Prior to the official announcement of Fallout 76, fans of the Fallout franchise were holding onto hopes of Fallout: New Vegas receiving a sequel, or the oft-rumored Fallout: New Orleans being announced. In fact, many were disappointed when it was revealed that F:NV developer Obsidian wasn't involved with the tease that led to the reveal of Bethesda's next entry in the Fallout world.

More than that, however, it doesn't appear Bethesda is interested in working with outside developers. In a recent interview, Todd Howard revealed working with an external studio isn't an interest for Bethesda, as the company is large enough to handle a number of projects on its own. Notably, the company has grown large enough to handle the development of Fallout 76, Starfield, The Elder Scrolls 6, and The Elder Scrolls: Blades, making a Fallout: New Vegas sequel from Obsidian unlikely.

In fact, when asked about utilizing outside studios, Howard said:

"I wouldn't say never, [But] now that our company is so big, it's always better to keep stuff internal . . . it becomes less likely, but I could never say never. I thought the Obsidian guys did a fabulous job."

Despite Obsidian expressing a desire to work on another Fallout installment, it seems less likely now than ever that fans get a sequel to the popular New Vegas. Although Howard didn't completely rule out the use of external studios, Fallout likely seems like a franchise Bethesda would want to keep close to its chest. Of course, this has only led to fan recreation of New Vegas, as the self-dubbed Fallout 4: New Vegas mod is still in development.

Even if Bethesda began development of a New Vegas sequel, it's likely to launch after the other large titles currently announced by the gaming giant. Considering Starfield and The Elder Scrolls: 6 are likely to be next-gen titles, that casts a large shadow over the Fallout franchise. Of course, while the creation of Fallout: New Vegas 2 is still a remote possibility, it's less likely than ever before and likely won't be coming soon.

Fallout: New Vegas is available now for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Source: The Guardian