Stern Pinball Reveals Fallout

Stern Pinball revealed Fallout on Thursday, September 3, after a short teaser campaign. The game is based on both the Prime Video series and the Bethesda games: players choose Lucy MacLean, the Ghoul or Maximus and play through the show's story, while the soundtrack and sound effects come from Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and New Vegas. Fallout has been on our upcoming machines roundup since November 2024, and Keith Elwin's name has been attached to it on the forums for the better part of a year, so the theme itself was expected.

Media day was Wednesday, September 2 at Stern's Elk Grove Village headquarters. James Fremont covered it for us, and his hands-on is up.

Design Team

• Design: Keith Elwin
• Code: Rick Naegele
• Mechanical Engineering: Harrison Drake
• Art: Sam Gilbey, Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti)
• Displays / Animation: TBD
• Sound / Music: TBD
• Callouts: Johnny Pemberton, who plays Thaddeus in the series

Hype & Rumors

Fallout arrives as the #1 theme on the Kineticist Hype Index, a spot it has held every day since August 21, with a user hype score of 86 out of 100. That is not a late surge. Since we started daily tracking in February, Fallout has been in the top 10 on roughly four of every five days, first reached #1 in March, and has averaged inside the top five since July. Its low point was #24, in late May and June.

Even though Fallout had been rumored for some time, it didn't rocket up our charts until just after August 18, when designer Keith Elwin started a wink-wink, nudge-nudge teaser campaign on his Facebook page. He changed his profile photo to the "two weeks" scene from Total Recall, with no caption and no follow-up. Fallout was #12 the day before and #1 by August 21, before Stern had said anything. Two weeks after the photo, on September 1, Stern posted the first teaser.

There was a paper trail as well. On August 4, two weeks before the photo, Stern filed a trademark application for MAGNA-FLIP, and the forums read it as a flipperless lower playfield. That holds up: the feature matrix lists three flippers on every edition, including the Pro, which has no lower playfield at all.

Notable Storylines

The Rumor Mill Had Details but No Media

The rumors ahead of Fallout were about features rather than the game. By August 20 the forums had a flipperless, vault-themed lower playfield, a "Nuka Cannon," the largest bill of materials in Stern history with a price increase to match, and Elwin as designer. Most of it checked out. The lower playfield is real on the Premium and LE, and Magna-Flip is the trademark. The "Nuka Cannon" turned out to be the Fat Man launcher, also Premium and LE. The prices went up, and it's Elwin's game.

What the rumor mill never had was the game itself. No playfield photo, flyer, distributor deck or app listing surfaced before the official release, which is a change from Stern's recent launches: Transformers turned up in Stern's own Insider Connected app within an hour of its May teaser, and Pokemon had a leaked Betson sales deck and a wave of AI-generated fakes running ahead of the reveal. For Fallout, the first images anyone saw were Stern's own teasers. Whether that reflects tighter control at Stern or a quieter distributor channel this time, we can't tell from outside.

Stern's First Price Increase in Nearly Four Years

Fallout lists for $7,299 (Pro), $10,699 (Premium) and $13,999 (LE). Transformers held the line in May at $6,999 / $9,699 / $12,999, so this is an across-the-board increase: $300 on the Pro and $1,000 each on the Premium and LE. The last time the cornerstone tier moved at launch was James Bond 007 in September 2022, from Rush's $6,899 / $8,999 / $11,099 to $6,999 / $9,699 / $12,999, and it held there for four years and ten titles, from Bond through Transformers. The Pro had never been priced above $6,999 before. At media day, George Gomez said no other game's price will be raised "this year," per James Fremont's hands-on, so for now the increase is specific to Fallout.

A Games/Show Hybrid License

Asked at media day whether the game is based on the show or the games, Gomez said: "Guess what: it's both." It seems like everyone gets the best of both worlds: media assets and recognizable characters from the show, and world-building detail from the games.

Pricing & Availability

• Pro: $7,299
• Premium: $10,699
• Limited Edition: $13,999 (770 units worldwide, "to symbolize 'The Great War' of 2077")

European RRP is €6,999 / £6,099 for the Pro, €9,899 / £8,599 for the Premium and €12,899 / £11,299 for the LE, before VAT and duties.

Availability: All three editions are available now through Stern distributors and dealers, per the press release, with no ship order or dates given. The first public play is at PAX West in Seattle, September 4 through 7, a video game show rather than a pinball show. Stern's warranty is one year.

Edition Comparison

Per Stern's feature matrix, the Pro-to-Premium jump is where the money goes: the lower playfield, the Fat Man and its shooting gallery, the working vault door and the Deathclaw's kickback coil are all Premium and LE.

Pro vs. Premium/LE:

• Vault lower playfield with Magna-Flip: Premium and LE. A second playfield built as the interior of Vault 33, with the ball moved by a magnet. The Pro doesn't have it. The Premium and LE also get a vacuum-formed vault-interior sculpt on the machine's back panel.
• Fat Man launcher and Wasteland Shooting Gallery: Premium and LE. A multi-axis mini-nuke launcher that fires at Radscorpion, Ghoul and Raider targets (an optical spinning target, a flyaway target and a flip-flop target). With V.A.T.S. qualified, the game aims it.
• Vault 33 door: On all three. On the Premium and LE it is a "functional" door that "mechanically opens and closes" and works as a scoop into the lower playfield. On the Pro it is a "stationary" bash target.
• Deathclaw: The kickback coil is Premium and LE only. The Pro has the same sculpt without it.
• Trim: Premium and LE get a powder-coated steel bottom arch. Pro and Premium have black wrinkle-finish powder coat on the side armor, hinges, front lockdown molding and legs. The LE's are Vault-Tec yellow.

LE-only extras (beyond Premium):

• 770 made worldwide
• Keith Elwin's autograph, a sequentially numbered plate and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Gary Stern and Seth Davis
• Full-color mirrored backglass featuring Vault Boy; "The Vault of the Future" side decals; a 213-25-VAULT plate on the speaker panel
• Vault-Tec yellow powder-coated legs, hinges and Action Button front molding; laser-cut illuminated pinball armor
• Interactive Cabinet Expression Lighting System, RGB, synced to game events, with Vault Boy art on the inside cabinet walls
• Interactive Speaker Expression Lighting System with Vault-Tec-themed laser-cut shapes
• Upgraded speakers with a 3-channel amplifier and tweeter; anti-reflection playfield glass; shaker motor
• A custom shooter knob and a digital Insider Connected LE owner's badge on registration

All models include:

• Pip-Boy playfield LCD, built with The Wand Company, showing game information and instructions, with pre-war songs on its radio. Stern's first die-cast aluminum model
• Up/down vertical spinning Nuka-Cola bottle cap target, molded to look like a real cap. Stern calls it an industry first
• Three flippers: two standard and the "Mutated" inverted upper flipper at upper left, which Stern says has not been seen in pinball in over 75 years
• Ramps, as the matrix lists them: a four-way left Pip-Boy ramp with Vault-Tec yellow wireform returns, either entrance to either exit, feeding either left flipper or loading the Fat Man; a left ramp to the right flipper "via secret path past the Vault Door"; a jump ramp that hits the Vault door and feeds the upper left flipper; and a right "Wasteland" ramp to the right flipper on a weathered steel wireform
• Sundries optical scoop (the shop)
• One illuminated pop bumper and one slingshot; the pop, in the left outlane area, does the slingshot's job on that side (see Notable Features)
• Fusion Core Recharger, the gold dome at lower left, charged at the pop-bumper targets
• Full-spectrum RGB arrow inserts
• Video from the Prime Video series and custom animations built from Bethesda Game Studios' game models; the soundtrack and sound effects from Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas
• Insider Connected, QR reader on the bottom arch, tracking S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats and junk collection across games
• SPIKE 3, 18.5-inch full HD display, six balls, stereo sound with a 3-channel amplifier, 10-band graphic EQ with separate backbox and cabinet control, line-out for external amplification, front/bottom speaker fade, multifunction Action Button on the lockdown bar, snap-latch front molding
• Translite and side art: Brotherhood of Steel vs. New California Republic at Griffith Observatory (Pro), Maximus vs. the Deathclaws of New Vegas (Premium), Vault-Tec (LE)

Cabinet Expression Lighting System and Speaker Expression Lighting System are sold separately as accessory kits for the Pro and Premium.

Notable Features

Vault lower playfield with Magna-Flip: A second playfield on the Premium and LE, built as the interior of Vault 33, with the ball moved by a magnet rather than flippers. Stern's copy says it "lets players uncover the true costs of Vault-Tec's social experiments," which is the show's premise. James Fremont, who played it at media day, compares it to the Powerfield in Twilight Zone, with more targets and an orbit to shoot, and says finishing it starts Vault multiball. Stern trademarked Magna-Flip on August 4, a month before it named the game.

Vault 33 door: The door sits at the top of a shot up the middle on every edition, but it only moves on two. On the Premium and LE it opens and closes mechanically and doubles as the entrance to the lower playfield, working as a scoop when open. On the Pro it is a stationary bash target. On every edition the jump ramp hits it, and a left ramp runs a "secret path" past it to the right flipper.

Fat Man launcher with V.A.T.S.: A mini-nuke launcher on a multi-axis rail, Premium and LE only, that fires at the Wasteland Shooting Gallery, where Radscorpions are an optical spinning target, Ghouls a flyaway target and Raiders a flip-flop target. Qualify V.A.T.S., the games' targeting system, and the launcher aims itself. The four-way left ramp loads it.

Deathclaw: A sculpted bash toy on the right side of the playfield, on all three editions. On the Premium and LE it has a kickback coil, which is what Stern's copy means by "it fights back," and the press release adds taunts. The Pro's Deathclaw is the same sculpt without the coil.

Inverted upper flipper: A third flipper, mounted upside down at upper left under the Pip-Boy and fed by the jump ramp, on all three models. Stern calls it "mutated" and says pinball has not had one in over 75 years; the press release puts it as "since before the Great War," which on Fallout's calendar is 2077.

Pip-Boy playfield LCD: The wrist computer from the games as a working screen on the playfield, showing game information and instructions and playing "iconic pre-war tunes and more" on its radio. Stern built it with The Wand Company, which made a licensed replica of the Pip-Boy itself not long ago. The press release has players hacking computer terminals with it.

Nuka-Cola bottle cap target: An up/down vertical spinning target molded to look like a Nuka-Cola cap, on all models. Caps are the game's currency and this is where they are collected. Stern calls it an industry first; the press release's phrase is "first-of-its-kind mechanical up and down movement."

The Paragon pop: The game has one pop bumper, in the left outlane area, and Elwin said at media day that it was inspired by Paragon, Bally's 1979 game. It functions something like a slingshot and takes the place of one, which is why the feature matrix lists a single slingshot, an unusual count for a modern Stern. James Fremont found the area punishing: at least twice he alley-passed the ball into the outlane trying to catch it on the left flipper. The apron card puts the Fusion Core charge on "the pop bumper targets."

Rules & Code

Stern has not published a rules sheet. The apron instruction card, the same on all three editions, reads:

• QUESTS: Collect food and water from the Wasteland to raise your HP meter. Get HP meter to 50% to light Quests. The more HP you have the more time you receive for Quests.
• FAT MAN: Shoot mini nuke targets to light Fat Man. Shoot Pip-Boy to load Fat Man and fire at the Wasteland upper playfield targets.
• SUNDRIES: Various achievements award caps. Spend your caps on items or risk stealing items.
• POWER ARMOR: Purchase Fusion Cores from the Sundries or build the Fusion Core charge level at the pop bumper targets. Long press Action Button to put on Power Armor and increase playfield scoring.
• CAP STASH: Complete inlanes to light Cap Stash. Roll over flashing inlane to lower Nuka Cola spinner to collect Cap Stash.
• RADROACHES: Hit Radroaches to start RadAway hurry-ups and collect extra ball.
• SPECIAL: Collect XP to enable Special perks.
• WEAPON UPGRADES: Collect junk to upgrade your weapon. The more weapon upgrades you have the higher the playfield scoring.
• V.A.T.S.: All switch hits add to AP meter. Fill meter to enable VATS at the Fatman.
• VAULT EXPERIMENTS: Collect VAULT letters to open the vault door. Shoot into vault to begin Vault Experiment.
• ACTION BUTTON: Short press for Companion Ability. Long press for Power Armor.

The press release adds the progression layer on top of the card. Players choose Lucy MacLean, the Ghoul or Maximus, each with their own side modes, and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. levels (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck) are saved to Insider Connected and carry between games; taking all seven to 10 unlocks "exclusive new modes for each character." The shop, per media day, can be robbed: use the left flipper to steal instead of buy, then survive a hurry-up to get away, with prices doubling on the next visit either way.

Elwin on the rules: "I try not to go over the top with the rules since Avengers."

Media

Reveal Trailer (September 3, 2026)

Features Video (September 3, 2026)

Story Trailer (September 2, 2026)

Teaser Trailer #2 (September 1, 2026)

Teaser Trailer #1 (September 1, 2026)

Photos

From Stern's press kit.

Feature Matrix

Stern's feature matrix, as received.

Press Release

Welcome to the Wasteland with Fallout by Stern Pinball — September 3, 2026

CHICAGO, IL – September 3, 2026 – Today, Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of pinball games, in collaboration with Kilter Films and Bethesda Game Studios, revealed and released a new post-apocalyptic pinball experience in honor of one of the most legendary dystopian franchises in history – Fallout™.

Since its debut in 1997, the Fallout franchise has expanded beyond its video game roots into mainstream culture, becoming one of the most iconic and successful entertainment franchises in history, with its 27-time Emmy-nominated live-action TV series beloved by millions of viewers. Now entering the physical arcade space, Fallout fans can explore the franchise's post-war chaos through an engaging, adrenaline-filled pinball. Fallout by Stern Pinball is available now in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition (LE) models.

In Fallout by Stern Pinball, players are thrown into the chaotic post-apocalyptic wasteland, only to discover that the end of the world is just the beginning. Through the chosen perspective of Lucy MacLean, The Ghoul, or Maximus, players can experience the unique set of playable side modes and features from each character while uncovering the horrors of Vault-Tec's past, present, and future. Players will battle wastelanders, level up S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck) abilities, hack computer terminals with their Pip-Boy, and enter the vault during an action-packed adventure that brings the iconic legacy of Fallout to life.

Collaborated directly with the Fallout show producers at Kilter Films, including executive producer Jonathan Nolan, and video game creators at Bethesda Game Studios, including director and executive producer Todd Howard, Fallout by Stern Pinball is anchored by visual elements instantly recognized by fans of the franchise. Featuring Vault Boy, Power Armor, Nuka-Cola, Pip-Boy, Vault Suits, and other familiar features, the pinball experience integrates the incredibly distinct aesthetics of the post-apocalyptic wasteland for unrivaled visual authenticity. Further celebrating the iconic IP, the machines seamlessly incorporate footage from throughout seasons 1 and 2 of the TV series and content pulled directly from the Fallout video game series, along with custom callouts from renowned actor Johnny Pemberton who plays Thaddeus.

In the most ambitious game yet from the team that created Godzilla, JAWS, Jurassic Park, and King Kong, Fallout by Stern Pinball uses cutting-edge technology to immerse players in the realism of the ruined world. On the playfield, a replica Pip-Boy, created in collaboration with the WAND Co., offers a colorful interactive display that communicates key game mode information and gameplay features. The Fat Man multi-axis pinball launcher with Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S), a combat mechanic inspired by the video game, launches balls to an upper playfield target gallery. The Nuka-Cola Bottle Cap spinner exhibits first-of-its-kind mechanical up and down movement, while the 'Mutated' inverted upper flipper delivers mechanical innovation not seen in pinball since before the Great War. Additional features include the Mechanical Vault Blast Door that opens and allows players to explore underground unknowns, a Deathclaw bash toy with kickback and taunt features, and a Vault lower playfield powered by "Magna-Flip" magnetic technology, that provides dynamic kinetic action and excitement.

Loaded with Stern Pinball's state-of-the-art technology, Fallout by Stern Pinball effortlessly combines both physical and digital gameplay. Utilizing Stern Pinball's award-winning Insider Connected platform, the machine elevates the experience by introducing a brand-new S.P.E.C.I.A.L. perk system. Once players advance all S.P.E.C.I.A.L. levels to 10, they will unlock exclusive new modes for each character. Through Insider Connected, level advancement is cumulative and carried between games, allowing players to level-up their characters and unveil exhilarating playstyles.

To symbolize 'The Great War' of 2077, the Limited Edition will be limited to 770 games globally. This highly collectible Limited Edition model includes iconic Vault-Tec and Vault Boy imagery, the updated Cabinet Expression Lighting System™ and Speaker Expression Lighting System with Fallout-themed game effects, a full-color mirrored backglass, full-color high-definition cabinet decals, exclusive custom pinball armor, a custom designer-autographed bottom arch, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball playfield glass, shaker motor, a sequentially numbered plaque, a signed Certificate of Authenticity, a custom shooter knob accessory, and a digital Insider Connected LE owner's badge on registration.

"Fallout is beloved for its unique narrative, phenomenal world-building, and ability to inspire generations of fans, cementing its place as a major cultural force," said Seth Davis, President & CEO of Stern Pinball. "With Fallout by Stern Pinball, we've created machines that pay tribute to the legacy of this iconic franchise while pushing the boundaries of our technology more than ever before. We can't wait for players to experience the Fallout universe come to life on the pinball playfield."

Fallout by Stern Pinball is now available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

MSRP: Pro $7,299 (RRP – €6,999.00; £6,099.00) · Premium $10,699 (RRP – €9,899.00; £8,599.00) · Limited Edition $13,999 (RRP – €12,899.00; £11,299.00). MSRP (US) and RRP (Europe) are for sales to end-users before any applicable VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, Tariffs, or other taxes and are subject to change.