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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The main story of Amazon’s Fallout series is set in Los Angeles in 2296. Using the in-universe dates Bethesda publishes for the games, that places the show nine years after Fallout 4 (2287) and 15 years after Fallout: New Vegas (2281). The show’s pre-war flashbacks reach back to the period before the Great War of 2077, but they do not change the year of the present-day story.
The main story: Los Angeles, 2296
Amazon’s official feature on the series, published in 2024, states both the year and the location. It also describes 2296 as 219 years after the nuclear apocalypse, which matches the 2077 start date in Bethesda’s franchise timeline. Those two points are the most reliable anchors for the show’s setting, and neither has been revised in the official material reviewed here.
Flashbacks are a separate layer. Scenes set before the Great War show the world as it was before the bombs, so viewers see the 2077 starting point, but the characters’ present-day action happens about two centuries later.
Where the show sits in the franchise timeline
Bethesda’s official franchise timeline, published in 2022, gives the dates that matter for placing the show. The table lists them in order, with the show’s entry added from Amazon’s published setting.
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| In-universe year | Entry | Relevance to the show |
|---|---|---|
| 2077 | The Great War and nuclear apocalypse | Starting point; show flashbacks reach back to the period before it |
| 2102 | Fallout 76, 25 years after the Great War | Earlier than the show |
| 2161 | Fallout | Earlier than the show |
| 2241 | Fallout 2 | Earlier than the show |
| 2277 | Fallout 3 | Earlier than the show; see the Shady Sands section below |
| 2281 | Fallout: New Vegas | The show is 15 years later |
| 2287 | Fallout 4 | Described by Bethesda in 2022 as the latest mainline game chronologically; the show is nine years later |
| 2296 | Fallout TV series (Los Angeles) | Main story, according to Amazon’s 2024 feature |
These are in-universe years, not release dates. Comparing them tells you where the show falls in the story’s history; it says nothing about when each game or episode came out. Readers who ask “what came first” are usually asking about release order, which is a different question from the year on the calendar in the game world.
Why the show is not an adaptation of one game
Amazon’s feature quotes Todd Howard, executive producer and Bethesda Game Studios executive, on the decision behind the series. Howard said: “We wanted to move the timeline forward and tell a new story in the world because the world of Fallout has always been the main character in our games.” That is the clearest statement of intent available, and it explains why the show picks a new year and a new city rather than retelling a specific game’s plot.
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- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
Is the show canon?
GameSpot’s report from April 17, 2024 says Howard confirmed that the show is canonical. The same report explains how the show relates to New Vegas. Howard said: “All I can say is we’re threading it tighter there, but the bombs fall just after the events of New Vegas.”
The report also quotes Emil Pagliarulo, Bethesda’s design director, who said: “Of course it is. We’ve never suggested otherwise.” In context, he was answering whether New Vegas remains canonical, not separately confirming the show.
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These statements support treating the show as another canonical story in the same universe, set later than the named games. They do not establish which New Vegas ending is canon, and they do not resolve every continuity question fans have raised.
The Shady Sands date: a debated point
GameSpot reports that an on-screen timeline in the show places the Fall of Shady Sands in 2277. That is four years before New Vegas (2281), which creates an apparent conflict with Howard’s comment that the bombs fell just after New Vegas.
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One possible reading is that the two details describe different events: the fall of Shady Sands and a later destruction of the city. The reporting does not establish that distinction as an official explanation, so it should be treated as a point viewers discuss rather than a settled answer. If you are checking the timeline yourself, use the on-screen marker and Howard’s quoted comment as separate facts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Season 2 and Season 3: what the dates do and do not show
Amazon’s Season 2 guide, updated June 19, 2026, says the season picks up after Season 1 and takes the characters through the Mojave wasteland to New Vegas. It does not give Season 2 its own in-world year, so the series setting remains 2296 unless Amazon publishes a more specific date.
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Amazon’s Season 3 update, also updated June 19, 2026, says Seasons 1 and 2 are available and Season 3 is in production. It gives no additional chronology year. Availability and production details change quickly, so check Amazon’s current pages before relying on them.
The show streams on Prime Video, which Amazon identifies as its exclusive home for the series.
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