Zombie Queen Elizabeth II Cut From Fallout: London
While the Fallout games have never been worried to tread the lines of decency and gore, it sounds like adding a zombie version of Queen Elizabeth II to the upcoming Fallout: London mod could be a bit much for fans to stomach. Especially after the monarch's recent passing.
It's true that the likes of Interplay, Obsidian, and Bethesda have done a great job charting the nuclear-torn wasteland of Americana in the main Fallout series, but after 25 years of opening your vaults onto largely the same barren landscape, we're hungry for something different. Enter Fallout: London.
Why Was Queen Elizabeth II Removed From Fallout: London?
Pip pip, tea and crumpets with a spot of jam. Leaving the good ol' US of A behind us, we're heading to Blighty for the ambitious Fallout: London. A dedicated team of modders have been working hard on the massive Fallout 4 mod, which will be the same size as an official Bethesda DLC. Setting our sights on the White Cliffs of Dover, it'll be a very different Fallout game that still keeps the franchise's irradiated core.
There are plenty of nods to British culture in Fallout London, including factions that wear the bearskin hats of the Royal footguards. Posting on Twitter, the Fallout: London team confirmed that since the death of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, they've decided to remove a character model based on a zombified version of her. According to PC Gamer, the team had previously warned, "In the event of Her Majesty's death, our feature for her within the mod will be removed."
In a Fallout: London progress video, Project Lead Dean Carter confirms that the Ghoul Queen and plans for a Prince/King Charles Ghoul have been removed from the mod. The video shows off concept art for the Charles ghoul, which can also be found on Tony Sart's Artstation. "Do not expect them in there," says Carter. "There's no point asking in the comments, there's no point moaning. This is the official stance of the mod, it will not change."
When Is Fallout: London Predicted To Release?
Click to enlargeAlthough it's strangely disappointing you won't be able to blast zombified monarchs, Carter reassures us that they'll be replaced by something else. We'll have to "wait and see" what that is, but if we were placing bets, we'd imagine zombified versions of Boris Johnson or Margaret Thatcher could be added in. After all, it worked for the ever-popular Thatcher's Techbase mod for DOOM.
From what we've seen so far, Fallout: London looks like a faithful addition to the Fallout lore. It's already landed on the radar of Bethesda, with Carter reportedly turning down a job to work on Fallout 76 to finish Fallout: London. It's also hired the voice talents of TWO former Doctors from Doctor Who, so we can't wait to explore London on an open-top bus. You might have a bit of a wait on your hands, as with only a loose 2023 release window, the Fallout: London team aren't ready to open the vault just yet.