Obsidian Dev Slams ‘Cold Take Artists’ Running Their Mouths

Obsidian Entertainment, which delivered the ambitious titles Avowed, Grounded 2 (in Early Access), and The Outer Worlds 2 all within a single calendar year, suddenly found itself on the receiving end of Microsoft’s first wave of 1,600 massive layoffs across its gaming division. The studio lost 50 staff members, and reports say that Xbox is now pivoting away from an Avowed sequel to focus on a new Fallout project.

Brandon Adler, the director of The Outer Worlds 2, took to LinkedIn to share his perspective on the week’s upheavals and the swirling online speculation about Obsidian’s future under Xbox’s umbrella.

“This has been an extremely difficult week at Obsidian,” he wrote. “Not only have I had to say goodbye to some amazing game developers, but I’ve had to say goodbye to some of my best friends. I truly feel for every one of them. Know that if you are looking to hire one of these former Obsidian devs, you are hiring some of the best people around – both professionally and personally.”

Another challenge Adler highlighted was the influx of “cold‑take” artists who, lacking any real understanding of the studio’s history, began to question what Obsidian truly represents. The sheer volume of people spreading misinformation—claiming that Obsidian has lost its identity—was both surprising and frustrating.

In most cases, the individuals occupying lead or director positions are the same veterans who helped craft earlier successes like The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, and New Vegas. The continuity from Knights of the Old Republic II to the studio’s current projects is unmistakable.

Since joining Obsidian in 2006 as a tester on Neverwinter Nights 2, the studio’s director has witnessed the company’s evolution from a modding hub to a powerhouse of original RPGs, most notably Fallout: New Vegas in 2010. Over the past decade, Obsidian has carved out its own mythologies with titles such as the fantasy Pillars of Eternity series and the sci‑fi shooters that echo the spirit of the Fallout universe.

Amid a flurry of speculation this week about which new ventures Obsidian is pursuing and how its internal culture has shifted, the director has taken the opportunity to defend the studio’s core identity. He dismissed rumors that the company’s DNA has fundamentally changed, insisting that while nothing remains static, the foundational ethos that birthed Knights of the Old Republic, New Vegas, NWN2, and Stick of Truth remains intact.

He further cautioned against critics who compare the studio’s past and present without understanding the intricacies of game development or the contributions of its team. The director’s remarks underscore a broader industry trend: studios are increasingly scrutinized for their evolution, yet many maintain that their core values persist even as they adapt to new technologies and market demands.

Bloomberg reports that Obsidian was already deep into developing a sequel to last year’s Avowed when the recent workforce reductions struck. The studio’s priority has since shifted to a new Fallout title, though work on the Avowed follow‑up is reportedly still underway. In addition to these projects, Obsidian was juggling other ventures, including a game spearheaded by studio design director Josh Sawyer that bore strong resemblances to a Fallout‑style RPG. Sawyer is now slated to lead the new Fallout effort.

Meanwhile, Xbox is tightening its focus on its marquee franchises, moving away from the Game Pass‑era philosophy of allowing acquired studios to pursue a diverse array of projects aimed at attracting new subscribers. CEO Asha Sharma has signaled a desire to accelerate the release of the next Halo and Fallout games, even as both titles appear to remain years away from launch regardless of how many teams are added to their development pipelines.