Fallout Legend Tim Cain Is Back At Obsidian
If you love classic PC RPGs, the name Tim Cain probably means a lot to you. He is one of the key creative minds behind some of the most iconic computer role playing games ever made, including the original Fallout titles, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, and Arcanum Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.
For the past few years Cain has been mostly in semi retirement. He has been doing occasional contract work for studios such as Obsidian Entertainment while spending most of his time on his YouTube channel, where he talks about game design, the history of famous projects, and his long career in the industry.
That quiet period is now over. In a recent video update, Cain announced that he has officially returned to full time work at Obsidian and has even moved back to California to do it in person, not remotely.
From Semi Retirement To Full Time Developer Again
Cain explains that he has gone from being a contractor who worked with studios on specific tasks or short term projects to being a full employee at Obsidian once more. He stresses that this is an in office role and not remote work which underlines how serious this return is for him and for the studio.
He describes himself as energetic and clearly excited about being back at a desk inside a game studio. Along with the new job status he casually mentions some fun life updates since his last career video. He has acquired several new t shirts, gotten a Moon Man tattoo, and even befriended a squirrel. It is a very Tim Cain way of saying that a lot has changed since he last checked in with viewers.
While the personal details are lighthearted, the important takeaway is that one of the defining creative voices in PC RPG history is no longer on the sidelines. He is now fully embedded inside a modern studio that already has a strong reputation with PC gamers.
What Is He Working On At Obsidian
This is the big question and Cain is not giving anything away. He is very clear that fans should not expect to guess the project correctly. He even says directly that people should not bother guessing because they will not get it right.
That line strongly suggests that whatever he is doing, it is probably not a direct Fallout related title or anything obvious from his past catalog. Since the Fallout IP is owned by Bethesda, that was always unlikely, but his comment makes it even clearer that fans should expect something different.
Cain mentions that he has only been back at Obsidian for about a week so far. That means the project he is joining is still under wraps and may be early enough in development that we will not see an official announcement for quite some time. From a PC gaming perspective though, it is still big news. A veteran designer who helped shape Fallout and classic RPG systems is now contributing to a new unannounced title at one of the most respected RPG studios in the business.
On top of his new full time role, Cain says there are at least one and possibly more games coming out in the near future that still feature his work from his recent contractor period. Those titles are far enough along that players should see them release relatively soon which means fans will have something with his name in the credits even before his new mystery project surfaces.
His YouTube Channel And What This Means For PC Gamers
One question fans had immediately was whether his return to Obsidian would mean the end of his YouTube channel. That channel has become a favorite among PC gaming enthusiasts because he breaks down how systems were designed, shares stories from the development of classics like Fallout, and gives a rare behind the scenes look at the industry.
Cain reassures viewers that the channel is not going anywhere. In fact he says that his colleagues at Obsidian are big fans of his videos. That means we can expect more developer insights and design talk from someone who is now actively working inside a major studio again. For people who love the technical and creative side of PC game development, that is great news.
For the broader PC gaming community this announcement is exciting for a few reasons:
- It brings a legendary RPG designer back into a full time role where he can help shape a new large scale project.
- It strengthens Obsidian’s already strong lineup of talent which is good news for anyone who enjoys deep, system heavy PC games.
- It keeps an educational and entertaining YouTube channel alive, offering ongoing insight into game design from someone with decades of experience.
We still have no details on the game he has joined. We do not know if it is a new RPG, something experimental, or a completely different genre. But given Tim Cain’s track record and Obsidian’s reputation, PC players have good reason to keep an eye on whatever the studio announces over the next few years.
Until then, the only concrete things we know are simple. Tim Cain has left semi retirement, moved back to California, rejoined Obsidian as a full time in person employee, and is working on a secret project that fans will not be able to guess. For anyone who grew up playing Fallout, Bloodlines, or Arcanum on PC, that is more than enough to spark a lot of interest and speculation about what might be coming next.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/fallout-co-creator-tim-cain-is-out-of-retirement-and-back-at-obsidian/
