Tuesday saw the announcement of more layoffs and studio mergers from Xbox. One such studio caught up in it all was Obsidian Entertainment, the team behind games like Outer Worlds, Grounded, and Avowed, among others.
It was confirmed by Xbox that Obsidian would be placed under Bethesda moving forward. With the former working on a new game in the Fallout universe, it made sense from that aspect. However, Obsidian is known for much more than its work on Fallout: New Vegas years ago. And that’s something Bethesda wants to make sure continues.
Bethesda’s Confident in Obsidian’s Future
In an email to staff and seen by Aftermath, Bethesda president Jill Braff made an attempt to assure those worried about what the future holds for the California-based studio. That includes current leadership staying in place.
“The creative identity and strengths that make Obsidian distinct will remain at the core of their studio and work,” Braff said via the email. “[CEO] Feargus [Urquhart] and the Obsidian leadership team will continue to lead Obsidian, with the studio reporting to me. Bethesda Game Studios will continue to lead the Fallout franchise.
“Together, the teams will build on their longstanding relationship and the early work already underway on a new Fallout project, with more to share in the months ahead. This structure supports the franchise-led model we’ve been strengthening while keeping accountability for both the studio and the franchise clear.”
When Microsoft first announced its “reset” at Xbox in July, Obsidian saw a number of projects canceled. One shelved game was reportedly Avowed 2, though there had remained a small skeleton crew working on the game.
Braff says that she has a “great respect” for what the team at Obsidian has done, adding that the studio has “extraordinary creative talent, deep expertise, and a long history of creating memorable games and experiences.”
Whether that remains original experiences or exclusively working on Bethesda IP remains to be seen.
Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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