Author's Note:
Since its release, Firewatch has felt like the most perfectly told story in gaming. Its ending a masterstroke—staying true to the game's characters and ethos. I'd imagine most of us felt a gut punch in the end, but one that honored the story that came before.
For me, the sting came from how—despite the potential emotional growth Henry and Delilah navigate—they always retreat behind their walls in the end.
At the risk of providing too much closure, I thought it'd be a fun writing exercise to explore what might have played out if both characters allowed cracks in their walls while parting—when the words were easier to speak with less fear of consequences.
— u/firewatch_fan
[While replaying after at least one playthrough, and if the player consistently navigates the dialog to allow for mutual emotional growth between Henry and Delilah, the following ending plays out. Henry and Delilah take control of their own dialog—their conversation flows naturally.]
Henry approaches the stairs of Delilah's tower. The camera stops—the player no longer in control—changing from first to third person view. Henry continues running forward as we watch from behind. Fade to black. Credits roll. Post credits fade back into a cinematic of Henry sitting at Delilah's desk. We watch Henry from inside her tower.
Henry: Raising up Delilah's radio headset—pausing for a moment—then putting it on. "Delilah... it's me. I'm at your tower. You're... gone."
Delilah: A moment of static. Her voice strained, almost breaking. "...Henry... um... I'm in the air. We—just lifted off. There's another evac chopper swinging by to pick you up soon."
Henry: "You left."
Delilah: A sharp breath, then softer. "I know."
Henry: A tinge of disappointment. "I was so close. I wish you'd waited."
Delilah: Barely audible at first. "...I..." Slowly trails off, then returns steady. "I couldn't stay, not after everything."
Henry: "D..."
Delilah: Her voice shudders. "I—just... nothing was real out here... and you don't know me, not really. What happens when we get out of here? When we can't hide anymore."
Henry: "Maybe we've been hiding, D... but... not from each other."
Delilah: Quietly. "We..." Trails off, exhaling. Gently. "Henry... it's not 'maybe'... you've also been hiding—hiding from Julia's—"
Henry: Defensive, cutting Delilah off. "That's not the..." Silent for a while, an extended almost meditative breath... his voice now quieter. "Yeah... fair... So, what now?"
Delilah: "I don't know, Henry..." Softly. "...but—I'll be in Santa Fe." A long pause, then a sharp shaky inhale and slow breath out. "...Look... um... the number's on the photo tucked under the radio."
Henry: Looks down. An old worn polaroid tucked hidden under the radio—a shot of an aspen grove glowing under an orange sunset. He turns it over, finding a phone number hastily scrawled in black sharpie on the back.
Delilah: "Maybe... when you're ready... call me."
Henry: Stares out at the burning horizon, the polaroid gently clutched in his hand.
The sting of her departure begins to soften. His shoulders relax. His voice calms. A gentle laugh escapes his lips. "...It's funny, some nights I'd lay in my tower and think... after the summer's over, maybe I'd call you someday... just to check in... and because..."
Delilah: Quiet, reflective. "...You didn't think I did the same thing?"
Henry: Softly. "I thought maybe I was just a voice on the radio... someone to—pass the time."
Delilah: "No. You were... you are... " A long exhale.
Henry: "...But taking off like that—didn't this summer... matter?"
Delilah: "It did matter, Henry..." Her voice cracks. "...I—I'm not used to people... staying. It's easier to go before they change their mind."
Henry: Softly. "Delilah... I..." His breath hitches.
Delilah: A pause. The sound of soft wind through the trees mixed with the distant hum of her helicopter fading away. "Maybe... I thought leaving it here would keep it perfect. Before the real world fucked it up."
Henry: Gently. "The real world already fucked us up, D..."
Delilah: Quietly. "Yeah..."
Henry: Hesitates a moment collecting his words. "You know... I've also wondered if it'd be best for our summer to stay in the forest, something—untouched... that I could think back to when..."
A long pause. "But... the regret of not saying what really mattered... when it mattered... maybe that'd—ruin the memory."
Delilah: Her breath catches. A whisper. "...Henry..."
Henry: Steadying himself. "I know... I know it was just supposed to be a summer job. A place to... hide away from—everything. But along the way, it became more than that... D—you became more than that."
Delilah: Quietly. "Hank... for what it's worth, spending this summer with you... it was the first time being out here wasn't..." A slight tremble in her voice as she trails off.
Henry: Hesitant. "You—you have no..."
Loud roar of Henry's helicopter rushing over Delilah's tower. A disappointed sigh. "...um... Delilah... my—my evac is landing."
Delilah: Gently. "I... guess this is it then..."
Henry: A long pause. Henry looks at the polaroid again, his grip tightening. "D... I'll..." A deep breath. "...I'll try to call someday—after my head's on... closer to straight."
Delilah: Softly, after a moment. "...I think I'd like that."
Henry: Quietly. "Goodbye... Delilah."
Delilah: "...Goodbye, Hank."
The radio falls silent. Henry slowly lays down the headset.
He watches the horizon through the orange smoke. Giving the polaroid one last look, he tucks it gently into his pocket.
Dust kicks up outside as the helicopter touches down.
He steps towards the trail, pausing in the doorway of Delilah's tower to give the lifeless radio one last look, before stepping out the door.
[hard cut to Firewatch title screen]
