Obsidian Entertainment, the studio responsible for the critically acclaimed Fallout: New Vegas, is reportedly developing a new entry in Bethesda's post-apocalyptic role-playing series. According to a report from Bloomberg, Josh Sawyer, who directed New Vegas, is leading the early-stage project.
This development comes as Bethesda Game Studios focuses on The Elder Scrolls 6, a title still several years from completion. Fallout: New Vegas, released in 2010, was lauded for its deep role-playing mechanics, choice-driven narrative, and extensive dialogue options that catered to various character builds. Despite its positive reception among fans who appreciated its focus on RPG roots, Obsidian did not develop another Fallout game, with reports suggesting Bethesda was unsatisfied with its hardcore nature and profit margins compared to mainline titles.
Sources indicate that the decision for Obsidian to work on a new Fallout game aligns with Xbox's strategic pivot to concentrate on its larger franchises. This move follows a significant restructuring at Xbox and layoffs that impacted approximately a quarter of Obsidian's workforce. Previously, Obsidian was developing a sequel to its RPG Avowed, a project now reportedly canceled.
The potential for a new Fallout title is significant, given the franchise's widespread popularity and the decade-plus since Fallout 4's release. The recent success of Amazon's Prime Video adaptation has also likely spurred renewed interest in the series. Obsidian's involvement could allow Xbox to quickly capitalize on this growing audience demand, potentially offering a more modern take on the series compared to the older, bug-prone titles currently available.
While the majority of Obsidian's resources will be dedicated to the new Fallout project, a portion of the studio will continue to develop content for The Outer Worlds 2 and Grounded 2. No official release window has been announced for the new Fallout game.