Neverwinter Nights 2
News, coverage and analysis tracking Neverwinter Nights 2 across the outlets.
Obsidian game director reacts to people "spouting off" about the studio and how it's not what it "used to be"Obsidian Entertainment director Brandon Adler defended the studio's current identity amidst recent layoffs and external criticism. He emphasized that the core team and creative DNA remain consistent with the studio's history, despite changes and project shifts, including a new Fallout game.
Even Obsidian couldn't escape the Xbox cuts, with losses ranging from a 21-year veteran artist to an engineer…Obsidian Entertainment has experienced layoffs, affecting employees including a 21-year veteran artist and a recent engineer. This marks the first time the studio has been impacted by the recent waves of job cuts at Microsoft's Xbox division. The exact number of affected employees is between nine and 49, falling below the threshold that would trigger a WARN Act notice.
Obsidian reportedly safe from Xbox studio closures despite fears the RPG powerhouse was in negotiations to avoid…Despite earlier reports suggesting Obsidian Entertainment was negotiating to avoid closure, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has confirmed the RPG developer is safe. The news comes amid widespread fears of mass layoffs and studio shutdowns within Xbox's gaming division.
Best Android RPGs – Updated!This guide rounds up the best RPGs available on Android devices, focusing on premium titles with all content accessible out of the box. The list includes classics like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Quest VIII, and Chrono Trigger, alongside modern favorites such as Pascal's Wager and The Banner Saga.
RPG veteran Josh Sawyer says sometimes game designers "go overboard in removing friction"RPG veteran Josh Sawyer, director of Fallout: New Vegas and Pentiment, believes game designers sometimes remove too much friction from their games, potentially harming the player experience. He discussed this balance while reflecting on the Spirit Eater mechanic in Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, noting that while friction can be challenging, it should also feel integral and not overwhelming.
The best D&D videogame you've never played is one guy's outsider art, personal Baldur's Gate sagaThe Neverwinter Nights mod campaign, Swordflight, is highlighted as a masterfully designed, challenging RPG experience created by a single developer over many years. This fan-made module for BioWare's classic game offers a deep Dungeons & Dragons 3E adaptation, emphasizing strategic planning and resource management, and is praised for its reactive storytelling and unique moral system.
BioWare's co-founder fought to make Baldur's Gate 3 for over a decade, then Larian did it instead: 'I…BioWare co-founder Trent Oster discusses the long and difficult journey to get Baldur's Gate 3 made, with multiple studios like Black Isle, Obsidian, and Beamdog attempting and failing to secure funding over two decades. Beamdog, led by Oster, pitched a version to Wizards of the Coast but ultimately could not secure the necessary $20 million budget, leading them to pursue other projects. Oster reflects on Larian Studios' success with Baldur's Gate 3, acknowledging their greater capital and ability to execute their vision at a high scale.
Indie devs mixed on Steam's latest redesign over visibility complaintsIndie developers are expressing concerns about Steam's latest store redesign, particularly the new "Popular Upcoming" page, fearing it will negatively impact game visibility. While Valve claims the changes are based on player feedback and introduced a new "Personal Calendar" feature for niche releases, some developers argue that the new system favors larger, established titles over smaller indie games, making it harder to gain traction on the platform.
Gaming industry pioneer Don Daglow reflects on key moments of his careerGaming industry veteran Don Daglow reflects on his five-decade career, from early mainframe experiments to pioneering MMORPGs and city-building games. He emphasizes the importance of player connection and fun over technological spectacle, drawing parallels between early interactive theater and modern game design. Daglow also shares insights on industry cycles, the risks of large budgets, and the enduring value of emotionally resonant games.
Kickstarter rolls back new mature content guidelines after week of backlashCrowdfunding platform Kickstarter has reverted its new, more restrictive adult content guidelines after facing significant backlash from creators and users. The company cited pressure from its payment processor, Stripe, as the reason for the initial change, which banned content like "implied sex acts" and specific adult content terms. Kickstarter COO Sean Leow stated the company aims to regain user trust and continue supporting bold creative work.
I'll never love another RPG like I loved Neverwinter NightsPC Gamer's Fraser Brown reflects on Neverwinter Nights as a groundbreaking platform for role-playing and modding, highlighting its persistent worlds and the freedom they offered players. Despite the success of other games and the resurgence of tabletop RPGs, Brown argues that no other title has successfully replicated Neverwinter Nights' unique blend of scale, freedom, and role-playing focus, attributing this to capitalism's influence on game development.
Claims that Mixtape will be delisted over music licenses are 'a lie,' says publisherClaims that the narrative adventure game Mixtape will be delisted due to music licenses are false, according to publisher Annapurna Interactive and creative director Johnny Galvatron. Developer Beethoven and Dinosaur paid extra to secure perpetual licenses for the game's soundtrack, which features over two dozen licensed songs. This addresses concerns that the game might be removed from digital storefronts, a fate that has befallen other titles with licensed content.
Star Wars: The Old Republic's original director hadn't played a single MMO before launching its development studio: 'How the hell did they trust me with this much money?'James Ohlen, the original director of BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic, revealed he had no prior MMO experience when development began. He discussed regrets about the game's launch content and a denied proposal to rename it Star Wars: The New Republic.
Microsoft fires head of Israeli subsidiary and other managers over surveillance of PalestiniansMicrosoft has dismissed the general manager of its Israeli subsidiary, Alon Haimovich, and other managers following an internal investigation. This action is a consequence of a report detailing Israel's use of Microsoft Azure cloud services for surveillance in the occupied West Bank, raising concerns about legal liability in Europe and human rights issues.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic attracts more ex-BioWare and KOTOR talent to the teamArcanaut Studios, a new developer founded by Casey Hudson, is assembling a team with significant BioWare and Knights of the Old Republic experience for its upcoming Star Wars RPG, Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. Recent hires include art director Pascal Blanché, CTO Ryan Hoyle, and director Caroline Livingstone, all of whom have worked on previous Star Wars or Mass Effect titles. While the game is not expected before 2030, the studio continues to grow its talent pool.
Star Wars Fate Of The Old Republic devs are mostly ex-BioWare and KOTOR veteransArcanaut Studios has revealed more about its upcoming Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic, a spiritual successor to Knights Of The Old Republic. The development team is largely comprised of former BioWare veterans who worked on the original KOTOR and other acclaimed RPGs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Director Casey Hudson founded Arcanaut Studios last year, and the game is expected to release before 2030.
A Utah age verification law targeting VPN users goes into effect this weekUtah's Senate Bill 73, an online age verification law targeting VPN users, goes into effect on May 6. This legislation makes Utah the first US state with such specific laws, requiring websites with content harmful to minors to verify user ages, even if users attempt to bypass it using a VPN.
Nearly 40 years after launch, NetHack just got a 5.0.0 release with over 3,000 patch notesNetHack, a historically significant roguelike originally released nearly 40 years ago, has received a major 5.0.0 update. This open-source project, maintained by a community DevTeam, continues its active development, building upon the legacy of early dungeon crawlers like Rogue. The game is also recognized for its historical importance, being featured in the Museum of Modern Art.
New Crimson Desert update lets you 'rematch' defeated enemies and adds new legendary creaturesCrimson Desert has received a new update introducing a 'rematch' feature that allows players to refight previously defeated bosses with adjusted difficulty. The patch also adds new legendary pets, a disguise shop, and numerous bug fixes, continuing the game's ongoing post-launch support.
After days of speculation over hard-coded anti-goblin bias from OpenAI, the company had to release an official memo on…OpenAI has released a memo addressing a peculiar instruction within its AI coding tool, Codex CLI, which caused it to frequently mention creatures like goblins and gremlins. The company explained that this behavior stemmed from unintentionally high rewards given for creature metaphors during the training of a 'Nerdy' personality customization feature.