Obsidian’s Brandon Adler says “Players want deeper RPGs” as The Outer Worlds 2 returns to classic RPG roots

In the lead-up to The Outer Worlds 2’s launch on October 29, 2025, Obsidian Entertainment Game Director Brandon Adler has voiced a clear message to the RPG community. Players are yearning for more profound, more intricate experiences that hark back to the genre’s roots.

In an interview on a podcast with Danny Pena on Gamertag Radio, Adler mentioned that modern RPGs often err on the side of streamlining and sanding down mechanics to appeal to the masses. Still, fans continue to crave deeper mechanics over simplicity. He stated this plainly during the interview: “Players want deeper RPGs.”

And that’s what Obsidian Entertainment promises with The Outer Worlds 2. The game is expected to be larger and more reactive, amplifying player agency through consequences that ripple through choices, builds, and narrative outcomes. 

The Outer Worlds 2’s approach is a deliberate shift from the 2019 original. Despite garnering widespread praise and commercial success, selling over 5 million copies by late 2023, the original still drew some criticism for its relatively simplistic take on the RPG genre, feeling shallow to veteran players.

Adler’s views come at an essential point in Obsidian’s history, capping off what the studio describes as “Year of Obsidian” in 2025, a banner period featuring the February release of first-person RPG Avowed, the surprise early access launch of survival sequel Grounded 2, and now The Outer Worlds 2 in quick succession.

As the first-time director of a AAA project, having previously spearheaded DLC for Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire, Adler has drawn inspiration from Obsidian’s catalogue of choice-driven titles like the Pillars series and the critically acclaimed and timeless Fallout: New Vegas.

Referring to The Outer Worlds 2’s expansive take on diverse character builds, granular number-crunching, and raw RPG tools that the industry has phased out with time, Adler said, “Let’s give players those options.”

Adler said the studio has also reviewed feedback from the first game and concluded that fans want the freedom to experiment with “all the different types of builds they can,” without tedious hand-holding that dilutes the satisfaction of perfecting one-of-a-kind builds.

This renewed focus on returning to complex RPG mechanics is now more relevant than ever in light of recent RPG successes, such as Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3, which has sold a staggering 15 million copies worldwide since its debut in 2023 and has a pre-tax profit of $260.9 million.

As Obsidian preps for The Outer Worlds 2’s launch, the game will arrive on PC, Xbox Series S|X, and PS5, throwing players into a satirical sci-fi romp across the Halcyon colony’s corporate dystopia with expanded exploration and long-sought RPG depth.