Obsidian Entertainment is getting close to the two year anniversary of its acquisition by Microsoft. As a member of the Xbox Games team, Obsidian just had the opportunity to show off its latest projects at the Xbox Games Showcase, and it came prepared to entertain. The studio had an impressive block of the show, proudly revealing a DLC for a major title and two new announcements. Now that it's supported by a larger company, Obsidian appears to be ramping up production significantly.

Between all the space that Microsoft gave Obsidian in the showcase and the sheer amount of content that Obsidian was ready to present, it looks like the working relationship between the two companies is thriving. Fans of Obsidian have a lot of content to look forward to in the near future, and that content seems like it's being supported wholeheartedly by Microsoft. If the two of them continue to play off each other like this, there might be a whole lot for Xbox fans to look forward to in the long term.

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The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon

The first announcement by Obsidian was Peril on Gorgonthe first DLC for the acclaimed 2019 action RPG The Outer Worlds. Those that haven't had the opportunity to try The Outer Worlds yet have likely caught word of this sci-fi adventure. The game received high marks from most critics as well as wins and nominations for all kinds of awards, including four nominations at both The Game Awards 2019 and the Game Critics Awards. Outer Worlds won Best Original game at the latter event.

Obsidian has always had a reputation for making strong RPGs, and The Outer Worlds is only the latest example. Development on the game was already well under way when the studio was acquired by Microsoft, but it looks like the new parent company will not ask Obsidian to focus on leaving its franchises behind in favor of making new properties for Microsoft. Instead, it seems Microsoft has encouraged Obsidian to keep working on The Outer Worlds with this expansion.

However, the contents of the announcement itself are probably the best way to tell how much love Obsidian still has for Outer Worlds. Peril on Gorgon is a 6 to 8 hour expansion that will come with everything from new weapons to new lines of dialogue for the player's companions so that they have a full range of reactions to the new setting of Gorgon. Peril on Gorgon is also unique because its plot is not a side adventure but integrated into the campaign, making it a direct extension for Outer Worlds' story of deep space colonies and far-reaching corporate greed. That kind of ambitious project shows that Obsidian has a lot of passion for Outer Worlds left, and Microsoft has a lot of trust in Obsidian to deliver on these kinds of projects.

Grounded

Grounded

Shortly after Peril on Gorgon was revealed, Obsidian moved on to a brand new survival game. This title has been in production for a long time, already in planning stages after the release of Pillars of Eternity 2 and seeing early work done concurrently with Outer Worlds when that game was still in production. Now, Obsidian is ready to let players get to know Grounded, a game about children who have mysteriously shrunken down to the size of bugs. Players will be forced to contend with the tiny wilderness in their own backyard while trying to discover who or what is responsible for the shrinking.

Even though it's fairly different from the kinds of games that have gotten Obsidian attention in recent history, the offbeat humor in the trailer shows that the game will still try to capture some of the same quirky yet exciting energy that The Outer Worlds got plenty of praise for. If Obsidian can deliver on that energy while implementing satisfying survival gameplay in the charming environment of a '90s child's backyard, Grounded will be worth keeping an eye on.

The arrival of Grounded, another project already in development before the acquisition, implies that Microsoft trusts in Obsidian's vision and intends to cooperate with the studio on bringing that vision to life. The early access announcement is an important part of that. Players interested in Grounded only have to wait until July 28 to jump into early access, where they can play the first fifth or so of the campaign. Microsoft bringing Obsidian's game onto Xbox Game Preview so soon after the reveal (it'll be on Steam too) shows that Microsoft knows extensively supporting its new studio will benefit the both of them.

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Avowed

Obsidian's final announcement was much shorter on information than the previous two, but the trailer seized attention and shows that the studio's projects for the near future will continue to channel its strengths. On top of finishing off Peril of Gorgon and developing Grounded, Obsidian has begun production on a new fantasy RPG called AvowedThe tone of the game looks darker than Outer Worlds or Grounded, pitting the player against dark forces and involving both swordsmanship and sorcery.

Avowed looks like it'll be Obsidian's first project developed completely within its time as a Microsoft subsidiary. However, if the trailer is anything to go by, that new working relationship will not get in the way of Obsidian's expertise. It will still have ample opportunity to dive into the RPG genre and come up with exciting new experiences for its fans. Since it's likely to be exclusively for Xbox and PC, Microsoft will really reap the benefits of Avowed, and more broadly Obsidian's RPG designing talents.

The sheer volume of these announcements might not have been possible without the Microsoft acquisition. Obsidian has faced some money troubles in the studios history, but now it's working on two major games and a DLC at the same time. Perhaps Microsoft is putting a lot of resources into Obsidian to ensure that it produces and succeeds on the Xbox Series X. One would hope that that kind of partnership is in place. An Obsidian with the resources of Microsoft behind it is very well poised to deliver a lot more high quality content that fans of either company can enjoy. For the time being, Obsidian and Microsoft look like they have a promising symbiotic relationship.

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