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Obsidian Shelves Outer Worlds 3 as It Refocuses After Soft Sales for 2025 RPGs

Obsidian pivots to faster, lower‑risk development built on reused tech with more external partners.

Overview

  • Studio leaders said Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 missed Microsoft’s sales targets, while Grounded 2 was a hit, with reporting citing profit margin expectations near 30% that help explain cross‑platform launches.
  • There are no current plans for The Outer Worlds 3, though The Outer Worlds 2 will still receive two post‑launch expansions and Grounded 2 will continue to be supported.
  • Obsidian aims to shorten big‑game development to roughly three to four years, reuse technology, and expand outsourcing, citing Eidos‑Montréal’s support on Grounded 2 as a model.
  • Executives acknowledged that releasing three games in one year stretched support teams and said future launches will be spaced to avoid burnout.
  • Avowed arrives on PlayStation 5 on February 17 with an anniversary update that adds New Game Plus, new races, new weapon types, and a Photo Mode across all platforms.