Obsidian is currently developing two major first-person RPGs, Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 . When looked at alongside smaller projects like Grounded , it certainly seems like the studio is busier than ever bef
Nintendo showed off big upcoming titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 and even the long rumored 2D action game known as Metroid Dread . As exciting and surprising as the new Metroid was, it likely wasn't the announcement many expected. The rough development cycle of Metroid Prime 4 is well documented, having not only switched developers, but getting a full reboot as well. However, that announcement was made all the way back in early 2
Another Microsoft game revealed last summer during the Xbox Games Showcase, Avowed seemed to be Obsidian's response to Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series. Ironically, months later Microsoft went out and purchased Bethesda, reuniting both studios and franchises. Instead of updating fans with new Avowed content at E3 2021, Obsidian instead showcased the latest update for Grounded as well as a hilarious teaser trailer for The Outer Worlds
It appears that significant progress has already been made developing Avowed 's dungeons. Fans can only hope that Obsidian chose to keep some of the unique dungeon design found in Pillars of Eternity . It may seem risky to move away from the Elder Scrolls formula , but those risks could be just what helps Avowed step out of Skyrim 's sha
A smaller project like Grounded also seems unlikely to take up too many of Obsidian's resources, even if its continually worked on throughout the development of Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 . Ultimately, there's no way to know how well the studio is handling multiple projects until details about either Avowed or The Outer Worlds 2 's release windows are revealed. However, while Obsidian has struggled in the past, the studio may be in a better position for its increasing ambition than ever bef
Grounded is Obsidian's big potential release for 2021, but the studio's next step is public too. In the same showcase that Grounded was revealed, Obsidian and Microsoft announced Avowed, a new RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe. Although Obsidian has said next to nothing about Avowed since then, knowing the setting of the game has gone a long way in helping fans get an image of the game. There's tons of Pillars of Eternity lore already in place that'll surely inform the game, no matter what the story is or how the gameplay differs from the games that precede
A lot of talk around Grounded involves what it means for future games. It seems to be a good testing ground for things like enemy AI, as Obsidian creates intelligent enemies in the game's wide range of bugs and other animals. Obsidian isn't generally known for survival games like Grounded, either, so the positive feedback it's received on the game bodes well for further Obsidian experiments. Grounded is teaching Obsidian a lot that it can potentially use. While current Grounded updates are focused on polishing the game, odds seem good that even when the game officially launches, Obsidian will have more large-scale updates and additions to offer its player b
In contrast, the townsfolk of Solstheim frequently reference their isolation and the small size of their settlement, despite Raven Rock being bigger than some of Skyrim ’s other settlements like Riverwood and Rorisktead. Avowed could create towns which are the same size as Skyrim ’s cities, but seem far more convincing as hastily constructed frontier towns than ancient seats of power no bigger than a f
This bodes well for The Outer Worlds 2 , which was announced at E3 2021. The game's trailer parodied the early announcements of other games - particularly RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Elder Scrolls 6 - suggesting it's in very early development. In that case, The Outer Worlds 2 could be in Obsidian's back pocket, with the announcement trailer designed to keep interest in the studio's upcoming releases as it works on Avowed crafting guide . In other words, the fact that both Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 are "in development" doesn't actually mean that Obsidian is dividing its resources evenly between the games, or anywhere cl
Microsoft purchased Obsidian back in 2018, just a few months after the release of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire , giving the studio some stability. Since then Obsidian has undertaken a surprising number of confirmed projects. This includes Avowed , The Outer Worlds 2 , and continuing work on Grounded , the studio's Honey, I Shrunk The Kid s-inspired survival game. Despite Microsoft's backing, two major first-person RPGs and updates for a survival game seems like a lot to handle considering Obsidian's history. This had led many fans to worry that the studio may have bitten off more than it can c
Obsidian's past financial struggles were likely one of the motivations behind taking the setting from Pillars of Eternity and using it for a more mainstream, accessible first-person fantasy RPG like Avowed . While CRPGs remain a relatively niche market, Avowed was almost immediately compared to Skyrim after its announcement trai