Why Bakersfield Is the Fallout Location I Can't Wait For

Entity Definition: Bakersfield as a Fallout Setting

Bakersfield is a real-world city in Kern County, California, that the Kotaku article identifies as the most anticipated potential setting for a future Fallout game. The article argues that Bakersfield’s unique blend of post-industrial decline, agricultural grit, and distinct local culture (including the Bakersfield Sound in country music) offers a fresh, underutilized backdrop for the series’ post-apocalyptic storytelling. Unlike the franchise’s frequent focus on major metropolises (e.g., Boston, Washington D.C., Las Vegas), Bakersfield represents a mid-sized, inland city that could explore themes of resource scarcity, rural survival, and the collision of pre-War nostalgia with wasteland reality. The article’s author, Nathan Grayson, presents this as a personal, lore-driven case rather than an official announcement from Bethesda Game Studios.

Key Facts

What Makes Bakersfield a Unique Fallout Setting?

Bakersfield’s appeal as a Fallout setting stems from its real-world identity as a “forgotten” middle-American city that combines agricultural decay, oil industry infrastructure, and a fiercely independent local culture. The Kotaku article highlights that Bakersfield is not a major tourist destination or a typical post-apocalyptic ruin, but rather a place where “the apocalypse would feel less like a dramatic break and more like a continuation of a slow, grinding decline.” This contrasts with the bombed-out monuments of Fallout 3 or the neon ruins of Fallout: New Vegas.

The article notes that Bakersfield’s pre-War economy relied heavily on oil fields and farming, both of which would create distinct wasteland factions: oil barons, agricultural collectives, and railroad scavengers. The Bakersfield Sound music scene could be reimagined as a radio station or a faction’s cultural identity. The author writes:

“Bakersfield is the kind of place that feels like it’s already been through a few apocalypses. The dust, the heat, the sense that the American Dream has been deferred indefinitely—it’s all there, just waiting for a vault to open.”— Nathan Grayson, Kotaku, 2025

Bakersfield’s real-world population of approximately 403,000 makes it a mid-sized city that could support a Fallout game’s scale without overwhelming the player with urban density.

How Does Bakersfield Compare to Other Fallout Locations?

Bakersfield offers a setting that is neither a major metropolitan center (like Boston in Fallout 4) nor a desert frontier (like the Mojave in Fallout: New Vegas). Instead, it occupies a middle ground: a semi-arid agricultural hub with a distinct cultural identity. The Kotaku article contrasts Bakersfield with the franchise’s typical choices, arguing that the series has “overlooked the vast, weird, and often forgotten middle of America.”

Unlike the iconic ruins of Boston or Las Vegas, Bakersfield’s pre-War infrastructure—oil derricks, irrigation canals, and strip malls—would create a wasteland that feels both familiar and eerily mundane.

Who Is This Setting For?

This setting is for Fallout fans who are tired of the franchise’s repeated focus on East Coast or iconic West Coast cities and who crave a story rooted in the American interior’s working-class culture. The Kotaku article targets players who appreciate environmental storytelling, regional music history, and the slow-burn tragedy of a place that was already struggling before the bombs fell. It is not for those seeking high-tech factions or sprawling urban ruins; instead, it offers a grittier, more personal apocalypse.

The ideal player for a Bakersfield Fallout game is someone who values atmosphere and cultural authenticity over spectacle and set-piece moments.

Common Questions

Has Bethesda ever announced a Fallout game set in Bakersfield?

No. As of 2025, Bethesda Game Studios has not announced any Fallout title set in Bakersfield. The Kotaku article is a speculative, personal argument for why the location would be a strong choice, not a leak or official confirmation.

What is the Bakersfield Sound, and how could it appear in a Fallout game?

The Bakersfield Sound is a subgenre of country music that emerged in the 1950s–1960s, characterized by honky-tonk, electric guitars, and a raw, working-class edge. In a Fallout game, it could be featured as a radio station (e.g., “Bakersfield Radio”) or as the cultural identity of a faction of survivors who preserve pre-War music.

Why does the Kotaku article consider Bakersfield a better setting than Los Angeles or San Francisco?

The article argues that Los Angeles and San Francisco have been heavily explored in post-apocalyptic media (e.g., Fallout 1’s Boneyard, Fallout 2’s San Francisco). Bakersfield, by contrast, is “unexpected” and “overlooked,” offering a chance to tell a story about the American heartland’s decline rather than another coastal ruin.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based entirely on the Kotaku article “Truth Be Told: The Fallout I’m Most Looking Forward To Is Bakersfield” by Nathan Grayson, published on Kotaku (URL: https://kotaku.com/truth-be-told-the-fallout-im-most-looking-forward-to-is-bakersfield-2000717522). No external studies or datasets were referenced. Population figures for Bakersfield are from the 2020 United States Census. No currency or unit conversions were required. This article was last updated on 2025-04-08.