Obsidian Was the Only Choice for Fallout: New Vegas, Says Todd Howard

Todd Howard said Bethesda chose Obsidian to develop Fallout: New Vegas because of the studio's prior work and ties to the original Fallout team. The game is marking its 15th anniversary and a PC-only 15th anniversary collector's bundle is planned for June 2026.

Fallout: New Vegas is marking its 15th anniversary and attention has returned to how the game came to be. Todd Howard told Game Informer that Bethesda saw Obsidian Entertainment as the right studio to develop New Vegas. He cited Obsidian's prior work and the founders' history with the original Fallout as part of the rationale. Bethesda said its main direction was to emphasise the game's warring factions and the player's ability to choose between them. Key facts: - Todd Howard said Obsidian was the only choice to develop Fallout: New Vegas, according to Game Informer via GamesRadar. - Obsidian was founded by former Interplay and Black Isle Studios developers who had worked on the original Fallout and a cancelled version of Fallout 3. - Bethesda's stated note to Obsidian before development was to focus on the game's warring factions and player choice. - John Gonzalez, the lead creative designer for New Vegas, described the title as having a strong focus on choice-and-consequence gameplay. - Actor Danny Trejo, who voiced a character in New Vegas, has publicly asked for a remaster; a 15th anniversary collector's bundle for PC is scheduled for June 2026 and is priced at $155. - Todd Howard has been noncommittal about Fallout 5's timing and said Fallout is "the franchise that we're doing the most in right now." Summary: Todd Howard framed Obsidian's role on New Vegas as stemming from the studio's Fallout pedigree and storytelling strengths. The 15th anniversary is being observed with a PC-only collector's bundle in June 2026. Wider plans for a remaster or the timing of any new mainline Fallout entry are undetermined at this time.