Brandon Adler, game director for the upcoming Outer Worlds 2 and a two-decade veteran at Obsidian Entertainment, has spoken out following recent mass layoffs at Xbox, which reportedly included the cancellation of a planned Avowed sequel. The layoffs at Obsidian, which occurred on July 6, resulted in approximately 25% of the studio's staff losing their jobs.
Adler described the period as "an extremely difficult week at Obsidian," noting the personal impact of saying goodbye to colleagues who were also friends. He emphasized that those seeking to hire departing developers would be gaining "some of the best people around--both professionally and personally."
During this challenging time, Adler also addressed what he termed "takes issue with," specifically comments from individuals he termed "cold take artists" who he feels are spreading misinformation about Obsidian's current identity and its perceived deviation from its historical roots. "Most of the time they are not just wrong, but spreading an enormous amount of misinformation," Adler stated.
He asserted that the core creative leadership at Obsidian remains consistent, with many individuals in director and lead roles having worked on foundational titles such as The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, and Fallout: New Vegas. "The through line from KotOR2 to our current games is pretty clear," Adler said, referring to Knights of the Old Republic 2.
While acknowledging that Obsidian, like any entity, has evolved over its 20-year history, Adler maintained that its fundamental "DNA" has not changed. He cited the studio's legacy of well-received games, including Knights of the Old Republic, Fallout: New Vegas, Neverwinter Nights 2, and South Park: The Stick of Truth, as evidence of this enduring creative spirit. Adler expressed pride in Obsidian's history and excitement for its future, urging listeners to be critical of external commentary from those without insight into game development or the studio's contributors.
Adler's tenure at Obsidian began in 2006 after a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, including service in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He started as a QA tester for Neverwinter Nights 2 and progressed through roles such as associate producer on Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park: The Stick of Truth. After a period away from Obsidian, working on mobile games from 2012 to 2013, he returned to take on lead producer duties for Pillars of Eternity. He later served as gameplay design director on Avowed before becoming game director for The Outer Worlds 2 alongside Leonard Boyarsky.