New Vegas Developer Disagrees with Bethesda’s Fallout Perspective

A significant amount of time has passed since the last Fallout titles, leading some modern gamers to think that the lighthearted, comedic vibe of Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and the Prime Video series has always been part of the franchise’s identity. However, Chris Avellone, a key designer of Fallout 2 and a writer for Fallout: New Vegas, feels that Bethesda has strayed from the original essence of the games. When asked on X if Bethesda has a disdain for the franchise, Avellone replied, “They just don’t fully understand its roots and arguably, don’t care—they own the franchise, and they just want to do their spin on Fallout and make that the norm. This usually translates into a colorful, shallow theme park (with some interesting DLC exceptions, like Far Harbor, Point Lookout—and I was one of the ones who liked The Pitt)—still, theme parks are fun for some folks, so if people enjoy it, that’s fine with me.”

Avellone clarified that he doesn’t harbor any ill will toward Bethesda, praising their open-world games while also pointing out their shortcomings, such as linear storytelling and a lack of understanding regarding the Speech skill. “But every developer has their pros and cons,” he noted. Recently, Todd Howard from Bethesda acknowledged Obsidian Entertainment’s contributions to Fallout: New Vegas, stating that they were the perfect fit for the project due to their prior experience with the series.

Later this year, PC gamers can look forward to a special physical bundle celebrating the 15th anniversary of Fallout: New Vegas, although console players will miss out. There’s been a growing call for a remake of Fallout: New Vegas, with several fans, including actor Danny Trejo, expressing their desire for it. Rumors suggest that remakes of both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas may be in the works, potentially fulfilling those wishes.