What is the Commonwealth in Fallout? Game reference explained

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Okay, so after a crazy week, episode two of Fallout season 2 finally dropped, and honestly, it’s got me thinking… what exactly is the Commonwealth? It’s a big question, and I’m definitely trying to piece it all together as I watch.

Throughout Maximus’s story, characters frequently talk about the Commonwealth and question why its representatives weren’t included in the gathering of Brotherhood of Steel groups.

If you’re not familiar with the Fallout video game series – where this phrase comes from – you might be confused by this conversation in the episode.

What is the Commonwealth, exactly? Is it a country, an organization, or something else? And how does it relate to the history of the British Empire? We’ll break it down for you in the following explanation.

What is the Commonwealth in the Fallout games?

In the Fallout universe, the Commonwealth is a location based in America. It mainly covers the area of present-day Massachusetts, and the city of Boston is its central hub.

Boston, located on the East Coast, is almost directly across the country from Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the West Coast cities where the second season of Fallout is primarily set.

Fallout 4 takes place in a region called the Commonwealth, and its story is the most recent event in the Fallout timeline, happening right before the events of the TV series.

Okay, so in Fallout season 2, when people keep wondering why the Commonwealth wasn’t invited to the Brotherhood of Steel’s thing, what they’re actually asking is, “Hey, where’s someone to represent that huge area?” It’s like, they’re not asking about the whole region being there, just if anyone came to speak for it.

This week on the show, Elder Cleric Quintus (Michael Cristofer) reveals why he excluded anyone from the Commonwealth. It’s obvious he’s determined to keep them away from his Cold Fusion device.

By the end of episode 2, someone from the region everyone was talking about actually appears, even though they weren’t invited. This makes the entire discussion about who wasn’t there seem pointless.

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It’s not hard to see why the writers of Fallout haven’t explored the Commonwealth area in great detail so far.

First, the Commonwealth is located very far from where the show is set in Los Angeles. Second, since Fallout 4 already explored that area, revisiting it would force the writers to address which of the game’s multiple endings are officially considered the established storyline.

That’s precisely the situation with the TV show as it approaches New Vegas. Producer Jonathan Nolan mentioned they have a clever plan to avoid locking themselves into a specific ending from the New Vegas game while they’re filming there. However, wouldn’t it simply be easier to avoid featuring places that were central to the game’s storyline?

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Read more on Fallout:

  • How Fallout season 1 “emboldened” the Fallout 76 team
  • The best Fallout: New Vegas mods, and how to use them
  • Fallout games in order: What’s the best way to play Fallout?
  • Fallout season 2 review: A meandering return to the wasteland

Authors

Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Hey, I’m Rob Leane, the Gaming Editor over at TopMob. Basically, I get to cover all the big games – PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile, even VR! I handle everything from writing articles on our website to managing our social media and video content. Plus, I put together our weekly gaming newsletter, so you can stay up-to-date on all things gaming. Before this, I was writing about games for places like Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing.

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2025-12-24 11:37