The entirety of Bethesda's Fallout series relies on one event: the Great War. Without it, the Wasteland wouldn't be the empty, lifeless world that it is and Fallout wouldn't even have its name. It is the catalyst for the whole of the Fallout franchise, giving context to its iconic post-apocalyptic world and fueling the conflict between its inhabitants as they fight for survival in the shadow of the ruins of the civilization that once was. While each Fallout story is different, they all remain within the confines of this one overarching event that ties them all together.