Fallout Devs Eye Obscure Series Revival

Obsidian Entertainment's CEO has expressed strong interest in developing a lesser-known Microsoft game franchise. This article explores why this particular franchise has caught the eye of the renowned RPG studio.

Obsidian's CEO Wants to Breathe New Life into Shadowrun

Beyond Fallout: A New Frontier

In a recent podcast interview with Tom Caswell, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart revealed his top choice for a non-Fallout Xbox IP he'd like to develop. While the studio, celebrated for Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, is currently occupied with projects like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, Urquhart clearly stated his desire to work on the Shadowrun franchise.

Urquhart enthusiastically declared, "I love Shadowrun. I think it's super cool." He explained that he requested a list of Microsoft IPs following the acquisition. The recent addition of Activision's vast library further expanded the possibilities, yet Urquhart remained focused on one specific franchise: "If you had to pin me down on one, yes, Shadowrun is the one."

Obsidian has established a reputation for crafting compelling sequels within established franchises. Although they've successfully created original worlds with titles like Alpha Protocol and The Outer Worlds, their legacy is intrinsically linked to acclaimed RPG series. From their contributions to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Dungeon Siege III, Obsidian has consistently showcased its expertise in expanding existing universes.

A 2011 interview with Joystiq revealed Urquhart's perspective on the studio's preference for sequels: "RPGs have a lot of sequels because you can keep on adding to the world. You can keep on coming up with new stories. I think from that perspective, it’s great to be able to make these even if they’re sequels because you get to go play in someone else’s world."

How Urquhart and Obsidian envision a Shadowrun expansion remains to be seen. However, securing the license would undoubtedly place the beloved world in capable hands. Urquhart himself admitted to being a longtime fan of the tabletop RPG: "I bought the book when it first came out. I probably own four of the six editions."

The Shadowrun Saga: A Look Back

The history of Shadowrun is as complex as its cyberpunk-fantasy setting. Originating as a tabletop RPG in 1989, it has spawned numerous video game adaptations. While the tabletop rights have changed hands several times following FASA Corporation's closure, the video game rights remained with Microsoft after its acquisition of FASA Interactive in 1999.

Harebrained Schemes has developed several Shadowrun games in recent years, but fans eagerly await a new, original title. The last standalone Shadowrun game, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, was released in 2015. Remastered versions of previous titles were released for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC in 2022, but the community's desire for a fresh Shadowrun experience remains strong.