Fallout Season 2: Which Ending Is Canon to the Show? Explained

The second season of Fallout is upon us, and this time around, we are heading into heavily charted territories with the story being an adaptation of Fallout: New Vegas. This installment of the game is easily the most played and the most popular one, and it’s safe to say that the fandom is expecting a lot from the upcoming season.

Now we all know that the series is set after the events of the original game, so naturally, one would think that Fallout Season 2 will make the ending of Fallout: New Vegas canon, but there’s an issue with that. The game comes with alternative endings, and now, the big question is, which of the endings seen in the game will be canon to Fallout Season 2? Let’s find out.

Fallout: New Vegas Comes With Four Alternate Endings

Fallout: New Vegas makes you choose between 4 factions, namely the New California Republic (NCR), Caesar’s Legion, the New Vegas Strip (represented by Mr. House), and Yes Man (Total Independence), and the ending of the game completely depends on which faction manages to gain control of  Mojave and the New Vegas Strip.

In the game, you can side with any of the factions, and your ultimate objective is to make sure your faction takes over total control, which in turn affects the ending you might find yourself witnessing.

1. New California Republic (NCR)

If the player decides to join the ranks of the NCR, and they manage to take control over the Mojave and the New Vegas Strip, they are more diplomatic in their approach, and they take over territories mostly through negotiation. However, they could resort to violent measures as well, but not as intensely as Caesar’s legion.

2. Caesar’s Legion

Cesar’s Legion is one of the most ruthless endings one can achieve in Fallout: New Vegas. If the player sides with them and succeeds in taking over, they forcefully occupy regions and enslave those who resist; moreover, if Caesar is killed, the Legion becomes more reckless and extremely violent, leading to a rather dark ending.

3. Mr. House

To achieve this ending, the army of upgraded Securitrons is essential. In this ending, the Legion and NCR are driven out of the Mojave. In this ending, Mr. House maintains control over New Vegas, but most of the regions in Mojave are left independent.

4. Yes Man/Independent Ending

In this ending, the NCR and the Legion are driven out of the region as well, and the entire Mojave and the New Vegas Strip are left completely independent, with their fate shaped by the Courier’s actions throughout the game. This is the most open-ended ending in the game since whatever happens here completely depends on the actions carried out by the player.

Which Game Ending Will be Canon in Fallout Season 2?

While fans would be excited to see one of these endings being made canon to the show, it has now been confirmed that Fallout Season 2 is not going to make any of the New Vegas endings canon. The lead cast of Fallout Season 2 recently spoke to The Spill, where Maximus actor Aaron Moten confirmed that the upcoming season will avoid following one of the endings seen in the game.

He revealed that he had a conversation with the showrunner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, about it, and according to her, the perspective is rather dynamic and depends on whose POV we are looking at. In his comment, Aron said-

“A conversation Geneva Robertson-Dworet and I have been having, was actually about how history is written in the wasteland by whoever writes it. Different perspectives will have a different perspective on who won and who lost. We see it really early on that Lucy and Ghoul find out who believes themselves to be winning, and the Ghoul offering a different perspective.”

So, considering how beloved the game is, the creators have to be really careful with what they do with the characters and how things turn out. Since Fallout Season 2 is not making any of the endings canon, they have a lot of creative space, but they have to make sure they live up to the legacy this game has. So, let’s wait till December 17, 2025, to see if it works out.