Obsidian Welcomes Back Gaming Visionary: A New Chapter in Storytelling Begins

Fallout: New Vegas principal writer John Gonzalez makes his return to developer Obsidian after a span of 14 years, but he doesn’t want you to get your hopes up – it’s not regarding a New Vegas sequel.

It is solely “for exciting times!” he states in the details of his LinkedIn profile. In parentheses, he adds the clear remark, “No, it’s not FNV2.”

However, this will not deter fans of the post-apocalyptic action game from dreaming. Last year, they speculated from Obsidian art director Daniel Cabuco’s LinkedIn page that the “unannounced title” he referred to might more likely be another Fallout game… although Cabuco has since removed mentions of an “unannounced” title from his profile. Moreover, Obsidian has not released any information about any other game aside from its first-person RPG Avowed, set to release in February.

Gonzalez is possibly attempting to further cloud what Obsidian’s “unannounced” game may be, or, perhaps, people are eager to dig deeper into LinkedIn. Regardless, Gonzalez’s return to Obsidian brings with it a remarkable wealth of experience. He served as the narrative director on both Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, and, most notably to me, co-developed the unforgettable orc dialogue in the 2014 Lord of the Rings action game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. I can still hear a voice yelling “man-swine!” in some of my most memorable dreams.

Reflecting on his time working on New Vegas, which has been out for 15 years, Gonzalez expresses gratitude with “Thank you, God” on LinkedIn, a typically secular platform. With such passionate remarks, perhaps there genuinely is hope for Fallout: New Vegas 2.

After 4 years, Fallout: New Vegas’ massive New Mexico mod is canceled: “Continuing forward simply isn’t sustainable.”