Fallout: New York Fan Game Appears to Be Over After ZeniMax Notice
ZeniMax's notice challenges fallout.nyc's use of Fallout material and the trademark, but gives no shutdown deadline for the browser game.
Fallout: New York, a browser-based fan game built with Claude Opus 5.5, appears to be over after creator Chris First shared a ZeniMax Media notice on Oct. 1. First wrote that “the suits got involved and the fun is over” and asked Bethesda to make a Fallout game instead. The notice challenges fallout.nyc, but gives no shutdown deadline for the browser game.
Hey, @BethesdaStudios how about you make a Fallout game instead so I don’t have to?😂
Sorry to everyone who enjoyed the game! But the suits got involved and the fun is over. https://t.co/knvSvxv7OH pic.twitter.com/11A7VaDp6x
— CHRIS FIRST (@chrisfirst) October 1, 2026
ZeniMax’s notice challenges the registration and use of the fallout.nyc domain. It says the domain contains copyrighted material from ZeniMax’s Fallout games and uses the Fallout trademark in its entirety. The company says it polices unauthorized use to prevent consumer confusion and harm to its brands. Those are ZeniMax’s stated positions, not a court ruling.
GamesRadar said First made the project private after the notice, but First’s post sharing it does not confirm whether the browser build was inaccessible. He also apologized to people who had enjoyed the project.
First introduced Fallout: New York in a September 28 post, describing quests, dialogue trees, V.A.T.S. and a working Pip-Boy.
Fallout: New York, a full Fallout game you play in your browser, built with Claude Opus 5.5.
Quests. Dialogue trees. V.A.T.S. A working Pip-Boy.
Zero texture files. Zero sound files. Every building, weapon, face and sound is generated by code. pic.twitter.com/58Vls0mOYx
— CHRIS FIRST (@chrisfirst) September 28, 2026
First said it took about five days to build the game by directing Claude and a group of AI agents, rather than writing it by hand.
1/ I made a Fallout game set in New York that runs in your browser. It took about 5 days.
I didn't write it by hand. I directed Claude and a studio of AI agents.
Nothing is downloaded. Every texture, face, sound and song is made by code.
Here's how: https://t.co/knvSvxuzZ9 pic.twitter.com/cvGC8xkk8x
— CHRIS FIRST (@chrisfirst) September 29, 2026
He said the project had no texture or audio files, with buildings, weapons, faces and sounds generated by code rather than downloaded. GamesRadar’s account listed 117 unique locations, 112 characters and 46 weapons.
First had described the project as a free tech demo, said he made no money from it, and hoped Bethesda would not ask him to take it down. He made those points in a post about the project.
The fan-made browser game is separate from the Bethesda and Obsidian Fallout project, whose identity remains unannounced.
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