The Outer Worlds 2 will be upon us in just under two months, and its leads tell us that "seeing the success" of Baldur's Gate 3 has given Obsidian Entertainment "heart" that players "really, actually want" RPGs like it.
RPGs have been getting a lot of (well-deserved) love lately, and speaking in an interview with GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2025, we ask The Outer Worlds 2 creative director Leonard Boyarsky and game director Brandon Adler if they've noticed a trend of recent games more often including deeper RPG mechanics. Boyarsky points out that when it came to The Outer Worlds 1, one of Obsidian's "taglines" was "we were an RPG with RPG elements. It was one of the things we said in one of our trailers.
"Because, yeah, for a very long time, and even when we were pitching the original Outer Worlds to different publishers, it's like, you would think that'd be a no-brainer, right? Obsidian making a new RPG, it's like, come on, you know, I think people would be interested in that," he continues. "And as they're making all these games with quote, unquote 'RPG elements' and way more role playing, there was still kind of like a little bit of trepidation. Now, with things like Baldur's Gate 3, Outer Worlds having come out, I think people are a lot more open to it again. It feels like we had to prove ourselves all over again to a certain degree."
Adler adds: "I mean, I love seeing it, but again, like, Baldur's Gate 3, seeing its success, it gives us heart that people really, actually want these kinds of games, and we're on the right track, and it's good to kind of bring that stuff to the forefront again."
It's already been an RPG-heavy year, with the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Oblivion Remastered already out, and more to come, including Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Here's hoping Obsidian will be able to stand out from the crowd when The Outer Worlds 2 launches on October 29 (or October 24 for those with early access).
While you're here, be sure to check out our Outer Worlds 2 hands-on and our roundups of everything announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 and the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2025 to make sure you don't miss out on any new game reveals.
