Fallout: New Vegas lead writer and Horizon Zero Dawn narrative director returns to Obsidian after 14 years, but swears "it's not" for New Vegas 2

Fallout New Vegas
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Fallout: New Vegas lead writer John Gonzalez returns to developer Obsidian after 14 years, but he doesn't want you to get your hopes up – it isn't for a New Vegas sequel.

It's simply "for exciting times!" he writes in the description of his LinkedIn experience. In parenthesis, he adds the unambiguous admission, "No, it's not FNV2."

But that won't stop fans of the apocalyptic action game from fantasizing. Last year, they guessed from Obsidian art director Daniel Cabuco's LinkedIn page that the "unannounced title" he described himself as working on might be another Fallout game… but Cabuco has since removed references to an "unannounced" game from his profile. And Obsidian hasn't revealed information for any game other than its first-person RPG Avowed, which is out in February.

Gonzalez might be trying to further obfuscate whatever Obsidian's "unannounced" game might be, or, more likely, people need to lay off the LinkedIn. Either way, Gonzalez's time off of Obsidian brought him an incredible range of experience. He was the narrative director on both Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, and, most importantly to me, co-developed the Orc's unforgettable dialogue in 2014 Lord of the Rings action game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. I hear a voice calling out "man-swine!" in only my most important dreams.

About his time working on New Vegas, which has now been out for 15 years, Gonzalez writes "Thank you, God" on LinkedIn, a typically godless place. With enough of this kind of passion, maybe there really 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."

Ashley Bardhan
Senior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.

Read more
Fallout
Following Fallout TV show's win at the Game Awards, the producer jokingly thanks New Vegas fans for "not burning down my house" and promises they will be "thankful" for what's coming in season 2
Avowed
Avowed director would "love to see us do more" with the RPG after laying the groundwork for sequels and DLC
Upcoming Obsidian games - Avowed
Upcoming Obsidian games: Every new Obsidian game in development
Avowed protagonist Kai standings looking directly out at the player
As Avowed joins Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity in Obsidian's portfolio of great RPGs, the studio aims to outlive us all by making it to its 100th birthday in 2103
Victor, the friendly cowboy robot from New Vegas
Modiphius sets date for delayed Fallout New Vegas TRPG sourcebook, alongside a solo adventure that lets you play as a super mutant, ghoul, or robot
Avowed screenshot showing two companions assisting in combat
Avowed director confirms the game follows The Outer Worlds' lead to skip New Game Plus, but DLC is still a "maybe"
Latest in Action Games
Absolum
The other devs behind the best retro beat-em-up in recent memory are making a co-op roguelike brawler that "channels the spirit" of Capcom's classic D&D games
best zombie games
"Don't bet on there being more of Last of Us": Asked about The Last of Us 3, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann says "this could be it"
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows devs added a Canon Mode removing RPG choices after Odyssey fans "expressed their disappointment" over not having a "definitive" story
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is still on track for 2025, Black Panther actor claims: "We're thinking like a Christmas situation"
Assassin's Creed Odyssey screenshot of Kassandra admiring a blade
Assassin's Creed's Kassandra stole the show in Odyssey, popped up in Valhalla, and she's still "very much alive" during AC Shadows
Marvel's Avengers
After Square Enix's attempt flopped, Avengers: Endgame and Doomsday directors are "open" to working on their own Marvel team-up game
Latest in News
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds art director and 20-year series vet says the new game intentionally leans into a question fans have debated forever: "What is a hunter?"
Absolum
The other devs behind the best retro beat-em-up in recent memory are making a co-op roguelike brawler that "channels the spirit" of Capcom's classic D&D games
Battlefield Bad Company 2
"I am freaked out by how much might actually have been accurate": Battlefield Bad Company 3 writer unearths forgotten script
Skyrim
Skyrim is still an all-time great for asset reuse: this hunk of human flesh could be some poor guard's glute, or probably just a piece of repurposed beef
best zombie games
"Don't bet on there being more of Last of Us": Asked about The Last of Us 3, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann says "this could be it"
Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace
"Wise mentor" or "awful Jedi"? Star Wars fans are debating if Qui-Gon Jinn is to blame for Anakin's turn to the dark side