Fallout co-creator "would have gone in a different direction" than Bethesda did with the RPG series, but "sales say people love what they did"

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Fallout co-creator "would have gone in a different direction" than Bethesda did with the RPG series, but "sales say people love what they did" News By Kaan Serin published 7 February 2026

The OG Fallout creators still enjoy Bethesda's RPGs, though

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Fallout is a series that's changed drastically since Interplay Entertainment's original two isometric CRPGs, as Bethesda acquired the franchise and took it down the first-person, open-world route. And, now, we know what Fallout's OG creators think about where the post-apocalypse is at.

Game Informer recently talked with three developers who were pretty instrumental to Fallout's creation - lead programmer Tim Cain, art director Leonard Boyarsky, and executive producer Brian Fargo - about what's happened to the series since it was passed onto another group of game makers, and their opinions are mixed.

The Outer Worlds co-director and current Obsidian Entertainment dev Tim Cain said he likes what Bethesda's done with the series, although it's not what he would've had in mind. "We would have gone in a different direction, but obviously, sales say people love what they did, and I'm looking at my glass cabinet full of Fallout goodies, some of which are from 1 and 2, and some of which are from 3 and 4," Cain said.

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Boyarsky chimed in to say he enjoyed both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, although the former had "a little bit of that green overcast thing, and I feel like it wasn't as crisp as I might have wanted it to be, but this is hindsight talking." He also thought Fallout 3 was "closer to what we would have done with it in terms of RPG-ness" since Fallout 4 sanded down a lot of those roleplaying systems.

"I would say it's almost like [Bethesda has] treated the games like they treated the Amazon series, which is, 'Let's focus on the world's sensibilities and feeling. And if we nail that, then the audience who came from before will appreciate it for what it was,'" InXile Entertainment boss Brian Fargo said. "I think that's what you've got to give them credit for, because it was between the music and the aesthetic and everything else, you could tell, they placed that up on the forefront. And then, they did whatever they wanted with it, which, whether it was Fallout 76, Fallout 4, or the Amazon series, it all led with the vibe and aesthetic of what the original games were. I believe that was their focus, and you've got to say, it worked."

Fallout was a "B-tier side project" compared to the D&D "money teams" at Interplay, says series co-creator Tim Cain: "We're off in the corner"

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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 Xbox One PS4 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.

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Logout Read more "I don't think Bethesda hates Fallout," says New Vegas lead, "they just don't fully understand its roots"    After Morrowind and Oblivion, hardcore RPG fans didn't want Bethesda on Fallout 3    Fallout was a "B-tier side project" compared to the D&D "money teams" at Interplay, says series co-creator Tim Cain    Explore the history of the Fallout games with some of the devs who helped bring the iconic RPG franchise to life    Fallout creators wanted to buy the IP, but Bethesda sniped them with a $6 million bid: "They would have laughed"    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    Latest in Fallout Fallout was a "B-tier side project" compared to the D&D "money teams" at Interplay, says series co-creator Tim Cain    Todd Howard knows there's "anxiety" about Fallout 5, says "we do like to wait" but "we never stopped developing Fallout"    Todd Howard says Fallout season 2 has "the most badass Power Armor I think we've ever done," and now it's in Fallout 76    Fallout 3 remaster is reportedly still happening as Bethesda aims for Oblivion Remastered-level polish    Fallout 4 arrives this month on Switch 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming in May    Amazon's Fallout countdown leads not to the Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters, but a 3D tour of Mr House's penthouse    Latest in News Mass Effect veterans don't want side quests to feel "tacked on" to their new sci-fi RPG Exodus    Fallout co-creator "would have gone in a different direction" than Bethesda, but "sales say people love what they did"    Arc Raiders boss can tell anti-cheat efforts are working since there's "an influx of people trying to get to the studio"    Horses dev says Epic Games Store made "provably incorrect" comments about the banned horror and "effectively ghosted us"    Master of the Universe’s Skeletor will embody toxic masculinity in new movie    A fan favorite Mummy star is hopeful to reunite with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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