Fallout 4 Release Date: 5 Things to Know Before E3 2015

Yesterday, Bethesda confirmed its PC, Xbox One and PS4 Fallout 4 release ahead of a big E3 2015 reveal. And while there is still a bit of mystery in the air, Fallout 4 pre-orders are now live giving fans of the series a chance to order the game in advance. Today we want to take a look at five things you need to know about these pre-order and about the Fallout 4 release date ahead of E3 2015.

Earlier this year, Bethesda confirmed plans to host a big event at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. The company’s media invites didn’t reveal what would be on tap for the show though there was some healthy speculation about a potential Fallout 4 announcement during the company’s first big conference at E3.

Earlier this week, Bethesda launched a Fallout teaser with a countdown that ended yesterday morning in the release of the first Fallout 4 teaser video, a video that confirmed some details while leaving others for the company’s big Fallout 4 release announcement later this month. The company’s first trailer can be seen below.

Bethesda still needs to confirm loads of Fallout 4 details including its release date but that hasn’t stopped it from promoting early Fallout 4 pre-orders or retailers from taking them. With Fallout 4 pre-orders now live, fans of the series and even casual gamers drawn in by yesterday’s announcement are looking at a potential pre-order.

With that in mind, we want to take a look at a few things we think you should know right now about Fallout 4 pre-orders ahead of the Fallout 4 release date.

Fallout 4 Release Date MIA

The first thing you need to know about Fallout 4 pre-orders is that they come without an official Fallout 4 release date. Indeed, Bethesda and participating retailers have put the PC, PS4, and Xbox One Fallout 4 versions of the game up for order without a concrete date. Not that that is out of the ordinary. A few things to know about that though.

First. Any date you see right now is a placeholder. For instance, Amazon is listing the Fallout 4 release date as December 31st. Those of you that have ordered games before know that Bethesda won’t release this game on New Year’s Eve but those who don’t pre-order games often might not. This date will change when Bethesda makes an announcement.

The fact that Fallout 4 went up for pre-order at all is a sign that we could see a release in 2015 and should see Bethesda confirm some specific Fallout 4 release date details at its big E3 showing on June 14th. It was a little strange to see the Fallout 4 teaser end without a release date or window but we get the feeling that the company will confirm something later this month.

Fallout 4 Pre-Orders Live Here

If you are looking to put in a blind Fallout 4 pre-order (and we don’t blame you), there are plenty of places to do it. Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Steam, and EBGames all have Fallout 4 pre-orders live ahead of the release. More names will be added to the list as time goes on.

In addition to the Microsoft Store and PlayStation Store, Fallout 4 will be available at Target and Walmart giving you a wide swath of options to choose from. It’s not clear when those retailers will put the game up for sale.

Fallout 4 Price

If you’re looking to put in a Fallout 4 pre-order ahead of the release date, you’re going to have to pay $60 at most places. This is the standard price for an AAA title like Fallout 4 and we don’t expect that price to shift any, even after Bethesda confirms the rest of the details (and hopefully the release date) at E3 2015.

Fallout 4 Deals

The Fallout 4 release date is missing in action and we still haven’t seen what the gameplay looks like but that hasn’t stopped Fallout 4 deals from trickling in.

GameSpot’s already spotted one enticing offer from Green Man Gaming that’s chopped the PC Fallout 4 price down to a mere $46 ahead of its release. Green Man Gaming is well known for offering deals on PC games ahead of time so that’s a place to keep an eye on.

Best Buy is also offering 20% off the Fallout 4 price to those who are part of its Gamers Club Unlocked program. The program is worth a look if you plan on buying a ton of titles, including Fallout 4, later this year.

And while it’s not live yet, we expect Best Buy to include Fallout 4 on this list of game deals in the future so keep an eye out after Bethesda makes its big announcement.

Early Fallout 4 Pre-Order Tips

We’ve been through tons and tons of video game pre-orders and now that we’ve laid out all of the key information, we want to offer some early tips to those of you thinking about putting in an Fallout 4 pre-order ahead of Bethesda’s announcement and ahead of a Fallout 4 release date.

1. It’s worth noting that many of these retailers are selling Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas for cheap. Granted, these games are for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 but if you’re in possession of one of these, they might be worth a purchase ahead of the next installment. Either for nostalgic reasons or to catchup on Fallout lore. Both are oldies but goodies.

2. If you’re a fan of the series but you’re on the fence about putting in a pre-order this early, wait for Bethesda to show off the game at E3 in a few days. Fallout 4 pre-orders aren’t going anywhere and they’ll be available all the way up until the game is released. Whenever that is. Remember, if you order through a retailer like Amazon, you won’t get charged until the game is preparing to ship out.

3. If you’re still not sure after E3 or if you’re unfamiliar with the Fallout series, we recommend waiting for reviews to come out. Just because Fallout is one of the world’s most recognizable video game franchises doesn’t necessarily mean that this game will be a gem. There’s a very good chance that it will be but many of you will want to make sure that it’s worth your hard earned cash. Reviews are typically more convincing then gameplay trailers and press releases.

4. Those of you that want to start the game the second its released will want to buy the game digitally. We haven’t heard but expect Bethesda and its partners to allow digital pre-loading and for the game to go live once the clock strikes midnight.

5. Look for deals. We’ve already pointed out two but there will almost certainly be loads of offers, pre-order bundles, and maybe even some pre-order exclusives.

6. You don’t need to pre-order. In fact, the best Fallout 4 deals will likely come after the game’s release.