Bethesda’s Todd Howard Explains Why Obsidian was Chosen to Develop Fallout: New Vegas

Bethesda Executive Producer Todd Howard says Obsidian Entertainment was “the only choice” to make Fallout: New Vegas due to its experience filling in for sequels of this sort, among other reasons. The remark was offered as part of a recent interview that also saw Howard provide some wider context about everything happening at Bethesda between Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Skyrim.

While the latest mainline Fallout game is over a decade old at this point, the franchise has been enjoying a mini-revival over the last several years, largely driven by Amazon’s live-action TV adaptation. With Fallout Season 2 currently airing, Todd Howard has been on a media tour in recent weeks, giving a wide variety of interviews to promote the ongoing show.

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Why Obsidian Was Bethesda’s Pick for Fallout: New Vegas

During Howard’s recent sit-down with Game Informer, he was asked about the circumstances leading up to Bethesda’s decision to pick Obsidian Entertainment as the developer of Fallout: New Vegas in 2008. “They were the only choice,” he said, adding that Obsidian already had experience with sequels of this nature thanks to its work on Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, another follow-up to a critically acclaimed RPG. This made it a natural fit for New Vegas, with Bethesda confident enough in the studio’s abilities to give it free rein over the game’s direction.

Obsidian Already Had ‘Fallout DNA’ by the Time It Started Making New Vegas

Elaborating on Howard’s point, Obsidian Creative Director and Fallout: New Vegas lead writer John Gonzalez said the studio already had “Fallout DNA” by the time Bethesda approached it with the spin-off idea. The remark refers to Obsidian’s roots, i.e., the fact it was founded by former Black Isle Studios and Interplay developers after the cancellation of Van Buren, the original Fallout 3 project. Several key figures involved in both New Vegas and the isometric Fallout titles include Feargus Urquhart, Scott Everts, Chris Avellone, and Brian Menze.

Bethesda Had Just One Instruction for Fallout: New Vegas Developer

Howard clarified that New Vegas was always intended as a third-party project, as Bethesda was reallocating its resources toward The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim at the time. On one hand, it lacked the capacity to develop another Fallout game internally; on the other, it wanted to give fans something to play while the next mainline installment remained years away. Once Obsidian was chosen, the studio was given minimal creative direction and largely free rein, except for one key stipulation: Bethesda wanted the spin-off to emphasize faction-driven gameplay. Obsidian delivered on that front, creating a game whose core narrative, world state, and endings are all shaped by player decisions. This approach was praised by both players and critics for its meaningful choices and strong replay value, ultimately playing a key role in turning New Vegas into a cult classic.

What’s Next for the Fallout Franchise

Looking ahead, there have recently been plenty of rumors concerning a potential Fallout: New Vegas remaster, which multiple insiders insisted was happening. Bethesda has also reportedly greenlit a Fallout 3 remaster, first referenced in a September 2023 leak of a July 2020 Microsoft presentation outlining planned ZeniMax releases. As of now, the modernized version of Fallout 3 is expected to launch before the New Vegas remaster. Virtuos, the studio behind the critically acclaimed TES 4: Oblivion Remastered, is also rumored to be leading development on both Fallout remasters.

Regarding the much-anticipated fifth entry in the franchise, Howard has previously stated that Fallout 5 is planned as Bethesda’s next project following The Elder Scrolls 6, which has been in active development since late 2023. Given the typical length of modern AAA development cycles, Fallout 5 is thus unlikely to launch before the mid-2030s.

Released

October 19, 2010

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Engine

Gamebryo

Source: GamesRadar+