Many Fallout fans consider Fallout: New Vegas the best game in the series. So folks have long wanted a sequel or similar spin-off led by New Vegas game director Josh Sawyer. And according to him, he’s down to do it, assuming he’s not too constrained by Bethesda.
Developed by Obsidian and released in 2010, Fallout: New Vegas took Bethesda’s Fallout 3 tech and built a new game out of it. The end result is a beloved open-world RPG that people still talk about and play a lot in 2024. (For example, people freaked out earlier this year when the recent Fallout TV show seemed to hint at New Vegas not being canon anymore.) And ever since New Vegas devs Obsidian and Fallout owners Bethesda have both been under Microsoft’s roof, people have wondered if a New Vegas 2 might ever happen. While the game’s director didn’t confirm or deny anything, he did at least say that yes, he’d be up for making another Fallout.
In a video Q&A posted on August 11 and spotted by Gamesradar, Sawyer answered a series of fan questions related to his past projects, thoughts on game design, and general questions about RPGs. Toward the end of the video, someone asked him what his response would be if Microsoft or Bethesda asked him to lead another Fallout game.
“Uhhhhhh, sure,” said Sawyer, followed by some laughter. However, he did explain that he would have some questions before hopping on board a new Fallout sequel.
“I mean with any project I think it has to do with: what are we doing? What are the boundaries that we’re working within? What am I allowed to do and not allowed to do?” explained Sawyer.
For Sawyer, the big thing seems to be freedom. He said he would only step up to make a new Fallout (or any game based on a pre-existing IP) if he wasn’t too constrained by the IP holder.
“I think that with any IP, especially one I’ve worked with before, the question is what do I want to do this time that I wasn’t able to do last time. And if those constraints are just really constraining, then it’s not very appealing because who wants to work on something where the one thing they want to explore is not possible to explore?” said Sawyer.
He then reiterated that he still loves the Fallout franchise, adding: “I think there’s still a ton of stories that can be told in there and questions that can be asked about society.”
Sawyer ended his answer by pointing out that working with any IP is like that and ultimately it comes down to “what are we allowed to do and not allowed to do” with the characters and world.
So is it possible that Sawyer could lead the charge on a new Fallout game, maybe even a New Vegas follow-up? Yes. But Bethesda will have to let the famed designer do what he and the team want or they won’t be interested in playing in that radioactive wasteland.
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