Fallout: New Vegas designer says Bethesda can't remaster game without Obsidian

Given the connections to Amazon’s successful TV show, some fans believe a Fallout: New Vegas remaster is inevitable. However, senior designer and writer for the RPG, Chris Avellone, has cast doubt on that possibility. In a TKs-Mantis podcast, he explained why Bethesda isn’t capable of tackling the project.

Obstacles preventing a New Vegas remaster

The publisher, which owns the franchise’s IP, enlisted Obsidian Entertainment to develop New Vegas before its 2010 release date. Although Microsoft eventually acquired both, they haven’t collaborated since. Unless that changes, Avellone doesn’t see how a faithful remaster is made.

According to the former developer, “I don't think Bethesda has the engineering know-how to make a remaster of New Vegas at all.” He points to an offer the company made to the studio after finishing the Fallout game. Bethesda was willing to pay $10,000 if it would “deliver all the source code and the ability to make the build.”

Obsidian CEO, Feargus Urquhart, denied the request, preferring to retain control of the assets. Avellone believes that, at best, Bethesda only has parts of the source code. As a result, it lacks the talent and resources to revisit the title.

One alternative is to create a hybrid of an older engine with Unreal Engine, as seen with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. It may make sense to try to approach first with the also-rumored Fallout 3 remaster. Still, ideally, developers would cooperate with the team that produced Fallout: New Vegas.

Microsoft's role in Fallout remasters

During the interview, Avellone addressed assumptions about Microsoft’s influence over Obsidian. Even though the gaming giant owns the studio and Bethesda, the companies may resist working together. He speculates that Todd Howard made retaining authority over the IP a condition of the acquisition.

If the latest revelations prove accurate, it pours cold water on numerous leaks. In January 2026, Windows Central’s Jez Corden confirmed plans for a Fallout: New Vegas remaster. That said, a Fallout 3 remaster is more likely to arrive first. In 2023, documents from the Microsoft and FTC court battle divulged the existence of the project and the refreshed Oblivion title.