There are no two ways about it: Amazon Primes Fall-out the series has put the franchise on the map in ways that have never been seen before. Despite a relatively basic story for the series, the show has spawned a whole new contingent of Fall-out fans, further fleshed out the wasteland environment and provided some much-needed glimpses of what life was like before the war, most notably what Vault-Tec was up to in the days before the bombs were dropped. This includes a short, but extremely telling, map of planned Vault locations.
Fall-out fans know the vaults have always been shady operations; thinly veiled excuses for the nefarious enterprise of running unethical social/scientific experiments on a captive population. The brief look at Vault-Tec's boardroom seen in the series shows a map of planned locations for these experiments, and they largely sync up with what's been seen in the franchise thus far, with some notable omissions on the East Coast. However, a suggested Vault location seen on the map could change the setting as fans know it.
Is Fallout Show Teasing A Vault In Mexico?
The Fallout Show appears to reveal a vault in Tijuana
If the series map is to be believed, at one point Vault-Tec planned a vault in Mexico. Eagle-eyed fans would have noticed that the proposed vault location is just below San Diego in what would be Baja, Mexico. This is breaking new territory for the franchise as Vault-Tec and the whole Fall-out lore focused almost entirely on what's happening in the US.
The Vault location may seem like a one-off background detail but in reality its implications for future stories cannot be understated. This map is actually confirmation that Vault-Tec was operating, if not entirely internationally, then at least in Mexico. This gives the franchise its first opportunity to explore what Fall-out the world looks outside the United States.
What could a Fallout game set in Mexico look like?
Right now is the whole Fall-out franchise takes place in America. Aside from a few throwaway texts scattered throughout various games that may or may not be true Fall-out series are sparse when it comes to details about other countries. Exploring this vault in Baja can be Fall-outs best opportunity to dip its toes outside of the US, while not straying too far from its comfort zone.
One thing Fall-out has been excellent at in all of its installments thus far incorporating unique aspects of the region into its version of the wasteland. From Fallout: New Vegasto Fallout 4to even Fallout: 76echoes of the world that used to exist in the region shine through in the wasteland's culture.
Baja's most populated city is Tijuana, which is known as a tourist destination with sandy beaches, idyllic climate and lots of local history. Fall-out have never before explored a more tropical coastal environment. This would give Bethesda the opportunity to expand on some of the oceanic aspects of Fall-out universe. Something interesting must surely be happening in the heavily irradiated oceans.
Bethesda should be expanded with vaults in other North American countries
It's entirely possible that this was an oversight on the part of the showrunners; that the vault was supposed to be in San Diego, and that the art department simply placed the marker too far south. The map itself may not even be completely accurate, as important vaults on the east coast are not accounted for, namely Vault 76 and all vaults located in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
Despite this, this is still a great opportunity for Fallout to expand the setting beyond the American borders. A Fall-out The game set in Baja, Mexico would be a fresh, invigorating take on the series without straying terribly far from where Bethesda (and the players) are most comfortable. If successful, it could even open the door to see how Canada or England deal with the nuclear apocalypse.