Todd Howard: Obsidian Was the Perfect Fit for Fallout: New Vegas

This year celebrates the 15th anniversary of Fallout: New Vegas, the cherished spin-off crafted by Obsidian Entertainment. Bethesda has been selective about which developers handle the franchise, and according to Todd Howard, Obsidian was the clear choice for New Vegas. “They were the only choice,” Howard shared. “They had experience with something similar in [Star Wars] Knights of the Old Republic 2, and we had a strong relationship with them. We were diving into Skyrim, the franchise was revitalized, but we knew there would be a long wait until Fallout 4—so how could we keep the momentum going?”

Obsidian was established by former developers from Interplay and Black Isle Studios, who had previously worked on the original Fallout and a canceled version of Fallout 3, making them a fitting choice for New Vegas. Howard noted that Bethesda’s only directive before development was to emphasize the game’s conflicting factions and the player’s ability to navigate between them. “What made New Vegas stand out was its intense focus on choice-and-consequence gameplay,” remarked John Gonzalez, the lead creative designer for the game. “It’s all about giving players significant narrative impact and control.”

Recently, celebrity gamer and the voice of New Vegas’ ghoul mechanic, Raul Alfonso Tejada, Danny Trejo, called for a remaster of the game. For now, fans can look forward to a special Fallout: New Vegas 15th anniversary collector’s bundle set to release in June 2026, priced at $155, but only for PC users. Howard has been tight-lipped about Fallout 5, which is anticipated to launch well after The Elder Scrolls 6. However, he did mention that Fallout is “the franchise that we’re doing the most in right now.” Additionally, the current second season of the Prime Video Fallout series is set in and around New Vegas.