Fallout Devs Aim to Revive Dormant Franchise

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

Obsidian's CEO Wants to Breathe 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, renowned for Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, is currently engrossed in projects like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, Urquhart clearly expressed his enthusiasm for the Shadowrun franchise.

Urquhart stated, "I love Shadowrun. I think it’s super cool," explaining that he requested a list of Microsoft IPs following the company's acquisition. The recent Activision acquisition significantly expanded this list, yet Urquhart's focus remained sharp. He emphatically declared, "If you had to pin me down on one, yes, Shadowrun is the one."

Obsidian has established a reputation for crafting compelling sequels within existing franchises. While their original creations, such as Alpha Protocol and The Outer Worlds, showcase their ability to build unique worlds, their legacy is intrinsically linked to established RPG series. From Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2 to Fallout: New Vegas and Dungeon Siege III, Obsidian consistently demonstrates a mastery of expanding existing universes.

In a 2011 interview with Joystiq, Urquhart shed light 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 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 play in someone else’s world."

While Obsidian's vision for a Shadowrun expansion remains unconfirmed, securing the license would undoubtedly place the beloved world in capable hands. Urquhart himself is a longtime fan of the tabletop RPG, confessing, "I bought the book when it first came out. I probably own four of the six editions."

The Shadowrun Enigma

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. Following FASA Corporation's closure, the pen-and-paper rights changed hands several times, but the video game rights remained with Microsoft after its acquisition of FASA Interactive in 1999.

Harebrained Schemes has developed several Shadowrun games recently, but fans eagerly anticipate 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.