Vault-Tec
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Vault-Tec Corporation, otherwise known as Vault-Tec and sometimes called Vault-Tec Industries, is a fictional
defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...
megacorporation Megacorporation, mega-corporation, or megacorp, a term originally coined by Alfred Eichner in his book ''The Megacorp and Oligopoly: Micro Foundations of Macro Dynamics'' but popularized by William Gibson, derives from the combination of the pre ...
from the
post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
'' franchise. Throughout the United States, Vault-Tec created government-funded
vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosur ...
s, large
fallout shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Durin ...
s that would serve to shelter civilians and allow for the continuation of human life in the threat of a
nuclear attack Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can prod ...
. Within most of these
Overseer Overseer may refer to: Professions *Supervisor or superintendent; one who keeps watch over and directs the work of others *Plantations_in_the_American_South#Overseer, Plantation overseer, often in the context of forced labor or Treatment_of_slaves ...
-governed vaults, Vault-Tec carried out
human experiment Human subject research is systematic, scientific investigation that can be either interventional (a "trial") or observational (no "test article") and involves human beings as research subjects, commonly known as test subjects. Human subject re ...
s on its residents without their consent or knowledge, ranging from being mostly harmless to disturbing and inhumane.


Concept and design

Vault-Tec is a pre-war
defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...
megacorporation Megacorporation, mega-corporation, or megacorp, a term originally coined by Alfred Eichner in his book ''The Megacorp and Oligopoly: Micro Foundations of Macro Dynamics'' but popularized by William Gibson, derives from the combination of the pre ...
responsible for creating the vaults featured throughout the ''Fallout'' series. Their purpose of conducting
human experiment Human subject research is systematic, scientific investigation that can be either interventional (a "trial") or observational (no "test article") and involves human beings as research subjects, commonly known as test subjects. Human subject re ...
s on its residents began as an idea by ''Fallout'' co-creator
Tim Cain Timothy Cain is an American video game developer and YouTuber best known as the creator, producer, lead programmer and one of the main designers of the 1997 video game ''Fallout''. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creat ...
following the 1997 release of the first ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
'' game. Despite its slogan "revolutionizing safety for an uncertain future," Vault-Tec is consistently portrayed as a corrupt, unscrupulous corporation with themes of unfettered capitalism.


Vaults

Vault-Tec created
vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosur ...
s throughout the United States with the help of
government funding A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a me ...
. These vaults served as large
fallout shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Durin ...
s used to house civilians and allow for human life to continue in the potentiality of the U.S. being in immediate threat of a
nuclear attack Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can prod ...
. These vaults were
Overseer Overseer may refer to: Professions *Supervisor or superintendent; one who keeps watch over and directs the work of others *Plantations_in_the_American_South#Overseer, Plantation overseer, often in the context of forced labor or Treatment_of_slaves ...
-governed, with Vault-Tec carrying out human experiments on its residents without their consent or knowledge, which ranged from being mostly harmless to inhumane and disturbing. In total, Vault-Tec created 122 vaults, 17 of which were "control vaults," or vaults not made for human experimenting purposes. Vault-Tec made revenue through selling reserved spots in these vaults. In order to market themselves, Vault-Tec made various products such as
lunchbox A lunch box (or lunchbox) is a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying. In the United States In the Unit ...
es and
bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a ...
s.


Technology and identity

The
Pip-Boy The Pip-Boy is a fictional wearable computer in the post-apocalyptic ''Fallout'' video game franchise. Manufactured by RobCo Industries prior to the apocalyptic nuclear Great War, it is capable of numerous functions, depending on the model. In t ...
, a
wearable computer A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches. Wearables may be for general ...
by RobCo Industries, was initially made for pre-war and vault-living use, with many of the device's settings used for inhabitants of Vault-Tec's vaults due to the Pip-Boy being issued to each dweller. The Pip-Boy's useful functionalities have also allowed for it to be used in the wasteland. ''
Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for Microsoft Windo ...
'' features two games created by Vault-Tec that are playable on a Pip-Boy, one of which, titled ''Red Menace'', being a
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
game against
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Vault-Tec created V.A.T.S., or the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, a special combat system introduced in ''
Fallout 3 ''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
'' and featured throughout the series. The combat system allows for the player to target the specific limb of an enemy based on chance. ''
Fallout 76 ''Fallout 76'' is a 2018 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is an installment in the ''Fallout'' series and a prequel to previous entries. Initially set in the year 2102, players ...
'' features technology created by Vault-Tec such as portable C.A.M.P.S. (Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform) and G.E.C.K. (Garden of Eden Creation Kit) devices. Vault-Tec's identity is highly represented by
Vault Boy Vault Boy is the mascot of the ''Fallout (franchise), Fallout'' media franchise. Created by staff at Interplay Entertainment, the original owners of the ''Fallout'' intellectual property, Vault Boy was introduced in 1997's ''Fallout (video game) ...
, the corporation mascot.


Appearances

The first of Vault-Tec's creations appeared in the first ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
'' game, where the player originates from Vault 13, one of many created by Vault-Tec. Although Vault-Tec's concept of conducting human experiments was not yet developed, Vault 13 still had remnants of the yet-existent concept as the Overseers were tasked with keeping its residents in the vault no matter what, for as long as possible. Vault-Tec's
lore Lore may refer to: * Folklore, acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs * Oral lore or oral tradition, orally conveyed cultural knowledge and traditions Places * Loré, former French commune * Loré (East Timor), a city and subdistrict in La ...
formulized with the release of ''
Fallout 2 ''Fallout 2'' (also known as ''Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game'') is a 1998 role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Productions. It is a sequel to ''Fallout (video game), Fallout'' (1997), ...
'', in which Cain described one of the vaults as being a "control vault," explaining it as giving the company "a purpose beyond just 'let's save some of the American population then release them back into a radioactive dead zone.'" Vault-Tec appears in ''Fallout 3'', notably behind the creation of several vaults in the Capital Wasteland such as
Vault 101 Vault 101 is a fictional underground fallout shelter in the 2008 action role-playing game ''Fallout 3'', created as part of the Fallout (franchise), ''Fallout'' franchise by Bethesda Game Studios. Located in Virginia, it serves primarily as the ...
, where the Lone Wanderer begins the game. In ''Fallout 4'', the player is guided through a tutorial sequence where they enter Vault 111 and, as part of Vault-Tec's experiment within this vault, becoming
cryogenically frozen Cryopreservation or cryoconservation is a process where biological material - cell (biology), cells, Biological tissue, tissues, or Organ (anatomy), organs - are frozen to preserve the material for an extended period of time. At low temperature ...
for two centuries. One of the game's DLC is '' Vault-Tec Workshop'', in which the player has the ability to construct and customize the initially-empty Vault 88. In ''
Fallout Shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Durin ...
'', the player builds and manages their own vault. In ''Fallout 76'', which takes place in
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, the player is an inhabitant of Vault 76, one of the 17 "control" vaults. According to a log in ''Fallout 3'', one of the workers for Vault 76, the assistant CEO of Vault-Tec, was kidnapped by aliens. Vault-Tec runs an institution in the area known as Vault-Tec University, which features a simulation vault for training purposes.


Vault-Tec buildings and structures

Some of Vault-Tec's buildings and structures have been featured throughout the series. The Vault-Tec Headquarters is a landmark featured in ''Fallout 3'', which takes place in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, and the Vault-Tec Regional HQ, Vault-Tec's headquarters in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, is a landmark in ''Fallout 4''. Additionally, "Among the Stars" is a Vault-Tec
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
attraction in the '' Fallout 4: Nuka-World'' expansion pack. The Vault-Tec University is also a landmark in ''Fallout 76''. The ''Fallout'' television series also reveals that Vault-Tec has a headquarter building in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.


''Fallout'' show

Vault-Tec is featured in the 2024 television adaptation ''
Fallout Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the ...
''. It goes into more depth surrounding its pre-war corporate events, contributing heavily to the plot of the series. Four of their vaults were featured in the series: three neighboring vaults, Vault 33, Vault 32 and Vault 31, as well as Vault 4. Lucy MacLean (
Ella Purnell Ella Summer Reed Purnell (born 17 September 1996) is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress in West End theatre and films such as '' Never Let Me Go'' (2010), '' Intruders'' (2011) and ''Maleficent'' (2014). Her other films ...
), a dweller of Vault 33, leaves in search of her Overseer father Hank MacLean (
Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...
) who was kidnapped during a New California Republic (NCR) raid led by Lee Moldaver (
Sarita Choudhury Sarita Catherine Louise Choudhury (born August 18, 1966) is a British actress. She made her screen debut starring in the romantic drama film ''Mississippi Masala'' (1991). She later appeared in American and international film productions, includ ...
). One of the earliest mentions of the corporation itself takes place in the second episode where Enclave- defector Siggi Wilzig (
Michael Emerson Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor who is best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on '' Lost'' (2006–2010) and as Harold Finch in the CBS series ''Person of Interest'' (2011–2016). Other prominent roles include ...
) takes "Vault-Tec Plan D," a
cyanide pill A suicide pill (also known as the cyanide pill, kill-pill, lethal pill, death-pill, cyanide capsule, or L-pill) is a pill, capsule, ampoule, or tablet containing a fatally poisonous substance that a person ingests deliberately in order to achie ...
which he described as "the most humane product that Vault-Tec ever made." It becomes later revealed in the show that Vault-Tec, led by representative Barb Howard (Frances Turner), was proposing dropping nuclear bombs throughout the United States to initiate a nuclear war, allowing themselves to be the only ones left thanks to the Vaults. High-ranking employees of the corporation, including Hank, were cryogenically frozen inside of Vault 31, as discovered by Norm MacLean (
Moisés Arias Moisés Arias (born April 18, 1994) is an American actor. He portrayed Rico in the Disney Channel series ''Hannah Montana'', Biaggio in the 2013 Sundance film '' The Kings of Summer'', Cokestraw in the 2019 SXSW comedy-drama '' The Wall of Mexi ...
). It is also revealed that Hank dropped a
nuclear bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
on the NCR's headquarters, Shady Sands, following the NCR's rise in
political power In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thro ...
over
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. The show featured an
easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are commonly used during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The ...
by providing a Vault-Tec phone number through an in-show advertisement casting actor and Vault-Tec
spokesman A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
Cooper Howard (
Walton Goggins Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. (born November 10, 1971) is an American actor. He has starred in various television series, including ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), ''Justified (TV series), Justified'' (2010–2015), ''Vice Principals'' (2016–2017), ...
), which viewers could actually contact.


Promotion and merchandise

In 2008, as part of a marketing campaign for ''Fallout 3'', a
collector's edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition or expanded edition are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as b ...
version of the game was released, which included a Vault-Tec lunch box. In 2019, a
limited edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition or expanded edition are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as b ...
Vault-Tec themed
computer case A computer case, also known as a computer chassis, is the enclosure that contains most of the hardware of a personal computer. The components housed inside the case (such as the CPU, motherboard, memory, mass storage devices, power supply unit ...
was released by
NZXT NZXT, Inc. is an American computer hardware manufacturer based in Los Angeles, California. The company manufactures computer cases, components, and accessories for the PC gaming market. The company has faced controversy surrounding its Flex PC r ...
, with a limited quantity of 1,000 units. The following year, Bethesda partnered with
gaming chair A gaming chair is a type of chair marketed towards gamers. They differ from most Office chair, office chairs in having high backrest designed to support the upper back and shoulders. Like many office chairs, they are customizable: the armrests, ba ...
company Noblechairs to release a Vault-Tec edition chair. Following the release of the 2024 ''Fallout'' series,
Arizona Beverage Company Arizona Beverages USA (stylized as AriZona) is a producer of many flavors of iced tea, juice cocktails, and energy drinks based in Woodbury, New York. Arizona's first product was made available in 1992, to compete with Snapple, which also orig ...
released ''Fallout'' and Vault-Tec themed ice tea energy drinks.
Gunnar Optiks GUNNAR Optiks is a company founded in 2007 that specializes in treated eyewear, marketed as safety glasses that protect eyes from computer vision syndrome. Gunnar eyewear has received considerable attention in technical media reviews, including P ...
also released Vault 33-themed eyeglasses.


Reception

Vault-Tec has been placed in several top-ranking lists for evil corporations within video games, including by ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', ''
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'', ''
PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
'', and ''TheGamer''. Sarah Milner of ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' described Vault-Tec as having "little interest in saving the population – its corporate leadership was playing the long game, using the majority of the Vaults to conduct
social experiment A social experiment is a method of psychological or sociological research that observes people's reactions to certain situations or events. The experiment depends on a particular social approach where the main source of information is the parti ...
s and scientific research, free from the restraints of regulations or ethics."


References


External links


Vault-Tec Corporation
at Nukapedia, the ''Fallout''
Fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of Fan (person), fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...
wiki
Vault-Tec Corporation
at the independent ''Fallout'' wiki {{Fallout Fallout (franchise) United States in fiction Fictional companies Fictional elements introduced in 1997