Obsidian's New Fallout Might Be Closer Than You Think

A canceled Obsidian project called Project Michigan could give the studio's new Fallout game a serious head start, according to new reports.

Obsidian Entertainment confirmed earlier this year that it's returning to the Fallout universe, but the studio made it sound like things were only just getting started. According to GameRant, though, a pile of clues suggests this new game might not be starting from scratch after all.

The key lead comes from a canceled project. Journalist Jason Schreier previously reported that before Xbox's big restructuring, veteran Obsidian designer Josh Sawyer was leading a new IP codenamed Project Michigan. Its gameplay was very similar to Fallout, but it wasn't actually a Fallout game. When Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma pushed through a "reset" plan, Project Michigan was reportedly shut down, Obsidian cut a significant number of staff, and a rumored Avowed sequel was canceled too.

Here's the interesting part: Project Michigan was a Fallout-like game. That means its existing assets, systems, and art could theoretically be reused for Obsidian's actual Fallout project. If the studio can salvage even a few months or weeks of that work, this new Fallout would be much further along than the "just getting started" line suggested.

Of course, it's not that simple. How closely Bethesda and Obsidian are collaborating, and how much work it takes to adapt those assets to fit the Fallout world, will both play a big role in the final timeline. Still, the possibility alone is enough to raise eyebrows.

Zoom out, and Obsidian's Fallout is just one piece of Bethesda's bigger plan. Bethesda has already confirmed remakes of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are in development, with one potentially launching in 2027. Fallout 5 is in pre-production and expected to arrive after The Elder Scrolls 6, which likely puts it in the 2030s.

According to well-known insider Jez Corden, Bethesda's roadmap roughly goes like this: a remake first, then Obsidian's new Fallout game, then another remake, and finally Fallout 5. If that order holds up, Obsidian's Fallout could land before Fallout 5, filling the gap during the main series' long silence.

So what do you think? Would you rather see Obsidian's Fallout sooner, or are you holding out for Fallout 5?