The Fallout franchise has not seen a new game since Fallout 76 came out in October 2018. Even worse for fans of the series is that it has not had a mainline entry since Fallout 4 was released in November 2015. While Fallout 5 has not had a launch date officially announced, it could stand to benefit from the return of several major factors which have not had a proper appearance in years.

The original Fallout introduced many factions to the wasteland with its launch in 1997, and while some, like the Brotherhood of Steel, have retained a strong presence, others have fallen by the wayside. Fallout's lore is full of factions, great and small, which have contributed to the events of the series. Some of these factions are perfect for making a triumphant return in Fallout 5.

10 The Followers Of The Apocalypse

Fallout & Fallout: New Vegas

The Followers of the Apocalypse have been in the Fallout franchise since its debut title. Since their inception, they have been a foil to the Brotherhood of Steel. While the Brotherhood focused on preserving and hoarding dangerous military technologies, the Followers sought to embrace technology with peaceful applications like agricultural and medicinal developments. Even during the faction's most recent appearance in Fallout: New Vegas, their mission has remained largely the same. Arcade Gannon, for example, is still searching for ways to produce medicine using wild plants in the wasteland.

Their inspirational history has unfortunately been sullied by the emergence of Caesar from their ranks, but this adds a layer of depth to the faction which can be explored in future titles.

Because the Followers serve as such an excellent foil to the most iconic faction of the series, they would greatly benefit the emerging world of Fallout 5. Their inspirational history has unfortunately been sullied by the emergence of Caesar from their ranks, but this adds a layer of depth to the faction which can be explored in future titles. In Fallout: New Vegas' potential endings, the Followers had several fates depending on the actions of the Courier, but most resulted in the group leaving the area, potentially explaining a migration into a new one.

9 The Great Khans

Fallout: New Vegas

Much like the Followers of the Apocalypse, the Great Khans were a faction which were introduced in the first game of the series and which last appeared in Fallout: New Vegas. Unlike the Followers, however, the Khans are far from altruistic. Even peaceful interactions between the Khans and the Followers have led to the Khans simply abusing their newfound knowledge to make drugs. They also regularly raid people who cannot defend themselves.

While the Khans are often the perpetrators of violence, they have also been on the receiving end. In their most recent appearance in Fallout: New Vegas, their most vulnerable were massacred at Bitter Springs by NCR soldiers after a long campaign to stop their raids. While many of their endings resulted in being wiped out by one faction or another, the Khans have a long history of reappearing no matter how hard others try to stamp them out. Fallout 5 would have no problem reintroducing them as a more well-developed raider faction.

8 The Crimson Caravan

Fallout & Fallout: New Vegas

Fans of Fallout: New Vegas may recognize the Crimson Caravan due to a series of quests involving the faction. The game's first town, New Vegas' brilliant Goodsprings, even has an opening quest related to one of its . However, the Crimson Caravan has a history which dates back to the first Fallout, where they would offer to pay the player to escort their caravans twice a month.

The group could operate as simple merchants, or they could behave as they did in Fallout: New Vegas and present an honorable facade while remaining cutthroats.

Because this faction is known to cross the wasteland, there would be no shortage of reasons for their appearance in Fallout 5. The group could operate as simple merchants, or they could behave as they did in Fallout: New Vegas and present an honorable facade while remaining cutthroats. If Fallout 5 includes settlement mechanics again, they could even offer to serve as the caravan operators between settlements for a price.

7 The Gun Runners

Fallout & Fallout: New Vegas

In the world of Fallout, most weapons are salvaged from parts that are centuries old at best, if they can be found at all. However, there are some groups which still produce new weapons, and the Gun Runners are one of the most notable. In Fallout: New Vegas, they are the only source of mint condition firearms, though their prices are far from cheap. Their first appearance was actually in the original Fallout, when they established their factory and found themselves under siege by deathclaws.

There are some groups which still produce new weapons, and the Gun Runners are one of the most notable.

In the Fallout 5, the Gun Runners could once again appear as the primary suppliers of weaponry in the region. None of the endings of Fallout: New Vegas made it so they were under threat of destruction, and the few endings which reference the minor faction tend to treat it positively. Unfortunately, they could come into conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel, who may see their new production of weaponry to be dangerous.

6 Regulators

Fallout & Fallout 3

The Fallout franchise actually has two factions that are referred to as the Regulators. They first appeared in the original Fallout and served as antagonists for the Gun Runners, forcing them to supply weaponry at steep discounts. The second version appeared in Fallout 3 for characters with good karma. This second group, much like the NCR Rangers, dress like cowboys, complete with dusters and cowboy hats.

In Fallout 3, players receive payment from the Regulators for taking out evil people in the Capital Wasteland. An evil player, however, will be hunted down by the Regulators on a regular basis. A Fallout 5 iteration of the group could serve as bounty hunters that put a price on raider heads, or rather, their fingers. Bethesda's addition of the Trackers Alliance to Starfield shows how a sophisticated bounty system could be implemented in its next games.

5 Children Of The Cathedral

Fallout 2 & Fallout: New Vegas

The main antagonist of the original Fallout was the Master, a horribly mutated amalgamation of several people and machines. Despite all of his influence, however, he was completely immobilized, and so he required minions to do his bidding. While the most obvious of these were his super mutants, there were also humans who worked for him. These humans operated the Cathedral, which housed the Master's bunker and a dormant nuclear bomb.

Fallout ends with the Master being destroyed, along with his Cathedral. This means that the Children of the Cathedral were likely eliminated as well. Yet, if the super mutants were able to survive after the blast, there is a chance that remnants of his Children could have remained in other parts of the wasteland as spies. Their descendants could be loyal of the cult, praying for the Master to one day return and achieve unity among humanity.

4 Desert Rangers

Fallout & Fallout: New Vegas

The original Fallout introduced the idea of the Desert Rangers as peacekeepers of the wasteland. Though they acted as soldiers and peacekeepers, they also knew survivalist skills to better survive after the Great War. Eventually, however, their mission for justice ground to a halt with Caesar's invasion of Arizona. They were unfortunately forced to assimilate into the NCR, eventually forming the NCR Rangers, who fans might recognize from the cover art of Fallout: New Vegas.

While the faction has essentially been erased from existence, they could be rebuilt from the ground up. The devastation to the NCR discussed in the Fallout television series could have caused conflict to break out between factions within the NCR. This could ultimately lead to the Rangers leaving the NCR and returning to their mission of making the wasteland a better place in Fallout 5.

3 The 80s

Mentioned In Fallout: New Vegas (Honest Hearts)

While the world of Fallout is no stranger to raider groups, the 80s are still an enigma. They do not have a true appearance in the games, just references. What few references to the group exist are limited to some dialogue in the Honest Hearts DLC for Fallout: New Vegas. Yet, they are described as a tribe which is almost eerie.

The 80s are known for their raiding routes along Interstate 80, and they even wear the signs for the highway on their chests. Jed Masterson describes them as the worst raider threat along their journey to New Canaan, and Stella describes them as "creepy." After Stella tried to track down the group after they murdered two women, the 80s followed her on the route home, never firing a shot, but simply watching her. The 80s could be a minor or major antagonist if Fallout 5 takes place in their territory.

2 Shi

Fallout 2

One of the least discussed major settlements in Fallout is San Francisco. Fallout 4 players will recognize the city as Kellogg's hometown, but it was an explorable location in Fallout 2. The Shi were one of the major players in the city, opposed by other factions like the Hubologists. They combine the research focus of the Followers with the isolationism of the Brotherhood, and this has allowed the group to retain their sovereignty despite outside forces.

The Shi are descended from the crew of a submarine, which they dismantled to serve as their base of operations. Similarly to the Enclave of Fallout 3, they are also under the rule of a computer, which they call the Emperor. Similarly to the Brotherhood, they also maintain a stockpile of enemy weapons which they are not afraid to use. In Fallout 5, the Shi could spread out across the wastes, like the Brotherhood formed chapters across the old nation.

1 Bright Brotherhood

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas is well-known for some of its bizarre side quests with a variety of outcomes. One of the most notable is the "Come Fly With Me" quest, where the Courier is tasked with removing the ghouls from the Repconn facility near the town of Novac. While they can choose to kill the ghouls, they can also choose to help them in their quest for the promised land, a place free from bigotry against ghouls. The group of ghouls is called the Bright Brotherhood, after its founder, Jason Bright.

While some of the endings for the Bright Brotherhood involve their eradication, this is not the only possibility. The Courier can choose to send them on their way and even increase the efficiency of their launch. If this is the canon result of the quest, the group could eventually make a return to the wasteland. If their journey was lucrative, they could even attempt to return in Fallout 5 as saviors for the wasteland's ghouls.