I played so much of "Fallout 3" when it was released in 2008 that Wasteland really became a wasteland. I explored every inch of that wide, open map, scouring for every possible quest, loot, and Nuka-Cola bottle cap. I loved it then, and would gladly go back again to check on my super mutant pal Fawkes or nuke Megaton. But at least not yet. If you're having similar urges, I suggest you hold off by playing "Fallout New Vegas" instead.

These kinds of things are hard to keep track of, but according to a document leak from last September, Bethesda is working on remasters of two major games: "Fallout 3" and "The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion". Bethesda would not comment on the leak, but it certainly makes good business sense: the popularity of "The Elder Scrolls" and "Fallout" has grown dramatically since 2006 and 2008, when the two games were released. The remastered versions will almost certainly increase sales and help bridge the gap between waiting for "The Elder Scrolls 6" and "Fallout 5," which are still years away.

As we noted when this information was leaked in September (in the form of financial projections for 2020), the release date was way off. The "Oblivion" remaster was to be released in fiscal year 2022, and the game called "Doom Year Zero" was to be released in fiscal year 2023. Neither happened, and the remastering of "Fallout 3" was set for fiscal year 2024.

Keep in mind, however, that all of these projections were made before the Covid-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on development schedules; it is possible that the remastered versions of "Oblivion" and "Fallout 3" were cancelled, but it is also likely that the pandemic delayed them by several years. Starfield also took longer than expected to launch, and the two remasters were probably delayed even further. Even if Bethesda outsources much of the work to other studios, the oversight structure will be maintained.

I suspect we will see both remasters within the next couple of years. And just this week, Bethesda rode the wave of the "Fallout" TV show's success, showing a desire to bring people back to the game, releasing a massive "next-gen" update for "Fallout 4" and a new one for the mobile spin-off "Fallout Shelter" While the remastering of "Fallout 3" may still take some time, there will eventually be an opportunity to return to a corner of Wasteland.