Obsidian knows we want "the next Fallout New Vegas," but it's finding more "joy" in original creations like The Outer Worlds 2

I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't go berserk if a new Fallout New Vegas got announced - especially if Microsoft and Bethesda let Obsidian take the reins again. While other entries come close, it remains my favorite game in the post-apocalyptic series. However, even if the trigger did get pulled on New Vegas 2, I genuinely don't think Obsidian would want the gig. It's been cheffing up its own projects at a remarkable rate, and is even finding the time and passion to go and cram turn-based combat into Pillars of Eternity, for crying out loud. In a new interview, a prominent figure at the studio discusses how it's found a lot of "joy" in nurturing its own ideas and forging a true 'Obsidian identity' - one that doesn't rely on other peoples' IP.

Fallout New Vegas 2 would be the perfect thing to tide fans over until the very distant Fallout 5 release date, and to capitalize on the popularity of the hit Amazon show too. Fallout 76 is putting in a solid effort in that regard, but it doesn't have quite the same gravitas as a sequel to one of the best RPGs I've ever played. I've always had a sliver of hope it would materialize, but said sliver has become so thin it's barely noticeable these days. Even with New Vegas' lead writer re-joining the studio, it seems really unlikely.

Of course, it would be Microsoft and Bethesda's decision to make, but I can imagine that willingness from Obsidian - a studio within the same family that it's entrusted with Fallout before - could be an accelerant in making it happen. But it sounds like it's more than happy carving out its own path right now, with Avowed, Grounded 2, and The Outer Worlds 2 all dropping this year.

"I know everyone on the internet, on every game we ever announce, will constantly [ask]: 'when's the next New Vegas' or 'when's the next whatever' […] But this year in addition to it being like you know a celebration of shipping three games, all three of those games are IP that we've created, that are Obsidian IP," says the studio's VP of operations, Marcus Morgan, in an interview with The Game Business. "We know our history prior to Microsoft was really one surrounding around working on others' IP, and [now] this is the joy that we get from like: 'how do we start to define our own and build our own IP?' And we've gotten to the point where we have sequels to all of them - all of them are sequels to the IP we've created."

Morgan acknowledges there's still "New Vegas-y vibes" in the work it does on The Outer Worlds, particularly, but Obsidian now "doesn't worry as much about breath as it does about depth."

Due to there being so many new PC games at the moment, I haven't got to experience what Obsidian's pulled off with The Outer Worlds 2 yet, but as a fan of the first game and someone who found more enjoyment than most in Avowed, I'm excited to get stuck into it. If Obsidian can keep on delivering amazing RPGs that are fully of its own creation, then maybe my New Vegas 2 pain won't sting quite as badly.

If you plan on revisiting the Mojave Wasteland soon, check out our guide to the best Fallout New Vegas mods. For similar thrills, our best games like Fallout list is at your service.