What to Expect in Fallout Season Two: Caesar's Legion, New Vegas, and Deathclaws

During the opening ceremony of gamescom, the creators and actors of the Fallout series took the stage to present a teaser trailer for the upcoming season. The video showcases plenty of curious details, especially in terms of references to the games, so we decided to write down the most interesting ones in this article.

First, let’s refresh our memory about what happened to the characters in the finale of the last season. After all, this is the starting point for the new story.

In the final episode, it was revealed that the nuclear war had been orchestrated all along by the leadership of Vault-Tec. One of the key figures in this sinister scheme turned out to be Hank MacLean — the father of the main heroine, Lucy. She rejects her father, but at the last moment he escapes and heads toward the ruins of New Vegas. Lucy sets out after him, accompanied by the so-called Ghoul, who before the war had been a famous actor named Cooper Howard. The Ghoul had long known about Vault-Tec’s plans, since his own wife was entangled in the scheme.

Additionally, the finale of season one saw the successful activation of a cold fusion reactor, which began supplying Los Angeles with electricity and rekindled hope for the restoration of civilization.

The most intriguing shots in the season two trailer are arguably those of pre-war Las Vegas and the post-apocalyptic New Vegas. Judging by the footage, we will see the untouched Vegas in Cooper Howard’s flashbacks, where he likely visits the city of sin for a meeting with Robert House — an entrepreneur and, essentially, the ruler of the metropolis. Before the bombs fell, House was also aware of Vault-Tec’s treacherous plans, so Cooper surely has much to discuss with him.

Both versions of the city — pre-war and destroyed — look excellent and, more importantly, faithful to the source material. Almost all of the Strip’s major casinos are in place: Lucky 38, Gomorrah, The Tops. Ultra-Luxe is not visible, but it’s safe to assume it hasn’t been forgotten either.

The Lucky 38 penthouse has also been recreated with impressive attention to detail. In Fallout: New Vegas, the player could converse with Mr. House there through a system of computer monitors. In the trailer, Cooper is seen talking to him in the same room.

At the 56-second mark of the trailer, Victor can be spotted — Mr. House’s main Securitron, who saved the Courier at the very beginning of Fallout: New Vegas. Victor, or Vic Vegas as he calls himself, is not an independent robot but rather one of many extensions of the unified Securitron system. All of them are directly controlled by Mr. House from Lucky 38. Victor can instantly transfer from one mechanical body to another.

Victor’s appearance in the trailer is significant because it suggests which ending of Fallout: New Vegas is considered canon. In almost every finale of the game, the player is forced either to kill or disable Mr. House, which also permanently shuts down Victor. But since Victor is still active in the show’s second season, it means Mr. House is also still alive. Therefore, it is logical to assume that the canonical ending is the one where the Courier sides with the entrepreneur.

The show’s heroes will visit not only New Vegas but also other iconic Mojave Wasteland locations, including Novac. The trailer repeatedly shows the town’s recognizable landmark — the giant Tyrannosaurus statue, Dinky, holding a massive thermometer in its claws.

In the game, former NCR soldiers, including potential companion Craig Boone, are stationed inside the dinosaur’s mouth. In the series, however, Lucy can be seen climbing into it with a dog, while the Ghoul fights off some enemies below, at the statue’s base.

In some scenes of the trailer, warriors resembling Roman legionaries appear — the fighters of Caesar’s Legion, one of the most brutal major factions in the entire Fallout setting. If the Mr. House ending from Fallout: New Vegas is canon, then the Legion in the show is likely experiencing anything but its finest hour. In the game, when the player supports the ruler of Vegas, his Securitron army delivers a crushing defeat to Caesar’s forces, forcing them to retreat across the Colorado River.

Particularly noteworthy is the shot at 1:22, where legionaries salute their commander. We don’t see the general’s face, but judging by the armor he wears, this is Legate Lanius — Caesar’s right-hand man and the second most powerful figure in the faction. He may even be the first: if Caesar dies in Fallout: New Vegas, it is Lanius who becomes the new commander-in-chief of the entire army. Of course, it’s also possible that the trailer is showing a completely different character — a new Legate, merely wearing the same type of armor.

At 2:12, Lucy shoots at a Ghoul who leaps onto a car, dressed exactly like some members of the Kings gang. The Kings, in case you forgot or never knew, control one of New Vegas’s suburbs. They idolize Elvis Presley, believing that before the war he was practically a religious figure, and thus try to follow his style of fashion. Interestingly, the striped shirts, like the one worn by the Ghoul in the trailer, are only worn by Pacer’s close associates. Pacer is one of the faction’s leaders whose views often conflict with the rest of the Kings.

After the Deathclaw skull appeared at the end of the last season, it was only a matter of time before the most fearsome mutants of Fallout showed up in the series. Still, it’s nice to finally get direct confirmation that these iconic creatures appear in season two.

At the end of the trailer, a Deathclaw confronts Lucy and the Ghoul. Judging by the ashen color of its skin and the twisted shape of its horns, the monster’s design is an exact copy of the Deathclaws from Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, rather than from Fallout: New Vegas.

This is a fairly expected choice and, overall, a successful one: Deathclaws in the newer titles do look truly terrifying. It’s just a pity that in terms of gameplay they don’t live up to their former reputation. Hopefully, at least the show will capture the horror of encountering even a single Deathclaw — the kind of dread the old games conveyed so well.

It’s especially pleasing how expensive the second season looks. It feels like a full-fledged feature film, not just a show. Apparently, Amazon decided not to skimp on the production of one of its most successful series. It’s also gratifying that the second season was filmed relatively quickly: it premieres on December 17 — just a year and a half after the first. That’s practically a miracle in today’s climate, when fans often wait three years for a sequel to a favorite series.

And what about you? How did you like the trailer? Share your thoughts in the comments.