Entertainment News - Vladimir Putin reportedly in talks to co-produce 'Fallout 5'

By Timothy Honk

The next instalment in highly popular video-game series Fallout may have a new and unexpected face in the writers room - Russian president Vladimir Putin.

According to an anonymous source from inside the Kremlin, Mr. Putin has recently expressed to his closest advisers how much he enjoys the popular post-apocalyptic video-game franchise, and reportedly plays it frequently on his private PlayStation 5 at his dacha in Moscow.

Fallout was first released in 1997. It has since spawned numerous sequels and has come to represent an industry juggernaut, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars globally. The game’s setting takes place after a catastrophic nuclear war which has devastated mankind, leaving behind only scattered bands of desperate survivors, tribals, marauders, and cannibals.

Our source claims that Putin has reached out to Fallout producers Bethesda Softworks with a pitch on accelerating the development of the next instalment as early as 2025. Mr. Putin is reportedly frustrated with the slow pace of development for his favourite game series, and is also highly concerned with delivering a ‘lifelike’ and ‘immersive’ experience, taking steps to ensure that the ‘fifth and final’ game in the franchise is as realistic as possible.

When asked for clarity, our source told us that realism in video-games is a topic of contention with Mr. Putin and his inner circle, and numerous secret meetings have been held inside the Kremlin with top advisers on how best to address the problem. Now, it seems, Russia has a solution.

Obviously, it’s questionable as to how Mr. Putin can find the time to maintain a gaming hobby in the middle of a war with neighbouring Ukraine. When asked by our reporters, our source simply stated that it has always been a part of Russia’s grander wartime strategy and is apparently resistant to change.

Bethesda Softworks has yet to comment on the unexpected news.

More on this story to follow.