The Outer Worlds 2 is a 2025 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is a standalone sequel to The Outer Worlds (2019), set in the Arcadia star system that has been invaded by a megacorporation. Players assume control of the protagonist, an Earth Directorate Agent, who is tasked with uncovering the source of emerging rifts that threaten to destroy the colony amidst a factional war.
In line with its predecessor, The Outer Worlds 2 features a first-person perspective, additionally, the ability to switch to a third-person perspective has been introduced to the series, which was unavailable in the first entry outside of limited sequences. The gameplay involves alternating between various combat, stealth and dialogue systems when encountering hostile non-playable characters in the overworld. The game also retains its predecessor's dialogue tree system which influences the branching story paths depending on how the player interacts with their party and other supporting characters throughout the narrative.
The Outer Worlds 2 began development shortly following the release of the first game in 2019, and had entered full development two years later. Tim Cain, who co-directed the first game before leaving Obsidian in 2020, remained involved as a creative consultant during production.
The Outer Worlds 2 was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 29, 2025. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Gameplay
The Outer Worlds 2 is an action role-playing game that is played in either first-person or third-person perspective. Players can use melee weapons and firearms to defeat enemies. The game features an expanded selection of weapons, better visuals, and an increased focus on action compared to the first game, according to Obsidian Entertainment.[2] It will be set in a new solar system with a new cast of characters.[3]
The Outer Worlds 2 is set in an alternate future that diverged from our timeline in 1901 when U.S. President William McKinley was not assassinated. As a result, Theodore Roosevelt never succeeded him as President, and the great business trusts of the era were not broken up. This led to the emergence of a hyper-capitalist, class-centric society dominated by the power of megacorporations. The advent of faster-than-light travel allows megacorporations to establish colonies on distant planets, which they terraform with varying results.[4]
Where The Outer Worlds was set in the colony of Halcyon, The Outer Worlds 2 takes place in the colony of Arcadia. The player takes on the role of a commander working for the Earth Directorate, an administrative body tasked with coordinating between Earth and its intergalatic colonies. The player is sent to Arcadia to investigate rifts in the fabric of space and time that have cut the colonies off from Earth entirely.[b] There, they discover a brewing conflict between three factions:
The Protectorate, a totalitarian government which governs much of the colony and holds a monopoly over superluminal travel
Auntie's Choice, a megacorporation formed by the merger of pharmaceutical company Auntie Cleo's and consumer goods manufacturer Spacer's Choice, which seeks to overthrow the Protectorate in order to monopolize the colony and hypersonic travel for themselves.
The Order of the Ascendant, a religious order who believe the universe is governed by mathematical equations and intend to use the resources of Arcadia to bring a new age of enlightenment for humanity.
Development
During development of the first game, Obsidian Entertainment was acquired by Microsoft and integrated as a first-party developer for Xbox Game Studios in November 2018.[5] While the arrangement did not affect the game's original distribution plans,[6] Microsoft acquired all publishing duties for "future iterations" of The Outer Worlds from Private Division by May 2021.[7][8] A sequel to the game had entered development in September 2019, two months before The Outer Worlds launched.[9][10]
In January 2024, The Outer Worlds director Tim Cain, who left Obsidian in 2020 and considered himself retired from the games industry, revealed that he remained attached to The Outer Worlds 2 as a creative consultant during its production.[11] Cain praised the game's team as they had "figured out" a solution to a specific problem the developer had continued to struggle with across all his previous titles, referencing production notes he recalled from creating the original Fallout in 1997, and he frequently assisted staff in identifying "pitfalls" in the game's overall quality.[12][13] In August 2024, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart provided an update on the game, saying it "is looking incredible" despite conflicts with the game's planned production timeline.[14][15]
Release
The Outer Worlds 2 was announced at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase during Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2021, where it was slated for release on Windows and Xbox Series X/S as a console-exclusive.[16] At the time of announcement, the game had just entered full production, and the game's accompanying trailer broke the fourth wall by addressing the fact the studio did not have any gameplay or materials ready to be shown by then.[17] A full trailer unveiling gameplay and story details was presented at The Game Awards (TGA) in December 2024, which additionally confirmed a 2025 launch window, making it the second Obsidian-developed title to release that year following Avowed that February.[18] The game was also now slated to have a simultaneous multiplatform release, with a PlayStation 5 version planned to launch alongside the Xbox and PC releases.[19] The game was the subject of a special Direct presentation that aired immediately following the Xbox Games Showcase on June 8, 2025.[20]
It was made available to subscribers of select Xbox Game Pass plans on release day, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.[21]
The Outer Worlds 2 was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 29, 2025.[22][23][24] It was originally going to be the first title from Xbox Game Studios to launch at US$79.99, following Microsoft's commitment to the price point for new major releases going forward.[25][26] However, on July 23, 2025, the official Outer Worlds Twitter/X account announced that the game will now cost US$69.99, instead of the original price of US$79.99.[27]
Despite positive reviews from critics The Outer Worlds 2's launch was muted, with the Steam player count peaking at just 13,264 on release day, even lower than the release of Avowed at 19,198. Player reviews range from positive, but noting it is too expensive for the quality of the game released, to a growing cohort of negative reviews, mostly based around performance issues. This reflects broader changes in the video game market, as consumers wait for word of mouth to help them decide whether or not to purchase a game.[45]
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