Bethesda’s team recently shared insights on the creative decisions behind their most iconic locations in the Fallout franchise. One noteworthy point comes from Emil Pagliarulo, who mentioned:

“There was no gameplay around the White House.”

When discussing the decision to leave the White House as a crater, Pagliarulo humorously remarked on the lack of quests that necessitated designing the building.

The design team, fascinated by the landmark, chose to create a crater instead, counting on players to enjoy it.

Istvan Pely, the lead artist, added:

“It is our version of [Indiana Jones] shooting the guy rather than pulling out his whip and going into a fight.”

In reflecting on the significance of familiar settings, Pely expressed:

“It’s cool to work in an area that you’re deeply familiar with, because then you can include things that others might not be aware of unless they live here.”

Despite the charm of Washington’s beauty, creating iconic spots like the White House posed unique challenges, as the team often relied on modular assets for construction, leading to a creative solution of simply placing a crater in the historic site’s footprint.