No, the entire world was not nuked in Fallout 4

Greetings fellow Vault dwellers! Daniel here, host of the Wasteland Survival Guide holo-podcast. I’m making this follow-up holotape to definitively answer one of the most debated questions in the Fallout community:

Was the ENTIRE world nuked when the bombs fell on October 23, 2077?

The short answer is no. Only parts of the United States, China, and some territories under their control suffered direct nuclear impacts.

But the environmental and societal devastation spread much farther, so let’s break it down! Here’s what we know about how far the destruction reached, based on Fallout’s alternate history leading up to the Great War between America and China:

Countries That Suffered Direct Nuclear Strikes

Obviously, the superpowers launching the nukes took the brunt of it. These nations endured heavy bombardment:

Canada was also hit hard after U.S. annexation led them to be targeted as well:

There’s also references to nuclear exchanges in Europe and the Middle East earlier in the resource wars:

So we know at minimum, sections of 4 continents suffered direct nuclear explosions – North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Global Reach of Nuclear Fallout

Radioactive fallout encircled the globe after particles were ejected into the jet streams and upper atmosphere. While the most dangerous radiation levels concentrated around blast sites,the encroaching environmental ruin spared few Habitable zones.

{{insert cool custom map of fallout spread}}

Projected Casualties

Estimates vary, but between the initial strikes, ensuing nuclear winter, fallout, and collapse of infrastructure – casualties ranged from just over half to nearly all of the global population.

So few inhabited areas, if any, escaped tragedy.

Unscathed Regions and Exceptions

There were a handful of locations that reportedly avoided direct bombardment, like La Jolla near San Diego. Conflicting accounts in various Vault-Tec records indicate their experimental facilities may have endured as sanctuaries. I’ve also heard rumors of remote Pacific islands or isolated mountain bunkers fully shielding inhabitants.

Additionally, regions under control of Mexico and Canada outside annexed zones possibly evaded targeting, though suffering collateral damage.

The Rest of the World

As for Africa, South America, and much of Asia – details are hazy. Some speculate neutral or non-allied nations forged survival enclaves amidst the global chaos. Perhaps even entire civilizations, though contact with outside world would be near impossible.

One thing’s for certain, regardless of place of origin – we’re all post-apocalyptic survivors now in this brave new world! I’ll be investigating leads on unaffected zones for my next expedition! Signing off for now dear listeners, wish me luck out in the wastes!