Todd Howard And The Fallout New Vegas Myth
Among Fallout fans there has been a long running myth that Todd Howard secretly resents Obsidian for how well Fallout New Vegas turned out. Some players see Bethesda as taking the Fallout series in the wrong direction, so the idea that Howard dislikes New Vegas fits neatly into that narrative.
The problem is that there has never been real evidence for this idea. In fact the opposite keeps coming up. Todd Howard has repeatedly shown respect for Obsidian and for Fallout New Vegas. Recent comments in a Game Informer interview add yet another piece to that puzzle.
Instead of sounding bitter, Howard makes it clear that when Bethesda wanted a non Bethesda studio to make a Fallout game, Obsidian was the obvious and only choice.
Why Obsidian Was Bethesda’s First Pick
In the interview Todd Howard explains that when Bethesda considered outsourcing a Fallout game, they were not looking at a long list of studios. As he puts it, Obsidian was “the only choice.”
There were a few big reasons for that.
Proven track record with someone else’s series
Obsidian had already done something very similar with Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2. BioWare created the original KOTOR, then Obsidian was brought in to build the sequel in a very short time. Many RPG fans ended up preferring KOTOR 2 for its darker tone and deeper themes, even though it was built under heavy time pressure.Existing relationship with Bethesda
Howard notes that Bethesda already knew Obsidian well. That kind of relationship matters when you are trusting another studio with one of your core franchises. It meant Bethesda understood how Obsidian worked, and felt comfortable handing over the Fallout universe for a spin off.Real Fallout DNA inside Obsidian
New Vegas lead creative designer John Gonzalez described the studio as having “Fallout DNA.” Several Obsidian developers had worked on the original Fallout games before Bethesda owned the series. That gave them a deep understanding of the tone, black humor and open ended quest design that made the classic games stand out.
All of that made Obsidian the ideal team to keep Fallout alive while Bethesda moved its main crew onto The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim.
Keeping Fallout Alive Between Fallout 3 And Fallout 4
After Fallout 3 brought the series back to life, Bethesda was already looking ahead to its next huge RPG Skyrim. That meant there would be a long gap before Fallout 4 could happen. Rather than letting the franchise go quiet for years, Bethesda wanted a way to keep Fallout on players’ minds.
Handing a new Fallout project to Obsidian solved that problem. The plan was simple:
Bethesda focused its internal teams on Skyrim.
Obsidian took the Fallout toolkit and lore to build its own take on the universe.
The result would keep fans invested and expand the series in a different direction.
John Gonzalez explains that the goal with New Vegas was to create an “Obsidian focused experience” that leaned hard into player choice. The game was designed to give players “tremendous amounts of narrative impact and narrative control.” Multiple factions, branching quest lines and hard choices were at the center of the experience.
This lined up perfectly with what many fans loved about the classic isometric Fallout games, while still running on the 3D engine introduced in Fallout 3.
The Legacy Of Fallout New Vegas
The bet paid off. Fallout New Vegas is now considered a classic RPG and is often ranked among the best Fallout games ever made. By 2015 it had sold over 11 million copies, bringing in plenty of money for Bethesda in the process.
That reality is important when thinking about the myth that Todd Howard resents Obsidian. New Vegas did not just boost Obsidian’s reputation. It strengthened Fallout as a brand and helped Bethesda as publisher and IP owner.
Howard’s comments fit that picture. He speaks about Obsidian as the natural partner to handle a Fallout spin off, not as a rival that showed Bethesda up. He highlights their previous work on KOTOR 2 and their internal Fallout veterans as reasons he wanted them for New Vegas, not reasons to distance the studio.
It also lines up with his recent actions, such as inviting Obsidian developers onto the set of the Fallout TV show to see New Vegas locations brought to life. That is not the move of someone trying to bury another developer’s contribution.
For players, the story behind New Vegas is a reminder that big franchises are often shaped by multiple studios. Bethesda revived Fallout in 3D with Fallout 3. Obsidian pushed the role playing depth and branching narrative in New Vegas. Fallout 4 then leaned more into shooter mechanics and settlement building. Each entry reflects different strengths and priorities.
Today, New Vegas remains hugely popular with PC gamers thanks to its moddability. Guides help players get it running smoothly on modern systems, from stability mods to community patches and graphics overhauls. Console commands and cheat guides give returning players new ways to experiment. Mod collections can turn the Mojave into a fresh experience even for veterans who have beaten the game many times.
Underneath all the community debate, the core story from Todd Howard is straightforward. When Bethesda needed someone to carry Fallout forward while they worked on Skyrim, they trusted Obsidian because of their history, their talent and their connection to the series roots. Fallout New Vegas is the result of that choice and it remains one of the defining RPGs on PC.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/not-only-does-todd-howard-not-hate-obsidian-it-was-his-only-choice-to-take-up-fallouts-reins-in-the-wake-of-fallout-3/
