This week, Fallout season 2 heads to New Vegas – both past and present – for a look behind the curtain on the Strip.
But while the narrative may carry its fair share of surprises and shocks, there are still plenty of Fallout Easter eggs to be looking out for in the background of pretty much every scene. To help you get the most out of this week's episode, we've picked out the biggest Easter eggs and game references – from FEV to some familiar Fallout locales.
So join us as we run through the hard-to-spot references in Fallout season 2, episode 5, all while keeping spoilers to a minimum. For more, check out our Fallout season 2 review, plus a look ahead to all the new TV shows heading your way in 2026.
Fallout season 2 Easter eggs
Episode 5 'The Wrangler'
Freeside: A prominent location in Fallout: New Vegas, Freeside comes to life on Prime Video, replete with a series of stores that hint at the scale of one of the more built-up settlements in the Mojave Wasteland.
Fun fact: it's even Todd Howard's favorite set detail this season.
Addictol: With Lucy not being able to kick her drug habit, the Ghoul suggests she heads on over to a store named Sonny's to pick up some Addictol. You might be familiar with the item in Fallout 4 (hey, we're not judging) if you've consumed too many illicit substances.
Maxis the magician: Freeside is decorated with all sorts of posters and flyers. One that catches the eye inside the bar is a mention of a show hosted by Maxis the magician. By no means a major player in the Fallout-verse, the pre-Great War entertainer was briefly mentioned during the events of Fallout: New Vegas.
Powerfist: If you've ever run a melee build in Fallout, then you'll know all about the hard-hitting nature of the Powerfist. The weapon, which propels a metal fist into its target, is used by Lucy in this episode to give the Ghoul some much-deserved chin music after he gets ready to hand her over to Hank.
Galaxy News: This episode's pre-war flashback begins with a quick newsreel showcasing how leaders in industry are congregating in Las Vegas to settle on the "fate of the free world." The segment is produced by Galaxy News, the ubiquitous media corporation that has appeared throughout the franchise, most famously by the Three Dog-fronted Galaxy News Radio in Fallout 3.
FEV: FEV, or Forced Evolutionary Virus, was alluded to during one of Norm's icy chats with a member of Bud's buds in the prior episode. Here, we see the full picture: Norm snoops around Barb Howard's system and discovers a reference to the virus but is quickly interrupted by a Vault-Tec middle manager.
Most notably, FEV was used by the Master in the first Fallout to create an army of Super Mutants. It's also a major factor in a possible Fallout 3 ending, with the nation's President wanting to use a modified strain to rid the wasteland of many of its inhabitants.
Victor: The cowboy Securiton is back and is being used by the real Robert House as security on the top floor of his building in Las Vegas. He's also seen during the events of Fallout: New Vegas, as well as being the one to first come into contact with the player character after he is shot and left for dead during the game's outset.
Episode 4 'The Demon in the Snow'
Anchorage: One of the most devastating pre-Great War battles took place on the Alaskan Front in the Fallout universe. Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) has made several past references to his war days and, here, we see him almost fall at the hands of his Chinese foes, before getting help from an unlikely source. Players can even experience a simulation of the conflict in Fallout 3 DLC Operation: Anchorage.
T-45 Power Armor: The very first model of the Power Armor (later to be co-opted by the Brotherhood of Steel), the T-45 is replete with issues and malfunctions, and almost gets Coop killed. The armor itself is found in the vast majority of Fallout games, though the T-45a model – on which this is based – is one of the weaker armor sets.
Deathclaw: After being teased pre-release, we've finally seen it. The towering beast is, arguably, Fallout's most notorious and dangerous enemy, with New Vegas players in particular knowing all about its hulking power. Thankfully for Coop, the Deathclaw saves him when surrounded by Chinese soldiers in Alaska.
Sunset Sarsaparilla and BlamCo: Hungry? Thirsty? Wanderers of the wasteland are no stranger to picking up assorted foodstuffs and, here, the episode pays tribute to some of its slightly lesser-known brands. Sunset Sarsaparilla advertisements can be seen outside the warehouse when Maximus leaves. BlamCo Mac and Cheese is sighted when Norm's gang of middle managers chow down on food outside the Vault.
Fallout 'discovery' music cue: The Ghoul and Lucy don't cross paths with the New California Republic for long, but their offer of weapons comes with a neat touch: the discovery audio cue that plays when you chance upon a new location.
Bloatfly: The wasteland is filled with all sorts of nasties, including the Bloatfly. A swarm of those are seen hanging around outside Vault 33's door.
Drug addiction: Vices run rampant in the Mojave, with Lucy being the latest to become addicted to the wasteland's assorted wares of drugs and other substances. Players can become addicted in-game too, which leads to a drop in stats. The Ghoul even namechecks Buffout, a type of steroid enhancement.
Lucky 38: Fallout season 2 includes a clutch of locations on the New Vegas Strip, with a broken billboard making mention of Lucky 38, a casino and resort that's home to a certain Mr. House. It can be seen in full view, alongside the Vault 21 Shop, Gomorrah, and Ultra Luxe when Lucy and the Ghoul enter New Vegas.
The Kings: Briefly seen in a prior episode, the Elvis-styled Ghouls are spotted by Coop as he and Lucy make their way to the Strip. Sadly for them, it's at the moment Lucy discovers her newfound bloodlust. Shotgun, meet head.
VATS slow-mo: A more tenuous connection, perhaps, but Lucy's parting shot to the Kings comes with a VATS-style slow-mo effect, which usually triggers once a player has killed the last of a party of enemies.
Episode 3 'The Profligate'
Sunset Sarsaparilla headquarters: After Thaddeus becomes a Ghoul (after surviving that nasty arrow through the neck in season 1), he becomes the manager of the Sunset Sarsaparilla bottling plant where he oversees young children, some affected by radiation, who are working in the factory. In Fallout: New Vegas,, Sunset Sarsaparilla is a bottled soda (sort of adjacent to a root beer) created by the Sunset Sarsaparilla Company prior to the world collapsing. The abandoned headquarters is a location where the player can pick up various loot and embark on two side quests.
Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps: The children in episode 3 are being instructed to remove the bottle caps and drink the sodas. This is because bottle caps are the standard form of currency in the Fallout universe, with the Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps being particularly valuable. The Legend of the Star side quest involves locating 50 star bottle caps and bringing them to a robot named Festus in exchange for a reward.
Born ghouls: Among the radiation-affected children working at the Sunset Sasaparilla factory are two ghouls, one of which is named Perry. Because he is a child ghoul, this makes him what the Fallout games refer to as a 'born ghoul.' Born ghouls were, as the name suggests, born as ghouls – but due to the experiments of a cruel individual named Dr. Sebastian. There are only four born ghouls in the Fallout video game universe, though they are only mentioned by name and have yet to actually appear in a game.
Caesar: After Lucy is seized by the Legion, a man wearing a gold crown of laurel leaves (much like that of Julius Caesar) is seated in a throne. This is the totalitarian leader of the Legion (or a potential successor to the recently deceased Caesar, anyway). And just like New Vegas, the Legion mispronounce Caesar – 'Kai-zar' instead of like the salad.
Legate Lanius: Macaulay Culkin plays none other than Legate Lanius, the military leader and second-in-command of the Legion. It's Lanius who first decides upon taking Lucy as a wife of sorts (to put it in a nicer way), before ultimately deciding that she starve to death on a crucifix in the Legion's camp. In Fallout: New Vegas, he's a key villain (famous for his unending cruelty) who's mainly mentioned by name and makes a brief appearance during what's known as the Second Battle of Hoover Dam (which the Legion loses).
New California Republic: Lanius tells Lucy that the Legion's sworn enemy is another faction known as the New California Republic, who we (partially) meet later on in the episode. In Fallout: New Vegas, the NCR is the antithesis of the Legion, as the faction believes in democracy and civil rights. However, they, much like the Legion and the Khans, are also interested in controlling New Vegas. The Legion vs. NCR war is a central part of Fallout: New Vegas, with the player participating in the first and second Battle of Hoover Dam.
House Resort: The Ghoul heads on over to the remnants of the Resorts Country Club, which is where two of the leaders of the New California Republic are stationed. It's known as House Resort in Fallout: New Vegas, and is a visitable location where the player can pick up loot and engage in side quests. In the game, it's part of the land that the NCR occupied. In the show, it appears to be their home base.
Securitron: When Maximus and Xander descend upon the Sunset Sarsaparilla headquarters, they encounter a talking robot that immediately begins to shoot at them. This type of robot is known as a Securitron, a private security robot engineered by Robert House's RobCo corporation. The player encounters several Securitrons in Fallout: New Vegas, across various locations – with Yes Man and Victor being two of the most important, and crucial to one of the game's four potential endings.
Victor the Robot: While walking through the mostly abandoned Resorts Country Club, the Ghoul encounters a Securitron that is stylized like a cowboy. He appears to be a bit damaged, with his screen glitching as he vaguely explains the state of the conflict between the Legion and the NCR. In the video game, it's Victor who rescues the player at the very beginning, digging them out of the grave they were crudely buried in and bringing them to a doctor. While Victor seems cheerful and friendly, he's actually a puppet for Robert House that is tasked with monitoring the player's movement throughout New Vegas.
Episode 2 'The Golden Rule'
Cover star – The memorable cover art for Fallout: New Vegas features an unnamed New California Republic (NCR) ranger holding a six-shooter aloft. An NCR ranger wearing an identical duster and mask can be seen patrolling Shady Sands during the episode's harrowing opening sequence.
Caravan trader – Across Fallout: New Vegas, traders can be found wandering the wasteland, with brahmin (mutated cattle), towing their wares. The caravan's presence in Shady Sands has a much more nefarious purpose than trade in episode 2, though.
Line reading – The line repeatedly parroted by the mind-controlled trader, "Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter", will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played Fallout: New Vegas, as it's uttered again and again by NPCs across that game. It's so ubiquitous that it even has its own Know Your Meme page.
Facehugger – The Radscorpions that Lucy and the Ghoul encounter in the lower levels of Affordable Al’s discount hospital are common, low-level enemies from numerous Fallout games. Typically, they swipe at your ankles, but in the show, one manages to clamber on Lucy's face, much like a facehugger from the Alien movies.
Giant Radscorpion – Just like the games, Radscorpions also come in a much more dangerous giant form. Their venomous stingers are the real danger, though the venom can also be harvested to cultivate anti-venom. In New Vegas, the Courier can encounter an even larger Queen Radscorpion – The Ghoul got off lucky.
Stimpak – It isn't the first time this common healing item from the Fallout games has appeared on the show, and it almost certainly won't be the last. Having only one stimpak will be an alien experience to anyone who's played the games, however, where the common experience is to stockpile hundreds "just in case."
AR51 – Speaking of alien experiences, after the Brotherhood relocates to Area 51, two oblivious grunts discover a frozen Zetan alien in a freezer… but are more interested in the fact it can produce ice. Aliens have appeared in numerous Fallout games, including New Vegas, where you can also arm yourself with an alien blaster.
Episode 1 'The Innovator'
RobCo Industries: A little placard with ROB-CO printed across is propped up in front of Robert House during a TV broadcast addressing the nationwide protests against the company – and various protestors can be seen picketing and destroying robots in the street. In Fallout: New Vegas, RobCo Industries is House's multibillion-dollar corporation, which renders him not only the owner of all of pre-War Las Vegas, but as one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. It's also RobCo that invents the Pip-Boy 2000 that Vault-Tec ends up using for its eventual dwellers.
H&H Tool Factory: When Mr. House is speaking to the angry men who approach him at the bar, he remarks that one of them must use an H&H nail gun. In the game, H&H is owned by Robert House's half-brother, Anthony House, and is founded after he steals Robert's inheritance.
Radiation King: There's a Radiation King repair truck in the alley behind the bar where Robert House kills those men. Radiation King is a company that makes various appliances like televisions and radios, and is mentioned in nearly every single game in the Fallout franchise.
Great Khans: When we first encounter the Ghoul in season 2 episode 1, he's being strung up by his neck by a rather gross-looking band of criminals. This raider tribe and independent faction, known as the Great Khans, is introduced in Fallout: New Vegas with a lot of lore and backstory that would take a whole separate explainer to get into. They evolved from a faction known as the New Khans, who were wiped out in Fallout 2.
Dino Dee-Lite Motel: The location that the Great Khans inhabit, and where they're holding the Ghoul hostage, is none other than a defunct motel with a giant concrete dinosaur holding a sign that simply says 'Motel' (and Lucy is quite literally standing in the mouth of the dinosaur when the shootout begins.) In the game, the dinosaur is actually a mascot named Dinky the T-Rex, and the resort is known as the Dino Dee-Lite Motel. It survives most of the nuclear blast until a town is later built around it, thus causing it to fall into further disrepair.
Starlight Drive-In: After Lucy and the Ghoul ask the flea-ridden soup shop owner lady if they've seen Hank Maclean, they head in a direction that brings them to the ruins of the Starlight Drive-In. The marquee is still standing, and the last thing shown before the nuclear blast was a double feature of two of Cooper Howard's movies. The location was introduced in Fallout 4, as an abandoned settlement in the Commonwealth, where the player can find some pretty sweet loot and go on a few side quests.
Rita's Cafe: Rita's Cafe is a pre-war diner mentioned only by name in Fallout: New Vegas, but we're pretty sure that that's where Cooper and Moldaver meet to have their impromptu meeting about preventing the end of the world as they know it.
Whack-A-Commie: At the diner where Cooper meets Moldaver, his daughter Janey can be seen playing a Whack-A-Mole game called Whack-A-Commie. This pre-war arcade game is from Fallout 76, and can be seen in various locations throughout the game.
West Tek: In Fallout and Fallout 76, West Tek is a defense contractor and research corporation. Because the company specializes primarily in Advanced Weapons and Biomedical Sciences Research, it's quite funny to hear that West Tek is apparently launching a skincare line – something Cooper Howard hears via radio broadcast.
Vault 24, or, the Abandoned Vault: While following Hank's literal footsteps, Lucy and the Ghoul stumble into a long-abandoned vault full of decaying skeletons and projectors still playing propaganda films. Vault 24 isn't an official location in Fallout: New Vegas, and actually only appears in the Fallout: New Vegas mod called A World of Less Pain.
Sugar Bomb cereal: There's nowhere to hide from explosive good taste! While in Vault 24, Lucy stumbles upon an open box of Sugar Bombs. The cereal is a consumable item found in nearly every game in the franchise, and sponsored Vault-Tec during their opening of Vault 76 in Fallout 76. It also contains 100% of our daily value of sugar.
Fallout season 2 is streaming now on Prime Video. Never miss an episode with our Fallout season 2 release schedule, and if you're still confused, check out our Fallout season 2 timeline.
