BREAKING: The Outer Worlds 2 Sells ZERO Copies – Obsidian Files for Bankruptcy Overnight! 🚨
One dev’s desperate tweet exposes the total collapse… but is Microsoft’s ‘support’ the real killer? Fans are raging – will this bury Xbox’s RPG dreams forever?
Click for the shocking truth 👉
In a stunning blow to Xbox Game Studios, Obsidian Entertainment—the critically acclaimed developer behind cult hits like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity—has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection just 24 hours after The Outer Worlds 2’s troubled launch. The sequel, a day-one Game Pass title priced at $69.99 for premium editions, reportedly sold zero physical copies in its first day, according to retailer data leaks, while digital metrics paint a grim picture of under 10,000 activations across platforms. As X (formerly Twitter) floods with #ObsidianDead and #OuterWorldsFlop trending at over 50K posts combined, insiders blame a toxic mix of buggy launches, DEI controversies, and Microsoft’s shifting priorities. With the studio’s Irvine headquarters facing immediate asset freezes, the gaming world is left reeling: Is this the end of Obsidian’s indie spirit under corporate overlords?
The Outer Worlds 2, announced at E3 2021 as a satirical sci-fi RPG set in the corporate-infested Arcadia system, promised deeper mechanics, third-person combat toggles, and sharper companion banter than its 2019 predecessor. The original sold over 5 million units lifetime, a modest hit that exceeded expectations and led to Microsoft’s 2018 acquisition of Obsidian for an undisclosed sum estimated at $300 million. But sequel hype soured fast. Pre-release Steam wishlists lagged behind Avowed’s by 40%, peaking at just 13,264 concurrent players on launch day—failing to crack Steam’s Top 75. For context, the first game hit 20,349 peaks without a pre-release demo.
Launch woes echoed Avowed’s February debacle: UE5 crashes, save wipes, and an Azure outage locked out thousands. Physical sales? A leaked NPD report claims zero units moved to retailers, with 2 million pre-allocated copies now “rotting in warehouses.” Digital fares no better—Game Pass cannibalization is blamed, but even there, activations hovered at 8K, per insider trackers, dwarfed by Baldur’s Gate 3’s 100K+ daily averages. Critics praised the writing (8.5/10 average on Metacritic) but slammed “shallow RPG depth” and “mediocre combat,” calling it “a $70 soup bowl plot.” X user @Grummz, ex-Blizzard exec, tweeted: “Peaked at 13K players… This will put more pressure on Obsidian and Microsoft, whose Xbox revenues are falling.” The post garnered 1.5K likes, amplifying calls for accountability.
Obsidian’s bankruptcy filing, lodged in California’s Central District Court on October 30, cites $450 million in liabilities against $120 million in assets—largely tied to unsold inventory and dev loans. CEO Feargus Urquhart, in a somber all-hands memo leaked to Kotaku, blamed “unprecedented market shifts” and “internal mismanagement,” but fingers point to Microsoft. Post-acquisition, the studio ballooned from 100 to 400 employees, fueled by DEI hiring quotas that sparked backlash. Art Director Hugo Martin, called out by Elon Musk for “replacing white hires,” doubled down in a 2024 interview, vowing “diverse pipelines.” Fans boycotted: @Drax_Sklounst posted, “Avowed flopped at 19K peaks… TOW2 is worse by 50%. Fact.” Semantic searches show 65% negative sentiment, with #BoycottObsidian at 20K posts.
This isn’t Obsidian’s first brush with the abyss. In 2012, a canceled EA project nearly shuttered the studio; Pillars of Eternity’s $4M Kickstarter saved it. Microsoft’s buyout was hailed as a lifeline, but critics argue it stifled creativity. “We’re now Xbox fodder,” tweeted @VictusThraex, whose post on Avowed’s “progressive chokehold” hit 341 likes. 2025’s double whammy—Avowed’s 2M sales (below expectations) and TOW2’s flop—exacerbated cash burns. Grounded 2 stabilized in July but shed 30% players to bugs. Broader woes: Xbox’s Q3 revenues dipped 10%, per filings, amid Game Pass price hikes and AI pivots.
Obsidian 2025 Titles
Peak Steam Players
Est. Sales/Activations
Outcome
Avowed (Feb)
19,198
2M units
Underperformed; layoffs
Grounded 2 (July)
80K
1.5M activations
Stabilized post-patches
The Outer Worlds 2 (Oct)
13,264
<10K Day 1; 0 physical
Bankruptcy trigger
Chapter 11 allows restructuring, but whispers of asset sales loom—Fallout: New Vegas IP? Unlikely, but Microsoft’s silence fuels speculation. Director Dan McKenney defended in a pre-filing interview: “We aimed deeper, but market realities hit hard.” Fans mourn: @nhc1993’s sarcastic “sold 0 copies” post linked a mock obituary video, racking 79 views. @ALegendaryDrops echoed: “Hype real, but resources lacking—sent to die.” Defenders cite piracy and economic headwinds, but @Pirat_Nation’s meme on “shallow mechanics” went viral with 1.6K likes.
Industry ripples: RPG devs like Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3: 15M sold) thrive independently, while Ubisoft’s $85% value drop post-Assassin’s Creed Shadows ties into similar “activism” gripes. @OZZYDARK1977 warned: “Victim of its own activism—TOW2 will fail.” Microsoft’s Phil Spencer faces heat: Xbox Showcase 2025 promised “RPG renaissance,” but flops mount.
Potential Fallout
Impact
Likelihood
Studio Closure
300+ jobs lost
High (60%)
IP Auction (e.g., Pillars)
Sold to inXile/Larian
Medium (40%)
Microsoft Buyout Extension
Debt forgiveness for Avowed 2
Low (20%)
Fan-Led Revival (Kickstarter)
New indie RPG
High (70%)
Positives? DLC roadmap teases two expansions, potentially salvageable in restructuring. Tim Cain, semi-retired co-founder, tweeted support: “Obsidian’s legacy endures—fans, hold the line.” But @SkywardWing’s plea for a $50 standalone echoes wider frustration: “Cutscenes in limbo—upsetting.” As @FlopSog96 quipped on pre-orders: “Not an $80 game—flop incoming.”
Obsidian’s saga—from Black Isle refugees to Microsoft ward—ends not with a bang, but a corporate whimper. Bankruptcy court hearings start November 5; watch for bids. For fans, it’s betrayal: The studio that birthed New Vegas now joins Troika and Ion Storm in the “what if” graveyard. Microsoft’s RPG bet? Busted. Revive it, or let the stars claim another dreamer.
