Bethesda never wants to retcon Fallout lore, longtime writer says, only add to it "in a way that doesn't spit in the eye of what came before"

1. Games
2. RPGs
3. Fallout

Bethesda never wants to retcon Fallout lore, longtime writer says, only add to it "in a way that doesn't spit in the eye of what came before" News By Kaan Serin published 29 January 2026

"I actually consider that one of the biggest honours"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

As Fallout continues to expand past the video games like a radioactive mushroom cloud, lead Bethesda writer Emil Pagliarulo says the company is incredibly against retconning existing lore, and keeping the Fallout universe together is actually one of the "biggest honours" of his role.

"In Fallout, [all of] the lore matters, and if you think it doesn't, the internet will remind you that it does," Pagliarulo explained in an interview with PC Gamer Magazine. "It's important to Fallout fans, whether something was made pre-war or post-war, it all matters. And it's a huge responsibility."

Pagliarulo's been shouldering that responsibility for years at this point, having served as a quest designer on Fallout 3 and a lead writer for Fallout 4 and Fallout Shelter, while also working on everything from Skyrim to Starfield in between post-apocalyptic tales.

You may like

• Fallout season 2 will "avoid" outright confirming which New Vegas ending is canon because "we didn't want to contradict anyone's experiences playing the games"
• Todd Howard says Fallout season 2 is a balance between "starting fresh" in New Vegas and honoring player journeys
• Fallout 76 has become a living world that connects every point in the series – within reason

"I actually consider that one of the biggest honours and responsibilities of my job, keeping the lore together and tight," Pagliarulo continued. "Retconning is a terrible thing generally - you don't want to change something that's come before. We never want to retcon, but we do like to add on to the existing fiction, and do that in a way that doesn't spit in the eye of what came before, and that's a challenge a lot of times."

Prime Video's live-action adaptation of the beloved sci-fi franchise hasn't exactly retconned anything major, but it did recently enshrine one Fallout: New Vegas ending as canon for the show, at least. Co-showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet argued that the streaming series didn't intend to push one ending as the ending, however.

Fallout season 2 Easter eggs and cameos: All the nods to New Vegas that you might have missed.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Nintendo Switch 2 Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Nintendo Xbox PlayStation Kaan SerinFreelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

Show More Comments

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Fallout season 2 will "avoid" outright confirming which New Vegas ending is canon because "we didn't want to contradict anyone's experiences playing the games"    Todd Howard says Fallout season 2 is a balance between "starting fresh" in New Vegas and honoring player journeys    Fallout 76 has become a living world that connects every point in the series – within reason    Fallout showrunner says that Mr. House twist still "allows for many players' experiences to have happened"    Bethesda's Todd Howard tips his hat to Obsidian, says he invited the Fallout: New Vegas devs to the Fallout Season 2 set to relive the iconic setting    Fallout studio says Todd Howard didn't want "the guy who makes video game movies" to make the Prime Video TV show    Latest in Fallout Fallout 3 artist took location scouting a little too seriously: “Turns out they don’t want you snooping around the buildings in DC”    Fallout New Vegas director says he would let players set “difficulty options however they like”    If a Fallout 3 remaster is happening, I'm hoping it fixes the RPG's biggest level design issue    It took Bethesda "several months" to get Fallout 3's Liberty Prime to do what he's told and stop fighting random NPCs    Fallout lead says "spaghetti code" has nothing to do with being "lazy" – it happens when devs aren't given enough time    Bethesda refused to make a Fallout TV show for years because Hollywood insisted on "the guy who makes video game movies"    Latest in News RPG legend returns to the franchise he co-created 40 years ago as Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era's advisor    Bethesda doesn't want to retcon Fallout lore, only add to it "in a way that doesn't spit in the eye of what came before"    Chainsaw Man manga release schedule: when is chapter 228 out?    Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream gets April release date to round off 20-minute fever dream of a Nintendo Direct    Split Fiction game director reveals he's seen the first version of the movie adaptation's script    Diablo meets Stardew Valley in this action-RPG about descending into a dungeon before coming up to rebuild a ruined town    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Cairn review: "This climber has a grip on me – even when it loses its footing with awkward systems, the challenge remains surmountable"
2. 2The Doom Arena Board Game is hell on Earth (in the best way) | Preview
3. 3This award-winning board game is a five star must-have
4. 4Code Vein 2 review: "This vampire take on Elden Ring almost works, but the dungeons themselves lack bite"
5. 5Looking for a good 2-player board game? This superhero adventure is worth suiting up for

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a surprisingly heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”