Summary
- The Maypole, a cut ghoul type from Fallout 4, was an enormous Glowing One that would change the game's landscape.
- Introducing The Maypole was not approved due to its massive size and impact on game balance.
- The Maypole would have brought radiation storms and Feral Ghouls as it roamed the map.
A Creature Designer who worked on Fallout 4 has revealed details about "The Maypole," a cut ghoul type from the game. While it didn't make it into the final version of Fallout 4, this ghoul would have been a massive game-changer.
It has been almost a decade now since the launch of Fallout 4, and it's always interesting to see what was left on the cutting room floor. In a game of the scale and ambition of Fallout 4, there are bound to be plenty of ideas that didn't quite make it in, whether they were cut in the idea phase or later on. Post-launch, various developers have spoken about the cut content in Fallout 4, and they always sound extremely cool. Usually though, each piece of content has a good reason for why it didn't make it into the final game.
A Reddit thread started by user PuzzleheadedWish4619 shared an image of the cut Fallout creature, attracting the attention of former Bethesda Creature Designer Jonah Lobe. In a comment, he explained the history of the monster, titled "The Maypole," which was essential an enormous Glowing One. According to Lobe, he created the concept for the creature with just a few weeks left at Bethesda, claiming he "wanted to create something that I’d never seen anywhere in the Fallout universe, but which I felt in my heart belonged there."
Fallout 4 Creature Designer Details 'The Maypole'
Going further into detail, Lobe explained, "I wanted to create a monster that would change the very landscape of the game," claiming it would "wander the map, bringing with it horrible radiation storms and scores of Feral Ghouls. Entire towns would have to shutter their doors whenever it passed near." Eventually though, it was determined that "introducing a god-sized monster 9 months into an open world game’s development is not considered best practice, and because Bethesda games are already a delicate balance of variables, the Maypole was never approved." It's a shame, as this would have been a fascinating addition to the current roster of Fallout ghouls, even if the reason for exclusion was reasonable.
It's definitely a surprise that the Fallout series has gone almost a decade without a mainline entry. Bethesda has proven to be extremely busy over the last decade, and right now, it remains focused on the development of The Elder Scrolls 6. This means that barring a big change in strategy from the studio, a new Fallout game could still be a long time away. Whenever it does eventually arrive, it would be cool to see it revisit the idea of the Maypole. If it's implemented properly from the start, its impact could be enormous.
Fallout 4
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