Fallout: New Vegas 2 is a term that has been tossed around several times in the past, among a litany of rumors of what was or wasn’t going on at Bethesda, Obsidian, and so on. But, after the debacle surrounding the first game’s release (despite its popularity), it was pretty clear to any onlookers that Fallout: New Vegas 2 wasn’t happening.
However, the playing field has been reset as of late because of Microsoft’s buying sprees. Not only did Microsoft acquire Obsidian Entertainment a few years ago, but it has also acquired Bethesda. This is no surprise to gamers at this point, but these Obsidian and Bethesda acquisitions make Fallout: New Vegas 2 more possible than ever before. Some had hoped that it was already a brokered deal between Obsidian, Bethesda, and Microsoft, but game development and deals take time.
With all of this in mind, the recent rumors that Fallout: New Vegas 2 is in early talks at Microsoft are believable. Specifically, according to well-known industry insider Jeff Grubb, the two words being thrown around are “Fallout: New Vegas 2” and “Obsidian.” There is allegedly a lot of interest in making this happen, but again, this is still early. Because of this and for a few other factors, fans should still be aware that the sequel to New Vegas probably won’t be ‘New Vegas 2’
Fallout: New Vegas 2 – A Sequel By Any Other Name is Just as Sweet
There are a few reasons for this, but the important one is time. These talks are early. If, and this is a very giving and hyptohetical timeline, the agreement was set this year, Avowed released in 2023, Obsidian came up with a New Vegas 2 blueprint, Josh Sawyer finished his RPG and joined/played a heavier role in New Vegas 2 by 2024, core development began around then, and—again, very giving timeline here—it would probably be 2027 or 2028 before it happened.
That would put the game nearly 20 years after Fallout: New Vegas’ 2010 release date...at the earliest. This is important because anything that could have come from another game set in New Vegas will be less so this long after. Instead of a prequel or sequel set in the same area, it makes as much sense as ever before for this to be more of an anthological serial than anything else. Time itself doesn't favor New Vegas 2 at face value.
Some may argue that it should retain New Vegas 2 for brand recognition and a clear connection to the first game, but that’s not really necessary. Obsidian Entertainment was already an RPG powerhouse before Xbox’s acquisition, and extra resources help it push that bar even further. While it remains to be seen, saying another Fallout game is coming from the developer of The Outer Worlds 2, Pentiment, Avowed, and so on is enough brand recognition, “Fallout” wise and developer wise.
Fallout New Vegas 2 Has a Lot of Places It Could Go
Calling it Fallout: New Vegas 2 would make it clear that it’s a successor of sorts to the first game, but it would also require players to, once again, be in New Vegas. Unless it was some sort of prequel, that’s unlikely. The thing to keep in mind is that every Fallout sequel has been thematically or spiritually connected, but never directly. This applies to Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 as well. So, “Fallout: New Location” is probably the formula fans should expect.
This leaves open a ton of unique options for the next game, if it does ever occur. “New California,” “New Alaska,” or so on could take the same approach and breathe some life—as New Vegas did—into some post-apocalyptic town. Many, for a long time, have hoped for Fallout: New Orleans as a spiritual successor, but all fans can do now is wait. And it sounds like quite the wait.
Fallout: New Vegas 2 is reportedly in early talks.
