Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Fallout season 2 is bringing deathclaws to life using practical effects.
The world of Fallout is about to reveal one of its most feared creatures.
After a notable absence in the first season, Deathclaws are finally set to appear in season two of Prime Video’s hit series.
The adaptation has so far focused on original stories while carefully weaving in familiar elements from Bethesda’s games, building anticipation for what was left unseen.
Missing monsters
Season one featured ghouls, Vaults, Power Armor and powerful factions, but not the towering reptilian enemies long associated with the games.
According to earlier comments from creators Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, the omission was deliberate, allowing time to introduce Deathclaws properly later on.
That plan is now becoming reality. Set photos and the season two trailer have confirmed the creatures’ arrival, signaling a shift toward even larger-scale threats.
Nolan opens up
Speaking to ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan, executive producer Jonathan Nolan reflected on his personal connection to the monsters.
He joked that he is “still working through my encounter with the Deathclaws in the game in therapy,” adding with a laugh that the series is “a way to work through my trauma.”
Nolan also highlighted the team behind bringing the creatures to life, praising the work of Legacy, which designed the Power Armor, alongside Industrial Light & Magic.
Making them real
The goal, Nolan said, was realism through a blend of techniques rather than relying solely on digital effects.
He explained the approach in detail: “We knew from the beginning that we wanted a combination of practical and visual effects to bring that to life, because those things are so big and so scary and so fast. We knew we wanted the tactility of a beautiful puppet on set for lighting references, and to capture as much of that as possible.”
This mix was intended to give the Deathclaws weight and presence on screen.
Raising the bar
Season one earned widespread acclaim, holding a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and matching audience approval, placing it alongside HBO’s The Last of Us. Early responses suggest season two is maintaining that momentum.
Nolan said the creative aim this time is to go “darker,” “wilder” and “crazier,” with “bigger, scarier creatures” and “more exploding heads.” He credited production designer Howard Cummings and the wider crew for turning fan-favorite game elements into physical reality, describing how they worked to “figure out how we make all this stuff real.”
Sources: Screenrants
