Only 16 Fallout: New Vegas developers still work at Obsidian, says RPG’s original writer
A writer who worked on Fallout: New Vegas says only 16 people who developed the game are still employed at Obsidian, highlighting how much the studio has changed since the 2010 RPG was made. The remark matters because fans often call for a New Vegas follow-up, but it suggests any such project would be made by a very different team from the one behind the original.
The claim comes from the game’s original writer and is presented as a reminder of staff turnover over time rather than an announcement about a sequel or remake. In practical terms, the figure of 16 surviving team members underlines that more than a decade has passed since New Vegas launched, during which Obsidian has worked on other projects and undergone major internal changes. The article frames this as useful context for fan expectations about who would actually be making a new Fallout game at the studio today.
In short
- Obsidian has far fewer original New Vegas developers left.
- Fan hopes for a true New Vegas successor face reality.
- Only 16 original developers reportedly still remain.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The statistic is meaningfully significant because game development is a deeply collaborative process where team chemistry, accumulated creative decisions, and shared vision fundamentally shape the final product. The writers, designers, and artists who created New Vegas's distinctive tone and worldbuilding have dispersed, and fans who loved the game specifically for those qualities should understand that any new project would inevitably bear the imprint of different people with different creative sensibilities, making continuity of vision impossible.
The case against
Staff turnover across sixteen years is entirely normal in game development and doesn't meaningfully diminish Obsidian's current capabilities or creative potential. Modern studios preserve institutional knowledge, design documentation, and learned lessons that inform future projects. The existing team has evolved and improved since 2010, and focusing on departed staff risks unfairly prejudging the current studio's ability to create quality work and suggesting the original team was uniquely irreplaceable, when in fact fresh creative perspectives can yield equally valuable—if different—results.
Explained simply
Fallout: New Vegas is an RPG that Obsidian Entertainment released in 2010, set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. The game has developed a significant fanbase that has regularly called for the studio to make a sequel.
More than fifteen years have passed since the original launch, and Obsidian has worked on other projects whilst experiencing the typical staff changes that occur in the games industry. One of the original writers recently noted that only 16 members of the original development team still work at the studio, illustrating how much the company has changed since then.
This observation provides context for fans wondering about the prospects for a sequel. It highlights that any future Fallout game Obsidian might develop would be created by a substantially different team from the one that made the original.
Entertainment Gaming Software Technology