Reality has a funny way of catching up to fiction. With nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan locked in their most dangerous standoff in years, gamers can’t help but notice the uncanny resemblance to Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The headlines read like Fallout terminal entries: nationwide defense drills, port closures, and troop movements along contested borders. It’s the kind of scenario that once seemed confined to video game dystopias.

Meanwhile, Todd Howard has confirmed Fallout 5 is indeed coming—eventually—after The Elder Scrolls 6. But with current events serving up such potent inspiration, one wonders if his team is quietly taking notes on our increasingly Fallout-esque reality.

When life imitates art (or is it the other way around?)

The beauty of Fallout has always been its darkly comic take on Cold War paranoia world where resource wars and nationalist fervor culminated in nuclear devastation. Fast forward to today, and...