A canon ending or canonical ending is a game ending that aligns with the main story or lore. Think of a canon ending as the authoritative ending that contributes to the franchise’s story continuity.
In choice-driven games, the sequel should ideally use one of the possible endings as canonical. The story of the sequel can then use the canon ending as a starting point to reveal or build lore upon.
If there’s no game sequel, deciding which ending is canon can be quite difficult.
Game developers typically refrain from confirming which ending is canonical to keep the hype around their games going.
As you can see, explaining what a canon ending is is not that simple. Different games may use the concept of “canon ending” in different ways.
When a fan creates a mod or changes the official lore, that’s not canon. That’s for sure.
Canon endings often tend to cause hot debates among gamers.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples to better illustrate the concept of canon ending in gaming.
What is the canon ending of GTA 5?
In the official GTA 5 Contract Update notes, RockStar Games confirmed the Deathwish option is the canonical ending in GTA 5. The update notes mention that Franklin Clinton and his accomplices successfully knocked over the Union Depository.
In the years since he and his accomplices knocked over the Union Depository, renowned Los Santos hustler Franklin Clinton has been making moves of his own.
The Contract’s story is set a few years after GTA 5’s main story. One of the dialog lines also suggests that Michael is alive and became a movie producer.
In a previous GTA update, Smugglers Run, Trevor is mentioned as being a lifestyle coach.
All of these clues indicate Trevor and Michael are alive and well, and The Third Option, aka the Deathwish ending, is indeed the canon ending of GTA 5.
What is the canon ending of Fallout 4?
The canon ending of Fallout 4 is probably the Minutemen ending. This ending lets you restore the Minutemen to their full power and destroy The Institute. You can also use your diplomatic skills to avoid becoming enemies with another faction.
In this manner, the members of the Railroad or BOS factions don’t have to die.
I hope you found this quick explanation and two examples useful.