Over these last couple of years,Obsidian Entertainmentfans have been treated to a wide variety of exciting adventures. Not only has the studio crafted its own brand-new IPs with the likes ofThe Outer WorldsandGrounded, but it has also delved into the worlds of the past throughAvowed. Whatever players are looking for, the studio seems to offer it, and there’s plenty more on the horizon. That said, while its recent output has been great and its upcoming releases look promising,Obsidian Entertainmentseems to be leaving some of its earliest adventures behind.
As of now, Obsidian Entertainment seems to be focused on building out brand-new franchises, which has led to some pretty great titles. But, years ago, the studio spent much of its time actually exploring various licensed IPs.FromStar WarstoFallout, it excelled at putting its own staple on these franchises, with some players even saying it delivered the best video games within those franchises to date. So, although it should definitely still focus on creating original experiences, Obsidian will hopefully return to licensed content as well.
Obsidian’s Upcoming Slate Should Not Forget Its Past
Obsidian Fans Have So Much to Look Forward To
During the last two console generations, it has felt like Obsidian is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, the studio seems to be delivering even more exciting experiences across a wide range of genres at a very consistent rate. Sci-fi RPG fans got to experiencea brand-new galaxy withThe Outer Worlds, fantasy RPG fans dove intoAvowed, those looking for a new type of survival game hadGroundedto turn to, and those craving a blast from RPG’s past could check outPentiment. Across these titles, the studio has shown why it is one of the biggest names in the gaming world right now, and in 2025, it is set to expand that even further.
Earlier this year,Avowedhit store shelves and sucked playersback to thePillars of Eternityworldfor a whole new type of adventure. Later this year, Obsidian is planning on expanding its sci-fi universe even further withThe Outer Worlds 2,which looks to be taking things to new heights. And if that was not enough, the studio also has plans to launchGrounded 2in 2025, which will take the survival series to a whole new locale. While it remains to be seen if these adventures are all worth the wait, the potential alone is extremely exciting. However, original IP hopefully won’t be all Obsidian does from now on.
Licensed IPs Should Still Be a Part of Obsidian’s Future
All of these titles may be promising, but it also feels like Obsidian is moving on from some of its best work in the process. In those earlier years, the studio was mainly focused on exploring pre-established IPs and making its own mark on those worlds. Many players lovedStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, it’s often argued thatFallout: New Vegasis the best in the series, andSouth Park: The Stick of Truthwas an incredible surprise back in 2014. All of these titles felt like true love letters to their respective IPs, but based on its recent output, the studio does not seem like it has plans for any more projects like them.
Of course, Obsidian should still focus much of its efforts on building out new universes and franchises, as that can lead to some fantastic experiences. But as it does that, it will hopefully also leave some space for the licensed adventures it had previously leaned into. The studio excelled at those types of games, and even if they were to come in smaller packages, there is seemingly no reason it could not create equally strong licensed titles now.
With Obsidian under the Xbox Game Studios banner, the studio could be given access to countless more franchises. Not only could it delve intoFalloutagain, but it could also make its mark onThe Elder Scrolls, explore the world ofFable,take onDiablo, or even bring back the likes ofDishonored. And if that was not enough, there is a whole world of film and TV IP just waiting for more games of their own, many of which would be right up Obsidian’s alley.
