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Josh Sawyer Reportedly Directing Obsidian’s Next Fallout, Emphasizes Limits on Player Power

His stated design approach favors forcing players to make messy, irreversible choices to keep decisions meaningful.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets report that Josh Sawyer is directing Obsidian’s upcoming Fallout game, though Obsidian has not officially confirmed his role.
  • In a recent interview Sawyer said RPGs are strongest when players can do a lot but cannot fix everything, citing Pillars of Eternity 2's Eothas as an example of a force beyond player control.
  • He pointed to Pentiment’s unresolved murder accusation as a case where players must make an irrevocable decision without a definitive answer.
  • Sawyer acknowledged that those kinds of design moves have drawn mixed reactions and noted past controversies, including removing a Fallout: New Vegas objective tied to helping Mr. House while keeping peace with the Brotherhood of Steel.
  • No concrete details about the new Fallout title’s story, scope, gameplay or release window have been revealed, and fans should expect Obsidian-style morally fraught choices if Sawyer is confirmed as director.