Fall of New Vegas (or Independence)
Events & Timeline · Source: Fallout: New Vegas (2010), ending slides for all four endgame paths
Overview
The Fall of New Vegas — or its independence — was the 2281 resolution of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, when the Courier's choices decided whether the Strip would fall under NCR rule, be sacked by Caesar's Legion, remain under Mr. House's control, or stand alone as an independent city-state.
History & Background
New Vegas survived the Great War intact thanks to Mr. House's missile defenses and became the Mojave's glittering prize. For years the NCR 'protected' the city under a lucrative treaty, while Caesar's Legion — which despises the Strip's decadence — prepared to take it by force. Mr. House, woken from his long stasis, maneuvered all sides against each other.
Details & Timeline
2274: the NCR and Legion clash at Hoover Dam in the First Battle. 2281: the Courier arrives, shot and left for dead by Benny — an event that sets the war's final phase in motion. The Courier consolidates the Mojave's factions, then joins the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Depending on their allegiance, the Legion's forces are routed and New Vegas falls to one of four futures: NCR annexation, Legion occupation, House's continued rule, or an independent New Vegas under the Courier's banner.
Wasteland Significance
The outcome decided who would dominate the Mojave for generations. An independent Vegas signaled the end of the old powers' monopoly on the West, while a Legion victory would have erased the Strip's culture entirely. The city's fate became the template for the post-war world's biggest question: whether civilization would be rebuilt or remade.
Notable Appearances
Fallout: New Vegas (2010) ending slides for all four paths; the battle itself is depicted in 'The Second Battle of Hoover Dam', and Ulysses comments on the Courier's choice in the Lonesome Road DLC.
Tags: new-vegas, hoover-dam, mr-house, courier, ncr, caesars-legion, yes-man, the-strip, freeside, 2281, fallout-new-vegas, independence