Obsidian Entertainment fans are in for a treat with the return of John Gonzalez, the mastermind behind the critically acclaimed Fallout: New Vegas, one of the most celebrated RPGs ever. After 14 years away, Gonzalez is back at the helm with Xbox Game Studios as a creative director, as revealed in a recent update on his LinkedIn profile. He mentioned being excited about the projects ahead, although he hasn’t spilled the beans on any specific details just yet.
Naturally, whispers of a follow-up to New Vegas have floated around, but Gonzalez was quick to quash those rumors, making it clear that he isn’t involved in Fallout: New Vegas 2. However, given Obsidian’s reputation and his own history with narrative-driven RPGs, it’s a safe bet he’s brewing up something intriguing in the single-player RPG space.
Gonzalez’s impressive resume extends beyond New Vegas. As the lead narrative designer, he helped shape the epic tale of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor back in 2014. He also served as the narrative director for the breathtaking Horizon: Zero Dawn and its sequel, Horizon: Forbidden West, crafted by Guerilla Games. His earlier endeavors include contributions to the unique adventure game Alter Echo, work on the ill-fated Rubu Tribe, and involvement with Tom Clancy’s EndWar at Ubisoft.
For now, the details remain under wraps, keeping fans on the edge of their seats for what promises to be an exciting chapter for Obsidian and Gonzalez alike. Stay tuned—there’s surely more to come.