Fallout fans are puzzling over changes made to Fallout 4's backend on Steam after an update on April 4, visible on SteamDB, added a branch labeled "newvegas2". It's the kind of change a developer might make in advance of new content being added, or a beta test beginning, but the way it was named has made players wonder if it could mean Bethesda is planning a sequel to Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas, or a remastered version in Fallout 4's engine.
A day later, Bethesda deleted the branch, perhaps to quell all that speculation. Which it hasn't succeeded in doing, because we're still here, speculating away.
The most likely answer is that it's connected to the referenced earlier Elder Scrolls games Morrowind and Oblivion.
So it could be that this branch was simply named in honor of a new Creation Club pack themed around New Vegas. There's already a Creation in the store that adds an anti-materiel rifle direct from the NCR, so Bethesda clearly isn't averse to popping a bit of Obsidian's Fallout game into their own. You can even get a suit of ranger armor to dress up like you're on the New Vegas box art in Fallout 76—something that would probably be quite easy to port from there into Fallout 4.
While a collection of gear and power armor paint jobs representing all the factions of the Mojave seems more likely, the idea of a New Vegas sequel, even if it comes as Fallout 4 DLC, certainly has appeal. Just last year, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart said he'd companion mod bringing over some of its, well, companions—namely Veronica, Arcade, Raul, and Rose.
Here's hoping that Bethesda learned its lesson from the launch of Skyrim Anniversary Edition and whatever ends up in Fallout 4's next-gen update isn't quite such a headache for modders. It'd also be nice if its new additions were a little more exciting. Back when the Creation Club was first added to Fallout 4, Chris took it for a test drive and was just sort of whelmed by its offerings.
Meanwhile, if you want to replay Obsidian's entry in the series made all shiny and new, you don't need to wait for a hypothetical remaster. Modders have got you covered, and we've got a guide to tweaking it so you can have the best Fallout: New Vegas experience.
