Bethesda Game Studios has revealed that Fallout Shelter, the mobile-first vault-building game from 2015, has hit 230 million downloads in the decade it has been online. Fallout Shelter was released on June 14, 2015, emerging five months before Fallout 4 turned heads worldwide.
The 10th anniversary of Fallout Shelter is finally here, and Bethesda Game Studios has set up a special, in-game event complete with some hefty giveaways to celebrate the milestone.
Time Flies in the Wasteland
In a blog post on the Bethesda site, it was revealed that Fallout Shelter has been downloaded more than 230 million times since being released in June 2015. This number includes all subsequent launches that took the game from iOS devices to PC, console, and beyond.
Fallout Shelter is, by numbers alone, the most popular Fallout game ever made. Behind it sits Fallout 4, which has mustered up around 25 – 30 million downloads since November 2015. It helps that Fallout Shelter is a free-to-play casual title, of course.
To celebrate this special occasion, Bethesda Game Studios is giving away stacks of in-game content to those who log in between certain dates:
- June 16 – June 17: Lunchbox x2, Pet Carrier x1, Nuka x10
- June 18 – June 19: Lunchbox x3, Mr. Handy x1, Nuka x15
- June 20 – June 21: Lunchbox x5, Pet Carrier x1, Nuka x20
Like other games in this category, users can lean on these consumables to speed things up or gain certain advantages in the game. For instance, using Nuka Cola Quantum allows users to accelerate actions, completing things faster and yielding rewards much more efficiently.
I believe that Fallout Shelter is a phenomenal game and a must-play for even the most disconnected fan. It’s mostly passive and can be enjoyed piecemeal. Once you’ve started building your vault, it might just be around for years to come.
Are you surprised that Fallout Shelter is still going after ten years? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Techland isn’t done with Dying Light 2




Loved the game and even hit the end. Complete vault built, can have no more people join, everyone is maxed out on every level. It’s the perfect society. That said, I would rather have an update that further expands the vault indefinitely. After all there are 20 plus people standing outside my vault wanting to get in, but as said above it’s full.