May 30 2018 Update: New Vegas devs express sadness that Fallout 76 isn't New Vegas 2.

2017 could be a big year for gaming. Mario is finally in the app store, Mass Effect is making a big return with Mass Effect Andromeda, Red Dead Redemption is getting a sequel, and Nintendo will launch the Nintendo Switch. Now, it looks like gamers might also be getting some high-profile news from Bethesda and Obsidian.

Bethesda is publishing a few releases this year, namely Prey, which comes in at #24 of Screen Rant’s 30 Most Anticipated Games of 2017, but none of their 2017 releases are big hitters like their Elder Scrolls or Fallout franchises. Even so, that doesn’t mean news for the Fallout franchise isn’t on the horizon.

After the release of Fallout 3, Bethesda was hard at work on the next installment of their popular Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim. In order to continue capitalizing on their hard work for Fallout 3, Bethesda Softworks brought in Obsidian to use Fallout 3's game resources to develop Fallout: New Vegas.

While a quick glance at the title may sound like a cash grab, Fallout: New Vegas was anything but. While it did draw criticism for issues with bugs, the game still scored very high in most reviews, sold nearly 12 million copies, and went on to with the 2011 Golden Joystick for Best RPG. Rumors have started swirling recently, suggesting that Bethesda is teaming with Obsidian on a Fallout game again. Early rumors said the new Fallout project was going to be Fallout: New Orleans, and there was some evidence to support that.

Frag Hero recently revealed through a reliable source that there is indeed a project underway with Obsidian, but it’s not the rumored Fallout: New Orleans, but Fallout: New Vegas 2.

Assuming this is accurate, the decision to go for New Vegas again is interesting. It’s possible “New Vegas” is just the term being used internally, when the game is in fact being set elsewhere (like New Orleans after all), but if New Vegas 2 is actually set in Vegas once again, it will be one of the first times the franchise has chosen to revisit the same locale, as all the numbered installments take place in completely different locations.

Where Fallout New Vegas was constructed using resources from Fallout 3, it can be assumed that New Vegas 2 will use Fallout 4 as its foundation. This means that areas Fallout 4 improved over Fallout 3 (such as crafting) can be anticipated to also appear in New Vegas. According to Frag Hero’s source, a reveal is coming in the near future, possibly at E3 2017 in mid June.

Keep tuned to Screen Rant for further updates on the rumored Fallout: New Vegas 2 Franchise.

Next: Bethesda Has Turned Down a Number of Fallout Movie Ideas

Source: Frag Hero