Prime Video announces Fallout Shelter competition show

Amazon Prime Video has announced Fallout Shelter: The Experiment, a reality competition series that appears to be inspired by the Fallout Shelter construction and resource management game. Contestants, called dwellers, will live together in a top-secret vault and compete in games that test the seven core attributes from Fallout: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck (S.P.E.C.I.A.L.). Studio Lambert, which also made the Squid Game competition show, is behind the series.

Premiere and prize details

The series will premiere on January 13, 2027, a Wednesday, and its first season has 10 episodes. One contestant will walk away with a $1 million grand prize. Many fans compared the format to Squid Game, and some criticized Amazon for taking inspiration from Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge. Others said they were curious about the new spin on the franchise and planned to watch while they waited for Season 3 of the scripted Fallout series.

Amazon announced the date and title on Instagram on Fallout Day 2026, October 23, the day the in-world Great War began. The post featured a Pip-Boy clip reading "The world is ending. The competition is just beginning." The comments section was flooded with critical responses, with one fan writing, "As a massive Fallout fan, this is not what we want." Amazon has said the series is not meant to replace the scripted show.