Fallout New Vegas modders shout 'Information Technology flips up' after releasing a funky Pip-Boy based on Van Buren's canceled design documents.

October 23 gives modders a Fallout calendar anchor

October 23 is the date in the Fallout universe when the bombs dropped. Over time, that fictional milestone has become a yearly occasion for community happenings, and in Bethesda's case it is usually accompanied by some marketing. Long-running mod projects also use the date as a release marker, and this year the creators behind Fallout: The New West did the same.

The project aims to make its own version of Black Isle Studios' cancelled third Fallout game, commonly known by its codename Van Buren. Instead of waiting for a full remake to arrive, the modders have been releasing standalone items inspired by the cancelled project. Their latest gear drop for Fallout: New Vegas includes new weapons and a distinctive Pip-Boy design.

Van Buren's cancelled design becomes playable gear in New Vegas

The headline item is Lil Pip 3000, a new iteration of Fallout's iconic wrist-mounted computer. According to its creators, the design was recreated from Van Buren's original design docs. In the cancelled concept, it is worn by inmates in Tibbets Prison, the AI overlord-run slammer that the modders have already recreated for a demo of their Van Buren remake.

In the New Vegas release, the Lil Pip has made its way to the Mojave in the hands of an unnamed ranger who deposits it near Nipton. That framing gives the item a direct link between the original Van Buren material and the New Vegas world where players can use it.

Lil Pip 3000 brings a flip-up lid and a less blocky look

The mod does all the standard Pip-Boy things and should work with a host of established mods that add extra features to The Courier's fancy bracelet. Its most visible change is mechanical rather than functional: thanks to custom animations, the lid flips up when the device is drawn out for use. The creators stress the point in capital letters: "IT FLIPS UP".

Visually, the design departs from the general blockiness of the default Pip-Boys worn by Fallout protagonists old and new. It leans more toward children's toy vibes than its siblings, but not to the extent that it looks like it could not survive the wearer failing to step out of the way of a rogue missile or grenade.

The Wattz Weapon Pack expands the energy-weapon arsenal

Alongside Lil Pip 3000, the New West team released the Wattz Weapon Pack. The mod consists of five laser guns in the classic Fallout style, including a freshly assembled burst pistol from Van Buren. It also includes custom animations and add-ons intended to help the new energy weapons fit in seamlessly with the rest of New Vegas' arsenal.

The pack can reach more than just the Mojave. If players are running the Tale of Two Wastelands mod, which mashes New Vegas and Fallout 3's worldspaces together, the weapons will also be distributed throughout the Capital Wasteland.

Release trailers for both mods, titled Fallout: The New West - LilPip 3000 Release Trailer and Fallout: The New West - Wattz Weapon Pack Trailer, are presented as YouTube videos.

What players need before using the mods

To use either mod, players need a fair few requirements. The New Vegas Script Extender, JIP LN NVSE Plugin, JohnnyGuitar NVSE, and kNVSE Animation Plugin are musts for both. The weapon pack has extra dependencies as well: it also needs the Gun Runners’ Arsenal downloadable content, ShowOff xNVSE Plugin, ISControl Enabler, and Sound Extender.

At this stage, Fallout: The New West remains a long-running effort to reconstruct Van Buren ideas, while the current public output consists of standalone New Vegas mods rather than a finished remake. For players, the practical value is that gear from a cancelled prototype can now be used in the Mojave, and, with Tale of Two Wastelands installed, in the Capital Wasteland too.