Avowed Developer Obsidian Entertainment Has Grown Since its Acquisition by Microsoft

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Obsidian Entertainment, known for its latest RPG “Avowed”, has shared that it has expanded significantly since joining Xbox Game Studios. In a chat with IGN on their Unlocked podcast, CEO Feargus Urquhart disclosed that the team numbered around 170-180 members before Microsoft’s acquisition.

According to Urquhart, since the recent acquisition, Obsidian Entertainment has expanded to approximately 285 team members. He additionally discussed collaborating with excellent development partners such as Beamdog and Heavy Iron Studios.

Urquhart stated that in 2018, our team was around 170-180 members when we introduced XGS and Xbox. Over the past five to six years, not only has our studio expanded to approximately 285 employees, but we’ve also established strong partnerships for co-development with companies like Heavy Iron and Beamdog.

The conversation in the following segment ranged across various topics, such as Obsidian’s games like “Avowed”, “Grounded” (their co-op survival game), and “The Outer Worlds”. During this discussion, Urquhart was also queried about the possibility of Obsidian developing a new “Fallout” game in the future.

When asked about a potential sequel to Fallout: New Vegas, Urquhart replied with a sentiment close to his heart. “As an ’80s kid and Gen-Xer,” he said, “it fits perfectly. If the chance ever comes up for us to create another one, we’d be thrilled. However, we also have numerous other projects we’re passionate about.

Notably, Josh Sawyer, who penned Fallout: New Vegas, has rejoined Obsidian Entertainment in a creative director role after an absence of nearly a decade. During his time away, he contributed significantly to various well-known games such as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (as lead narrative designer) and Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West (in the role of narrative director).

In simple terms, Obsidian Entertainment’s recent game, titled Avowed, debuted last week and has been quite a hit. The Steam version, on its release day, had as many as 17,000 simultaneous players. Given that the game is also offered through Game Pass, it’s reasonable to assume that the number of concurrent players on PC could have been significantly higher.

Avowed is a first-person role-playing game set in the universe of Eora, which is also home to both Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. In this game, players assume the role of an emissary from the Aedyran Empire tasked with investigating a mysterious affliction called the Dream Scourge. During their journey, players will encounter and forge alliances with various companions while unraveling the enigmas surrounding the Dream Scourge and the motives of different factions involved.

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2025-02-24 15:41