Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment business and news from across the web.
Latest coverage
All The Major Xbox Changes Microsoft Announced Today: Layoffs, Halo Goes To Activision, And Lots More
Microsoft announced significant restructuring within its Xbox division, including 268 layoffs affecting various first-party studios like Halo Studios. Activision will now develop the next Halo game, while Bethesda expands to oversee Obsidian Entertainment. Several studios face potential closure or consolidation, such as Ninja Theory and the merging of Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios.
Xbox transfers Rare and Halo franchise to Activision, proposes closure of Ninja Theory and confirms another 268 roles cut amid studio restructure
Xbox has announced a significant restructuring, transferring Rare and the Halo franchise to Activision, and proposing the closure of Ninja Theory. The company also confirmed 268 roles have been cut across various studios, including Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries). Other studios like Obsidian Entertainment have been transferred to Bethesda, while Undead Labs will continue to develop State of Decay 3 with a new publisher.
Halo’s Next Game Is Coming From An Unexpected Developer: Activision
Microsoft has announced that Activision will develop the next Halo game, establishing a new team for the franchise while a smaller team at Halo Studios continues to support existing titles. This change coincides with significant layoffs impacting Halo Studios and other Xbox developers, as part of a broader reorganization under Bethesda and Activision Blizzard.
Xbox reportedly set to announce second round of layoffs this week
Xbox is reportedly preparing for a second round of layoffs this week as part of an ongoing restructuring that includes consolidating several of its game studios. This follows an earlier round of 1,600 redundancies and the divestment of five studios. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cited spreading resources too thin and fragmentation as reasons for the changes, aiming for future growth.
Blizzard union workers ratify historic contract covering 1,900 employees
Employees at Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of Microsoft, have ratified a new union contract covering 1,900 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The historic agreement includes protections for AI usage, layoff recall rights, improved severance, wage increases, and a three-day hybrid work week, setting a new industry standard.
South Park: The Stick of Truth Is the Funniest Game I’ve Ever Played
South Park: The Stick of Truth is a highly humorous 12-hour RPG that perfectly captures the look and feel of the television show. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment with significant input from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the game offers numerous laugh-out-loud moments and boss fights.
Star Wars Zero Company's permadeath makes it a better RPG than most RPGs, even though it's not really an RPG
Star Wars: Dark Forces' permadeath system makes it a more impactful RPG than many traditional titles, despite its tactical game origins. The developer Bit Reactor has successfully integrated systemic and authored storytelling, creating a profound sense of consequence through permanently killable characters.
What made the OG Fallout so great is "overlooked" these days, says co-creator Tim Cain
Co-creator Tim Cain believes the original Fallout's success stemmed from its development process, specifically how the team fostered open discussion and challenged ideas, a practice he feels is overlooked today. He contrasts this with the "Abilene paradox" where developers may avoid conflict and not push back on potentially weak features.
Fallout 5 Confirmed, But Bethesda’s Reveal Left Fans Cold — And Honestly, Fair Enough
Bethesda Softworks director Todd Howard confirmed that Fallout 5 is in pre-production and being developed on the Creation Engine 3, alongside remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. However, the lack of concrete details, release windows, or visual assets for any of these projects, with The Elder Scrolls VI taking priority, has left fans underwhelmed. Howard's attempt to engage with the community via Reddit also received mixed reactions, with many expressing skepticism due to past announcements.
Fallout co-creator says devs should look to "bad games" for inspiration and not just "good" ones:…
Fallout co-creator Timothy Cain suggests that game developers should draw inspiration from "bad games" as well as successful ones. He argues that analyzing failures, particularly those affected by survivorship bias, can offer valuable lessons that are often overlooked when only focusing on popular titles.
Hundreds of union workers rally across North America to protest Xbox layoffs
Hundreds of unionized video game workers rallied across North America to protest recent layoffs at Microsoft's Xbox division. Members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and allies gathered to call out corporate greed and demand fair contracts, citing multiple rounds of job cuts impacting studios like Obsidian, id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed 3,200 job eliminations, with 1,600 immediate layoffs, leading to legal action from the CWA against Microsoft for alleged mishandling of the cuts.
Even though turn-based and real time RPGs 'have their loud, vocal advocates,' Fallout developer Tim Cain thinks they both have a place in the genre
Legendary developer Tim Cain believes both turn-based and real-time combat systems have their place in role-playing games, rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive. He argues that real-time combat is naturally superior for first-person games and allows for faster pacing, while turn-based combat offers strategic depth. Cain cautions against designing games that allow players to switch between modes due to the significant development effort involved.
Grounded 2's second year of early access includes base moving, an expanded map, and plenty of secrets…
Obsidian Entertainment has released a roadmap for Grounded 2's second year of early access, detailing upcoming features such as an expanded map, new weapons, bosses, and the ability to move the player's entire base. The developer is keeping some secrets, including specific enemy types and new areas, while the 1.0 release window remains unconfirmed.
'One flag for each laid off dev:' Union workers stage unmissable protest for Xbox boss Asha Sharma
Union workers from the Communications Workers of America protested outside Bethesda's office during Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's visit, deploying an inflatable rat and red flags to represent each employee laid off under her leadership. The protest aimed to highlight the human cost of recent mass layoffs within Microsoft's gaming division, which have affected studios like Obsidian, id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios.
Console Game Development Is Moving to Unreal Engine, and Halo Just Proved It
Halo Studios has transitioned from its proprietary Slipspace engine to Unreal Engine 5 for Halo: Campaign Evolved, marking a significant shift in console game development. This move aims to reduce internal engine maintenance costs, allowing more resources for game creation and faster content delivery to platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Game Pass Makes Moves With Seven Games This Week
Microsoft's Game Pass service is adding seven games this week, with three new titles and four existing games expanding to the Game Pass Premium tier. The new additions include Date Everything!, Cricket 26, and Sandustry, while Grounded 2 is the most prominent existing game to gain Premium availability. Four games, Menace, Atlas Fallen, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Firewatch, will be leaving the service on August 15th.
BioWare veteran says Baldur's Gate 3 was such a great sequel because it didn't try to be too much like…
BioWare veteran Mark Darrah believes Baldur's Gate 3 succeeded because Larian Studios embraced its own identity while drawing inspiration from the original games and the evolution of CRPGs. He suggests that instead of trying to replicate the past, Larian's unique approach, blending elements of Divinity: Original Sin, made Baldur's Gate 3 a standout sequel that overshadowed its predecessors.
Bethesda failing to release a new Fallout game to capitalize on the success of the TV show felt like a "personal" decision, says New Vegas writer, not a "business" one
Fallout: New Vegas writer Chris Avellone believes Bethesda's decision not to release a new Fallout game alongside the popular Amazon Prime TV show was a "personal" rather than a business one. Despite the surge in popularity for existing Fallout titles due to the show, no new game was launched, though Fallout 5 is confirmed to be in pre-production and remasters of Fallout 3 and New Vegas are planned.
New Fallout game reportedly led by Josh Sawyer would be "good" for both Obsidian and Bethesda "in many ways," says former New Vegas creative lead
Former Fallout: New Vegas designer Chris Avellone expressed excitement over reports that Josh Sawyer is directing a new Fallout game at Obsidian Entertainment. Avellone believes this project would benefit both Obsidian and publisher Bethesda by potentially increasing the release cadence of major titles, given Bethesda's historically long development times. While John Gonzalez, a key writer for New Vegas, has returned to Obsidian, his specific role on the new Fallout project remains unclear due to recent Xbox restructuring.
Pathfinder and Warhammer 40K RPG developer Owlcat Games on "speedrunning" its first 10 years and what comes next: "We won't be quitting the CRPG genre"
Owlcat Games, known for its Pathfinder and Warhammer 40K CRPGs, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Head of publishing Andrey Tsvetkov reflects on the studio's rapid growth, its commitment to the CRPG genre, and future projects including a third-person RPG and potential new IPs. The studio emphasizes its close relationship with fans and passion for its chosen universes as key to its success and rapid development cycle.
