Canceled Fallout Game Gets Revived as Free-to-Play Mod

A previously canceled Fallout game, known as Fallout Van Buren, has been revived as a free-to-play mod for Fallout 2.

The name of the free mod is Fallout Yesterday and it is, in practice, a complete conversion of the Fallout 2 game. All of the content that is featured in the mod is based off of a leaked demo of Fallout Van Buren, as well as extensive design documents for the game that surfaced.

Canceled Fallout Game Becomes Free Mod

Canceled Fallout Game Gets Revived as Free-to-Play Mod — A canceled Fallout game from 2003 got a surprise revival in the form of a free-to-play mod for Fallout 2 known as Fallout Yesterday.
(Photo : Black Isle Studios, Bethesda / Screenshot taken from Steam)

The mod has been playable as a work-in-progress for Patreon backers but a new massive update to Fallout Yesterday had it go on a full release on Nexus Mods. The update introduced countless new features, including the addition of more than 100 new items and weapons as well as several quests.

The latter takes place in various environments, such as the Hoover Dam, which is a prominent locale in the much-more-official installment in the series; Fallout: New Vegas. And while the mod is only as finished as a canceled game can be, it now has essentially complete content, according to Kotaku.

This is because Fallout: New Vegas, which was developed at now-Microsoft-owned Obsidian Entertainment, was led by Josh Sawyer. He is an RPG developer who worked on Fallout Van Buren during his time at the original developer Black Isle Studios.

The canceled Fallout game would have followed a prisoner who was able to escape in the American Southwest. The character's journey includes interactions with Caesar's Legion, which is a notable faction that is featured in Fallout: New Vegas.

Despite Fallout: New Vegas borrowing some elements from Fallout Van Buren, it was mostly its own thing and featured original characters and storylines that were developed by Sawyer and his team.

Black Isle Studios, the creator of the original Fallout and its sequel, sought to capitalize on the success of the series with a third entry. However, it was canceled in 2003 shortly before the company was forced to shut down, said PCGamesN.

Success of the Franchise

The free mod is the perfect way for fans of the Fallout franchise to spend their time while waiting for the latest entry in the series, Fallout 5. While the latter has yet to be officially revealed, people know that it is already being worked on in some respect.

It was also said that Fallout 5 will follow Bethesda's next RPG; Elder Scrolls VI, which means that it will unfortunately come later rather than sooner. The situation comes as Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 rank among the best RPGs for many players as they offer memorable and deeply affecting stories.

The titles were reinforced by generous environmental storytelling and offered some of the most immersive sci-fi settings for PC and console players. The success of the franchise also spawned a live-action adaptation that was surprisingly well-received by fans.

So far, there is very little information regarding Fallout 5, and any that are available are scattered here and there. The franchise is set in a nuclear-ravaged American setting and all of the entries have been located in U.S. states, according to TechRadar.