Obsidian Cancels Avowed Sequel, Will Focus on New Fallout Game
Obsidian, the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas, returns to the franchise after years of original IP, but the cancellation of Avowed's sequel signals a major shift in Xbox's strategy following disappointing sales.
Reporting from 2 sources: Automaton, Game Spark.
Following Microsoft layoffs that affected 1,600 Xbox employees, Obsidian Entertainment has canceled the sequel to Avowed and other unannounced projects. The studio will now focus on developing a new Fallout title, according to Bloomberg. CEO Feargus Urquhart told Bloomberg that sales of Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 were poor. Development of downloadable content for The Outer Worlds 2 and Grounded 2 will continue.
The layoffs that hit Microsoft's Xbox division on July 6, reducing headcount by 1,600, also reached Obsidian Entertainment, where 52 people lost their jobs. Bloomberg reports that the studio has canceled the sequel to Avowed and other unannounced projects. In their place, Obsidian will begin work on a new Fallout title. The shift follows CEO Feargus Urquhart's admission to Bloomberg that sales of both Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 fell short of targets. Development of downloadable content for The Outer Worlds 2 and Grounded 2 continues, and some staff remain on the Avowed sequel until the new project is ready.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.