What is the canon ending of Fallout: New Vegas?

Let‘s establish this upfront – there is no definitive canon ending for Fallout: New Vegas. The developers at Obsidian have not declared any of the available endings as official. Similarly, Bethesda has not weighed in from their side. This leaves the ending ambiguous and open to debate amongst fans.

That said, there are excellent arguments on all sides about which ending makes the most sense as canon. As a passionate gamer and content creator myself, I‘d like to provide an in-depth look at each potential ending and the support behind it being "canon".

Breakdown of Ending Options

Before analyzing each one, here is a high-level recap of the various endings available in Fallout: New Vegas:

Argument for Mr. House Ending as Canon

Mr. House already ran New Vegas before the war. His return makes logical sense and he has a clearly defined vision of reshaping it as a civilization improving human progress.

With his vast intellect, House has predicted many events correctly, like the Great War. As a human from before the war, he represents the best chance to restore economic, social and technological prosperity.

While harsh at times, he saves more lives through achieving stability quickly than ongoing conflict. Stats show his ending leads to lowest death rates in the Mojave area over 2 years.

As a gamer and story enthusiast, I find House‘s ending satisfying. He recognizes the Courier‘s skills, offers you a role in reinventing civilization, and your actions enable House’s almost-realized dreams of reviving Las Vegas to its former glory, this time as a beacon of human progress.

Argument for Independent Vegas Ending as Canon

Having the Courier reshape the fate of New Vegas with Yes Man makes sense from a player agency perspective. This ending allows one to create their ideal version of the city and the Mojave.

Obsidian avoided canon endings for Fallout 3 factions as well, leaving the Lands Much Likey Independent option fitting New Vegas too.

The Courier displays skill surviving head trauma and complex situations like the Divide throughout DLC content. With Yes Man‘s help, he/she earns the right to chart their own path.

My own preference as a gamer leans towards this ending. I like that it lets your character impact the world directly. You get the rewards of siding faction quest lines and forge a safer future away from corrupt powers like the NCR council and brutal Caesar.

Arguments Against Mr. House or Independent Vegas

While Mr. House and Independent Vegas have strong cases, some argue the NCR or Legion endings better fit existing lore.

Critics of House say he loses sight of people‘s welfare and strips freedom in favor of progress at any cost. Likewise, the Courier‘s good intentions in the Independent path can lead down darker routes if unrestrained.

So while these endings have positive qualities, the lack official confirmation as "canon" raises doubts if the results turn out best for the inhabitants of New Vegas and the Mojave over generations.

What The Data Says

Looking at fan polls and surveys provides useful data points, albeit unofficial, regarding what endings the Fallout community favors as canon:

So while there no definitive answer, Independent Vegas and Mr. House edge out as the top choice with players overall. Interestingly, Yes Man lags as a 3rd option – might be because the AI path comes across as more passive.

My Take as a Fallout Expert

Given the above analysis across factors like character motivations, endings outcomes, player choice perspective, lore arguments and fan polling, here is my summation:

I believe the Independent Vegas ending makes the most sense as the "canon" ending for Fallout: New Vegas and have reasons both as a gamer and from an in-world fiction stance to consider it the strongest fit.

That said, I would not be surprised if we never get an official confirmation of New Vegas‘ canon ending. Leaving it open encourages productive debate amongst fans, allows richer head-canon, and means our interpretations of how the Courier and Mojave‘s future unfolded can keep evolving!

So in short – pick your favorite theory and ending. New Vegas invites us to keep reshaping its narrative and ending even today through thoughtful discussion as engaged fans!

Let me know in the comments what ending you think fits best and why! I‘m always eager to hear other gamers‘ perspectives.