The Exiles

Lore & Background

In the Wasteland canon, the nuclear war that ended civilization was triggered by a rogue or mistaken launch. When the missiles flew and the world fell silent, they were cut off from command, their supply lines destroyed, their world incinerated. What followed was a slow, brutal adaptation: rationing water, foraging for food, defending against raider bands and the ever-present threat of radiation sickness. Over the decades, the Exiles evolved from a military garrison into a survival community, bound by the old Marine ethos of 'no man left behind' even as the nation that trained them ceased to exist. Their settlement became a small beacon of order in an otherwise lawless desert. They traded, fought, and made uneasy alliances with other survivor groups, always mindful that their numbers were few and their resources scarce. The title 'Deliberate'—a rank or role within the Exile hierarchy—fell to the player, the one who would lead the next generation of missions into the wasteland to secure what the community needed to keep living: water, fuel, medicine, and allies. By the events of Wasteland 3, the Exiles have relocated to Colorado, establishing a new foothold in a different but equally hostile environment. The core identity remains unchanged: a small group of hardened survivors, former soldiers who never received a discharge, still answering to a command structure that no longer has a government behind it.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled off the high desert, carrying the taste of ash and old blood. The Deliberate stood at the rim of the compound, watching the sun bleed out behind the broken skyline. Somewhere below, in the mess hall, the others were already arguing over rations—always arguing over rations. A young recruit, still new enough to flinch at the sound of a distant gunshot, asked if they'd ever go back. Back to where? There was no where. There was only the next watch, the next ration, the next name added to the wall inside the barracks. The Deliberate turned from the rim, pulled a canteen from the rack, and walked back inside. The Exiles did not look back. They never had.

Reader's Guide

The Exiles are the player's faction in every Wasteland title. You play as the Deliberate, a leader who commands a small squad of Exile veterans on missions across the wasteland. They are not a large army; they are a handful of people who keep showing up when the community needs them to. In Wasteland (2014), the Exiles are based in the Mojave Desert. Their immediate crisis is water scarcity, and the player leads a team on a mission to secure a water source. The squad is small, and each member has distinct combat roles and dialogue that shape the tone of the campaign. In Wasteland 2 (2014), the Exiles remain in the Mojave region. The scope of their missions widens, and the player encounters a broader cast of survivor factions. The Deliberate's decisions carry consequences that ripple through the story, and the Exiles' base serves as a hub between missions. In Wasteland 3 (2020), the Exiles have relocated to Colorado. The core loop remains: lead the squad, make choices, and keep the Exiles alive. Across all three games, the Exiles are defined by scarcity, loyalty, and the weight of a military identity in a world that no longer has a military. Branching dialogue and companion choices shape which relationships deepen and which fade, but the Exiles as a group remain the constant anchor of the player's story.

Did You Know?

• The Exiles were originally created for the 1988 FASA tabletop role-playing game before the franchise was adapted into video games by inXile Entertainment.
• The player character is never given a personal name in the games; they are identified solely by the title 'The Deliberate,' a leadership role within the Exile hierarchy.
• The Exiles are canonically former members of the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, a real-world unit designation repurposed for the setting.
• The Exiles' home base changes between titles—Mojave Desert in Wasteland and Wasteland 2, Colorado in Wasteland 3—reflecting the group's ongoing struggle to find and hold ground.