Obsidian's Avowed and Outer Worlds 2 disappoint on sales despite critical acclaim

Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 have failed to meet sales expectations, according to studio boss Feargus Urquhart. The disappointing performance comes despite both RPGs receiving critical acclaim, with both games featuring in 2025's best-of lists. Speaking to Bloomberg, Urquhart revealed the underperformance has prompted the studio to reconsider its lengthy development cycles.

A pattern of long development, mixed results

Both Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 took over six years to develop, a timeline that Urquhart now believes may have contributed to their commercial struggles. "They're not disasters," Urquhart told Bloomberg. "I'm not going to say this was a kick in the teeth. It was more like: 'That sucks. What are we learning?'"

The disappointing sales have prompted serious reflection at Obsidian about resource allocation and development time. Urquhart is now thinking "a lot about how much we put into the games, how much we spend on them, how long they take." Moving forward, the studio plans to cut development time to three to four years for future projects.

This strategy shift comes as the gaming industry continues to grapple with declining hardware sales and changing consumer habits around game purchases.

Grounded 2 shows alternative path

In stark contrast to the RPG duo's performance, Grounded 2 has become "a massive success" for Obsidian despite taking only around three years to develop. The survival game was developed primarily by Eidos and demonstrates that shorter development cycles don't necessarily compromise commercial success.

The success of Grounded 2 reinforces Urquhart's new philosophy about game development timelines. It also highlights how different genres and development approaches can yield vastly different results, even within the same studio.

What's next for Obsidian's franchises

The sales disappointment has directly impacted Obsidian's future plans. The studio confirmed it has no plans to develop The Outer Worlds 3 following the sequel's underperformance. However, new content is being developed for The Outer Worlds 2, suggesting the studio isn't abandoning the franchise entirely.

Future games set in the Avowed universe are also planned, indicating Obsidian sees potential in the fantasy setting despite the initial game's commercial struggles. Avowed shares its setting with the Pillars of Eternity series, giving the studio an established lore foundation to build upon.

"Our job, all of us here, is to go make games that people want to play and buy," Urquhart said, "and if we continue to do that, then we have a solid business."

With Fallout creator Tim Cain recently returning to the studio, Obsidian appears to be positioning itself for a new chapter focused on shorter, more commercially viable development cycles.

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