Following a difficult week that saw roughly a quarter of its staff impacted by Microsoft’s mass layoffs, Obsidian Entertainment is pushing back against public criticism regarding the studio's current creative direction. Brandon Adler, the director of The Outer Worlds 2, took to LinkedIn to defend the team's identity and address recent commentary suggesting that the studio is no longer what it once was.

"The number of times I've seen people, with no understanding of who has worked on our previous games or what they contributed, talk about how Obsidian isn't who they used to be... is staggering," Adler wrote. He noted that the individuals currently in lead and director roles are, in many instances, the same people who worked on foundational titles like Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds.

Quick Facts

  • Obsidian Entertainment recently faced layoffs affecting approximately 25% of its staff.
  • The studio is currently developing The Outer Worlds 2 for PC and Xbox Series S/X.
  • Director Brandon Adler has been with the studio since 2006, with a brief hiatus to develop mobile games.

The sentiment surrounding the studio has been noisy lately, fueled by reports of internal pivots and the cancellation of an Avowed sequel. Adler, who has been with the studio for nearly two decades, admitted that while the studio has naturally evolved, its core ethos remains unchanged. "Is Obsidian the same as it was 20 years ago? No, of course not. Nothing stays the same," he stated. "But the DNA at Obsidian is the same as it always was. The same DNA that created KotOR, New Vegas, NWN2, and Stick of Truth."

Adler also took the opportunity to advocate for the developers affected by the recent job cuts. "Know that if you are looking to hire one of these former Obsidian devs, you are hiring some of the best people around - both professionally and personally," he said, describing the week as an "extremely difficult" period for the studio.

While recent releases like Avowed and The Outer Worlds have faced scrutiny from critics—often held to the high bar of past successes like New Vegas—Adler remains firm in his pride for the studio's history and its future trajectory. "I'm extremely proud of our history and I am also excited for who we have become," he added.