ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, has filed three trademarks for "Nuka Cola" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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The three filings of the "Nuka Cola" mark pertain to games and computer software, clothing or apparel, and electronic services -- specifically, "relating to electronic computer games via the Internet."For the uninitiated, Nuka-Cola is a staple of the Fallout series, found in vending machines or as solitary bottles scattered throughout the wasteland. As the chief soft drink before The Great War, surviving servings of the beverage continue to provide refreshment even after the bombs dropped.While these trademark filings could be solely to protect the brand--trademarks are filed all the time to prevent infringement--it's not unreasonable to consider something bigger could be in the works. Two of the trademarks relate to video games, and one specifically covers entertainment services related to online games.Bethesda game director Todd Howard burst the Fallout 4 bubble earlier this year by stating the company had nothing to announce regarding the next entry in the series for 'a while.'However, there's some pretty clear evidence that the next Fallout exists , in some form at least, but for the time being all we can do is wait.

Brandin Tyrrel is a freelance writer covering games and tech. There's absolutely no reason to follow him on Twitter