Prime Video’s hit series Fallout took the gaming world by storm when it debuted in April 2024, bringing the post-apocalyptic video game universe to live-action television. While fans immediately noticed the Season 1 finale heavily teased a journey to New Vegas, the beloved location from Fallout: New Vegas, the show’s creative team actually made a deliberate choice to hold off on visiting that iconic destination. Now, executive producers and showrunners are opening up about why they were advised to skip New Vegas in the first season and what that means for the story going forward.
Why New Vegas Was Left Out of Fallout Season 1
When Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet signed on to develop the Fallout television series, they faced a major creative decision right from the start. The Fallout game franchise spans multiple decades and locations, with Fallout: New Vegas standing as one of the most critically acclaimed entries in the series. Fans naturally expected the show to eventually visit the neon-lit streets of New Vegas, but the creative team received some important advice early in the development process.
Speaking to reporters about the show’s creative direction, Wagner explained that the decision to skip New Vegas in Season 1 came down to one core philosophy: the world needs to feel like it has progressed beyond the games. The showrunners wanted to establish that the wasteland isn’t frozen in time, and that events continue to happen even after players finish their gaming adventures.
The Season 1 finale showed Hank MacLean, played by Kyle MacLachlan, walking toward a cityscape that strongly resembles the New Vegas strip. This tease set off massive speculation among fans about what Season 2 might bring. However, Wagner and Robertson-Dworet have now confirmed that the decision to save New Vegas for later was intentional and carefully considered.
The Showrunners’ Philosophy on Adapting Fallout
In interviews following the show’s successful first season, Wagner elaborated on the team’s approach to adapting the beloved game franchise. The challenge wasn’t just about recreating locations from the games, but about building a world that feels alive and constantly changing.
“That was sort of the philosophy of approaching the first season being set in Los Angeles,” Wagner explained. “We do hope to continue that, and create story on top of story.” The showrunner emphasized that the Fallout universe spans 25 years of games, and the creative team wanted to do something on top of that existing foundation rather than simply rehashing what players had already experienced.
The warning against jumping straight to New Vegas came from this desire to respect the game’s history while pushing the story forward. Wagner noted that it would be “preposterous” to assume the wasteland stays exactly as players left it decade after decade. The world of Fallout is defined by “constant tragedy, events, horrors” and an ongoing “churn of trauma” that continues to reshape the landscape and its inhabitants.
What Season 2 of Fallout Means for New Vegas
While the showrunners couldn’t directly confirm that New Vegas will be the primary setting for Season 2, Wagner did acknowledge that “it sure would be strange if we went off to New York City after that.” The implication from the Season 1 finale strongly suggests that Hank’s journey will lead viewers to the iconic location.
However, fans should not expect to see New Vegas exactly as it appeared in the 2010 video game. Wagner addressed this directly, explaining that the creative team wants audiences to understand that “things have happened” in the years since the game’s events. The show won’t be picking up following “one of the myriad canon endings that depend on your choices” when playing Fallout: New Vegas.
This approach allows the television series to honor the source material while maintaining creative freedom. The world has moved on, new conflicts have emerged, and the New Vegas that viewers will see has been shaped by 15 years of additional history within the Fallout universe.
Other Iconic Additions Coming in Fallout Season 2
Beyond the tease of New Vegas, the Season 1 finale also hinted at another fan-favorite element making its way to the small screen. The appearance of a Deathclaw was heavily suggested, bringing one of the most terrifying creatures from the games into live-action.
Deathclaws are legendary among Fallout players for their deadly nature and intimidating presence. Their inclusion in Season 2 promises to raise the stakes considerably for characters like Lucy, played by Ella Purnell, and The Ghoul, portrayed by Walton Goggins.
The show’s production values in Season 1 received widespread praise for bringing the wasteland to life with practical effects and careful attention to game details. Adding creatures like Deathclaws will require even more sophisticated effects work, but the creative team has demonstrated their commitment to authenticity.
Setting Up Future Seasons Beyond New Vegas
The decision to save New Vegas for Season 2 also opens up possibilities for where the series could go in future installments. By establishing that the wasteland continues to evolve, the showrunners have created a framework where any location from the games could appear, but always with the understanding that time has passed and circumstances have changed.
This approach protects the show from being constrained by player choices in the games. Fallout: New Vegas famously offered multiple endings depending on which faction players sided with. Rather than having to choose which ending to honor, the television series can present a New Vegas that has moved beyond those events entirely.
Wagner described building the show’s narrative as adding to a “teetering Jenga tower” of existing lore. The goal is to create something that stands alongside the games rather than simply adapting them directly.
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Streaming Success and Future Release Plans
All eight episodes of Fallout Season 1 are currently available for streaming exclusively on Prime Video. The series quickly became one of the platform’s most-watched debuts, attracting both longtime fans of the games and newcomers to the franchise.
Regarding Season 2, executive producer Jonathan Nolan previously expressed hope that the wait wouldn’t be too long between seasons. However, the complexity of production, especially with the addition of more complex elements like Deathclaws and potentially large-scale New Vegas sets, may require significant time.
Prime Video has not yet announced a specific release window for Fallout Season 2, but production updates are expected as the creative team continues developing the scripts and preparing for filming. Given the extensive world-building required and the scale of the locations being teased, fans should expect a production timeline similar to other high-budget streaming series.
The show’s success has also sparked renewed interest in the Fallout game franchise, with many viewers discovering or revisiting titles like Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and the classic Fallout: New Vegas through backwards compatibility on modern consoles and PC.
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