Fallout Season 2 Heads to New Vegas Without Picking a Side
Fallout's second season ventures into New Vegas, carefully balancing fresh storytelling with respect for every player's unique journey. The showrunners are determined to honor the game's legacy without locking in a single ending.
When Bethesda set out to bring Fallout to television, they knew they needed more than just a director with video game credits. Emil Pagliarulo, a senior developer at Bethesda, explained,
"Hollywood, at the time, they wanted to throw the 'video game directors ' at us. We don't want the guy who makes video game movies. We want the best director, the best showrunner possible. And it wasn't until Jonathan Nolan and his company had their pitch. This is the guy who wrote the Batman movies. This is the guy who made Westworld. This is the guy we want. A lot of it was waiting to find the right partner, and not just doing it because you could."
Interest in adapting Fallout for live-action goes back as far as 2008. But skepticism lingered, especially from Bethesda's then-marketing director Phil Hines, who pointed to the 2005 Doom movie as a cautionary tale. The same year, Alone in the Dark's live-action adaptation also failed to impress.
Prime Video's Fallout: A New Era
Everything changed in 2020 when Prime Video revealed it was developing a Fallout series. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the creative minds behind Westworld, approached Bethesda with their vision. The result was a show that premiered in 2024, shattered streaming records, and earned three Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama and a nod for Walton Goggins as Cooper Howard, also known as the Ghoul.
The anticipation for the next chapter is high, with Fallout season 2 set to debut on Prime Video on December 17.
Respecting Every Player's Story
Todd Howard, the driving force behind Fallout, shared that the upcoming season strikes a balance between introducing a fresh start in New Vegas and honoring the diverse journeys players have taken in the game. He praised the show's production, saying,
"Their ability to pull it off on the scale, so much of it practical, it was incredible."
Howard also acknowledged Obsidian, the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas, and invited their developers to visit the set for season 2, allowing them to revisit the iconic setting they helped create.
No Canonical Ending—By Design
The producers have made it clear that the show will not declare any single New Vegas ending as official.
"We didn't want to contradict anyone's experiences playing the games,"
they explained. This approach ensures that every fan's journey remains valid, no matter which path they chose in the game.
While some familiar creatures, characters, locations, and factions from the games are being held back for now, one producer promised,
"we'll get there eventually."