Not to be confused with The Outer Wilds, the indie title that launched in the same year as The Outer Worlds, The Outer Worlds 2 is an upcoming sequel to the dystopian sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, which Xbox announced during E3 2021. The original game was often referred to as a Fallout game but in space, which makes sense because Obsidian was responsible for what many consider one of the best, Fallout: New Vegas. It was a well-received game, though not without some flaws, leading many to wonder whether or not this new universe would ever come back. Many (including us) were surprised to see news about this game, and while there isn’t much to go on just yet, we can make a few informed guesses on details we will get later on. For now, here’s everything we know, and suspect, about The Outer Worlds 2.
Release date
The initial reveal not only didn’t have a release date, but was itself a parody of teaser trailers that have little to no information in them. All we can do for now is speculate on when we think The Outer Worlds 2 will actually be ready. The Outer Worlds came out near the end of 2019, but the last chunk of DLC for the game didn’t hit until the end of 2021. The best-case scenario would be that a smaller team handled the DLC while another small team got to work on preproduction on the full-fledged sequel, but it is also possible that there was a gap of time before it was actually greenlit.
Even in the best-case scenario, based on there being nothing at all to see about the game, and how much detail and work Obsidian likes to put into their games, we think it will be at least 2023 before The Outer Worlds 2 is done. Since it wasn’t present during Xbox’s 2022 Gamescom showcase, which promised all titles shown would launch within the next 12 months, it is looking more and more likely that this game won’t come until 2024.
Platforms
Unlike the somewhat uncertain messaging that was circulating after the Microsoft buyout of Bethesda, we know right from the jump that The Outer Worlds 2 will be an Xbox console exclusive and will come to Game Pass the same day it launches. It wasn’t explicitly stated, but based on the trend Xbox has been following with their exclusives, it will also still come to PC. For fans of the first game who played on PlayStation or Switch, well, you’ve got a few years to either invest in an Xbox or PC it seems.
Trailer
The reveal trailer, which is more of a teaser than anything else, is peak self-aware comedy. The trailer’s narrator breaks the fourth wall basically instantly, mocking how traditional teasers and reveals are shot. They show off a cool monster and immediately remark that it won’t be in the final game, then mock how slow-motion action shots are used to make things seem cooler than they are to bump pre-orders and how they all have to end with musical cues placed over sweeping shots of the environment until we get to a silhouette of the protagonist.
Obsidian, via the humorous narrator, is upfront about the fact that they have no character models, gameplay, or anything else about the game complete except for the title. Alone, that teaser really gives us very little to work with except for the fact that The Outer Worlds 2 is being made, and will also be set in space. Thankfully, a little more information has creeped out about the game.
Thanks to an official tweet of the teaser from The Outer Worlds account, the team added a few brief lines: “New star system. New crew. Same Outer Worlds.” From that, we can assume a few things. First, we’re going to be leaving the Halcyon system, or at least be able to go to a new star system in addition to it. Second, there will be an entirely new crew of companions, and quite possibly a new protagonist as well. Finally, this game will not be a major departure from what we all loved about the original game.
Moon Man remains the logo for The Outer Worlds 2, but is the mascot for the corporation Spacer’s Choice in the game, inferring that there will be at least some tie-ins with the first game. Considering one of the possible endings for The Outer Worlds involving the fate of the Halcyon Holdings which owns Spacer’s Choice, it will be interesting to see how the sequel moves forward in regards to the player’s action in the first game. Or it could completely ignore them, too.
The phrase “New crew” implies that none of the old cast will return in the sequel, at least as party members, but perhaps some will show up as NPCs. Many people grew pretty attached to the crew in the first game and would love to see them come back in some form for this game.
If you enjoyed the writing and tone of the first game, The Outer Worlds 2 looks like a very safe bet for more of the same in that regard.
Gameplay
The trailer is upfront that there’s no gameplay ready to be shown for The Outer Worlds 2. So while it could technically be a complete genre twist, it is much more likely to be another Fallout-style game with multiple planets to explore, companions to meet, quests to take on, dialogue options to make, and skills to level up. Really, if we’re being honest, all we need this game to be is a more polished, maybe slightly larger, version of the first game and we’d be happy. Give us more choices of consequence, quests that react to how we choose to complete them, and overall deeper mechanics to make us feel like we have agency in the world or worlds.
Gunplay in the first game was serviceable, but nothing too exciting or satisfying. It was Fallout-style combat in all but name, with all the jank you’d expect from that type of system. If they can improve that system, and the A.I., to be on the level of their writing, humor, and quest design, The Outer Worlds 2 could be a major hit.
One thing we hope returns is the way skills worked in the first game, where you initially invested in broader skills before they broke down into more specific skills. For example, you would begin by just putting points into melee combat, but once you hit rank 50 you start putting points into the specialized skills like one-handed melee versus two-handed. That lets players get a feel for what each skill does before asking them to commit to a super-specialized playstyle right off the bat.
Preorder
Again, we’re likely at least a year off from The Outer Worlds 2 launching, so there are no preorder details available beyond the promise of it coming to Game Pass. Like all Microsoft first-party studios, which include Obsidian, The Outer Worlds 2 will launch day and date on Game Pass, meaning if you are a subscriber, you can download the game the moment it comes out at no extra charge.
Whenever preorder options are revealed, we’ll be sure to update this section to let you know all the details.
