Returning trans actor Xelia Mendes-Jones as non-binary Brotherhood member Dane receives prominent screentime without narrative justification, turning a techno-fascist faction into an ultra-diverse fratboy comedy group with slapstick antics and unchecked knife fights. Maximus, a black Knight, is depicted as naive or overly protected, while a skinhead-like white Brotherhood member gratuitously challenges him to a fatal duel, injecting racial tension. Early episodes feature near-exclusive non-white casts except for antagonistic whites, evoking 'evil white guy' tropes.

Shady Sands is portrayed as a prosperous diverse utopia before its destruction by Vault-Tec's Hank MacLean, retconning New Vegas lore to undermine the NCR's hopeful recovery arc in favor of anti-capitalist messaging via corporate nuking. The Brotherhood devolves into illogical diversity showcases, with power-armored knights fumbling grenades and elders watching brawls. Audience reception is polarized with massive backlash labeling it 'DEI trash,' 'woke slop,' and a 'hate letter to fans' for ruining factions like the Legion, suspecting AI-faked high Rotten Tomatoes scores amid 'go woke go broke' sentiments. These elements dominate early episodes, clashing with the games' gritty post-apocalyptic satire and eliciting widespread criticism for message-driven storytelling over coherent plot or character logic.