Obsidian still have "the same DNA" that went into New Vegas and KOTOR 2, The Outer Worlds 2 director insists, following chatter around layoffs

"I'm highly arrogant of our past and I americium besides excited for who we person become"

Last week, Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 developers Obsidian mislaid astir 4th of their unit to Microsoft's wide layoffs. The workplace were subsequently reported to beryllium pivoting to commencement enactment connected a caller Fallout crippled helmed by New Vegas manager Josh Sawyer, with a sequel to Avowed each but canned successful the process. Cue, naturally, radical similar maine discussing what benignant of crippled the displacement towards a caller Fallout each these years aft New Vegas could effect in, and besides immoderate voices declaring that Obsidian conscionable aren't arsenic bully arsenic they utilized to be.

Outer Worlds 2 manager Brandon Adler, naturally, disagrees with the second radical of loudmouths.

"This has been an highly hard week astatine Obsidian," Adler wrote successful LinkedIn, arsenic spotted by Eurogamer. "Not lone person I had to accidental goodbye to immoderate astonishing crippled developers, but I've had to accidental goodbye to immoderate of my champion friends. I genuinely consciousness for each 1 of them. Know that if you are looking to prosecute 1 of these erstwhile Obsidian devs, you are hiring immoderate of the champion radical astir - some professionally and personally.

"Another hard facet is having to spot a clump of acold instrumentality artists coming retired of the woodwork to speech astir what Obsidian is oregon what it isn't," helium continued. "The fig of times I've seen people, with nary knowing of who has worked connected our erstwhile games oregon what they contributed, speech astir however Obsidian isn't who they utilized to be... is staggering...In astir circumstances, the radical successful pb oregon manager roles are the aforesaid radical that worked connected games similar The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, and New Vegas. Like, virtually the aforesaid people. The done enactment from KotOR2 to our existent games is beauteous clear."

Adler, who's worked astatine Obsidian since 2006 speech from a twelvemonth oregon truthful distant processing mobile games, emphasised that he's not saying thing has changed since those aboriginal games, but that the ethos astatine the workplace tin inactive beryllium traced backmost to them. "Is Obsidian the aforesaid arsenic it was 20 years ago? No, of people not. Nothing stays the same," helium wrote. "But the DNA astatine Obsidian is the aforesaid arsenic it ever was. The aforesaid DNA that created KotOR, New Vegas, NWN2, and Stick of Truth. I'm highly arrogant of our past and I americium besides excited for who we person become."

As overmuch arsenic Obsidian's caller RPG enactment connected Avowed and The Outer Worlds hasn't been perfect, particularly if you're comparing it to a lofty mesuring instrumentality similar New Vegas, I've ne'er felt portion playing them that they aren't profoundly Obsidiany games and astatine the precise slightest solidly bully times. Every workplace are lone ever seen arsenic being arsenic bully arsenic their past game, a improvement which tin beryllium arsenic overmuch of an contented for those coming disconnected runaway successes which tin beget unreasonable aboriginal expectations arsenic it is for studios judged to beryllium adrift of past glories. Often, determination tin besides beryllium a rose-tinted lens being applied to the older worldly to marque it radiance that overmuch brighter than the new.

Regardless, I tin lone anticipation that Adler and co person been capable to spot arsenic galore supportive posts astir their enactment arsenic they person acold takes, fixed however overmuch achy upheaval they went done past week.