Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

UPDATED: “Nuclear winter has come” according to a possible ‘Fallout 4’ website

By
possible fallout 4 timer counts nuclear winter 0 cinema 1280
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Just before the release of the PlayStation 4, a handful of Reddit users discovered a new website registered to ZeniMax, known as thesurvivor2299.com. The website featured a countdown timer and a Morse code message, and according to IGN some of the Reddit users then went through the Javascript code and discovered a reference to Fallout, while confirming the Morse code was a reference to the date December 11, 2013, the same day the timer hits zero.

The website has since changed, giving more credence to the idea that the site is, in fact, building up to a new Fallout reveal. The site now features an image similar to the “vault-tec” logo from the Fallout games (seen on the right), and has the phrase “Nuclear winter has come,” along with the following message:

KVNGR REV ALPHA PPS VT PIZ UHMYLPVOQ CM XHWMZP.

Recommended Videos

NBJB SPI’F BYQS QT D’Y BYFGEOB FI VQDYL MAQ. –

NGQHT 5120-

1920_vintage_vault_tec_by_solace_grace-d4cs4c7
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The name of the website could also hold a hint. The number “2299” may refer to a year. The first Fallout took place in 2161, while its sequel jumped to 2241. The first game in the series under Bethesda, Fallout 3, took place in 2277, while the spin off Fallout: New Vegas was set in 2281. It would be in keeping with the game’s tradition to set a sequel even further in the future.

Related

That is by no means conclusive, nor does a Fallout reference necessarily mean Fallout 4. It could just as likely be re-release of an older Fallout title, or a spin-off like Fallout: New Vegas. Still, seems like an awful lot of effort for something other than Fallout 4, and it has been five years since Fallout 3 was released. A new game in the franchise is likely, maybe even inevitable. To further hint that a Fallout 4 reveal is imminent, Bethesda recently trademarked the game in Europe. That could be partly to prevent anyone else from grabbing it, but the coincidences are piling up.

The timer seems to hit zero on December 11, 2013 at 5pm PST, so hopefully we’ll know for sure then.

 As an interesting aside, a Reddit user recently blew a few minds by posting that the series’ iconic Vault Boy, seen above, isn’t actually giving a thumbs up as most assume. Instead, it is a test. If you are caught near a nuclear blast, hold your arm out and your thumb up. If the mushroom cloud is smaller than your thumb, you’re safe. If it is bigger, you are in a radiation zone and need to evacuate.

We haven’t been able to confirm that, but we choose to believe it is true, because it makes a cool mascot even cooler. (If you can confirm or deny this, let us know in the comments.) 

UPDATE: It has been revealed that the website is an elaborate hoax. Bethesda has confirmed the site is a fake via Twitter. The man behind it spent nearly $1,000 dollars, and intended to have it all culminate with a fake CGI trailer. Following Bethesda’s tweet, the hoaxer then went on Reddit and engaged in an Ask Me Anything, where he revealed how he did it. As for why, he claims he wanted to force Bethesda to reveal something during the Spike TV VGX Awards. 

Bethesda apparently contacted the person directly, although it wasn’t clear what was said or if the company plans to take any action. 

Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Fleming
Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Loved Fallout on Amazon Prime? Get Fallout 4 for PC for only $8
A raider standing outside nuka-world in Fallout 4.

If you haven't turned on your TV recently, then you may not know about the Fallout show that was just released and one that we already consider more impressive than The Last of Us, which is saying a lot. The show is based on the games, and this surge of popularity has driven a lot of people to pick up the last game single-player game in the series, Fallout 4, to the point where even the studio that made it, Bethesda, is releasing a next-gen update for it. So, if you've never played it before and want to pick it up or want to revisit the world of Fallout but on PC, you can grab this deal from CDkeys that discounts it way down to just $8 from the usual $50.

Why you should buy Fallout 4
While there are a lot of great Fallout games, with one of the favorites among fans being Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 is still highly ranked, and if you're looking for a great single-player experience of the world with modern graphics, that's the one to go for. The world is truly massive in size, and there's an absolute ton for you to explore, with the character development and customization being pretty excellent, and while the story is a little bit predictable and derivative of older Fallout games, it's still enjoyable overall. Probably one of the biggest updates to the Fallout formula is the new crafting and settlement systems, which let you build . . . well, a settlement of your own making.

Read more
All Teddy Bear locations in Fallout 76
A teddy bear in a train station in Fallout 76.

There's no shame in admitting that you enjoy the company of a teddy bear in Fallout 76 over the ghouls and mutants. In fact, we would probably prefer spending time finding these cuddly bears than playing with the other players, but these stuffed animals are a rare commodity in the wasteland. Technically, these are classified as a junk item that you can break down for materials, but who would do something like that? These are great display items to make your camp feel more like home, or just another annoying daily task you need to complete. Whatever your motivations are, here is where you can find each of the different teddy bear variations in Fallout 76.
All teddy bear locations
There are 12 different variations of teddy bears that all have a distinct color pattern, name, and value, but are otherwise identical. Like most items, they can be found in a ton of places around the map, but these are the easiest spots to get the one you're looking for.
Bubblegum Bear

Our first bear is going to be inside the Foundation. Once inside, go to Ward's trailer and pick it up off the couch.
Camden Park Bears

Read more
All Fallout games, ranked
The courier in his nuclear gear and holding his gun in Fallout: New Vegas key art.

Who would've thought the post-apocalypse could be such a fun time? The Fallout franchise has taken the idea of a Mad Max-like future and not only made it into a wildly popular game franchise but also a hit TV series. The core franchise has been around since the late '90s, and yet we've had only a handful of mainline entries in the series since it was revived by Bethesda with Fallout 3. With Starfield in the rearview mirror and the next Elder Scrolls title currently being the dev team's focus, it could be close to another decade before we can set foot in the wasteland ourselves once again. What better time, then, to look back at the franchise and rank all the games from best to worst?

Fallout: New Vegas

Read more