The Outer Worlds 2 will have a Fallout: New Vegas-style radio system with tons of music and reactivity: 'They're gonna be cheering you on as a hero'

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From what we were shown at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 it seems like Obsidian had a certain Fallout game in mind when developing The Outer Worlds 2. They've not only taken inspiration from Fallout: New Vegas for its perk system but also for its radio broadcasts.

"One of my favourite things from Fallout: New Vegas is the radio system," game director Brandon Adler says. "It was just iconic for me and I wanted to make sure that The Outer Worlds 2 had that."

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If you're going to look for inspiration for a radio system then I think it's safe to say that New Vegas is a pretty good place to start. I still listen to it while going about my day-to-day activities. Washing up some dishes? Put on Jingle, Jangle, Jingle. Tending to my plants, that's one for Easy Living. Or maybe I'm out doing some shopping, a perfect situation for some good old Marty Robbins and Big Iron.

"We actually built out three different radio stations, one for each of the major factions," Adler says. "You also have a ton of music, each station might have like 20 tracks of unique music that we've made for it. It's a lot of stuff."

One of my favourite parts about any game that involves wandering around and exploring new places is the songs attached to it. The music was one of my favourite parts of Pacific Drive, and since then it's a feature that I've just got to have in any exploration game. So hearing that The Outer Worlds 2 has taken this element seriously is literally music to my ears.

"But the really cool part of this entire thing is that we actually put a lot of reactivity into the radio, so it will respond to the things that are going on around the world you've been interacting with," Adler says. "So if you go into a location, and let's say you solve a problem for the Protectorate folks, if you listen to the Protectorate radio station they're gonna be cheering you on as a hero."

Reactivity such as this makes games feel lived-in, a trait that can be tricky to pull off but makes the experience infinitely better when done correctly. Plus I love to listen to a bit of gossip so hearing what all the factions think of me and my antics is something I'd definitely tune into. I mean, who doesn't want themselves referred to as a "Hotshot for hire"?