's 2011 game.