For over a decade, RPG fans have shared a collective dream: Obsidian Entertainment returning to the Fallout universe. When Microsoft acquired Bethesda and united both studios under the Xbox banner, that dream felt tantalizingly close. Following the massive success of the Fallout television show, the absence of a new game felt like a glaring omission. Now, that wish is finally being granted—but it comes at a devastating cost. According to reports from Bloomberg, Microsoft has ordered a massive "Xbox reset" shakeup. As part of this corporate restructuring, Obsidian Entertainment is officially pivoting to develop a new Fallout game, with Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer reportedly at the helm. However, what should be a moment of pure celebration for the gaming community has instead left a profoundly bitter taste. The Cost of the "Xbox Reset" The announcement isn't a triumphant expansion, but rather the result of severe consolidation. Microsoft's directives have forced Obsidian to "concentrate its efforts on the most lucrative franchises in the group," effectively shifting the studio's entire soul into a single intellectual property. The fallout (pun intended) of this decision inside the studio is immense: Massive Layoffs: The news arrives alongside a brutal wave of 3,200 layoffs across Xbox, impacting a substantial number of developers at Obsidian itself. Project Cancellations: To clear the runway for Fallout, Obsidian has reportedly canceled all other unannounced projects, including a planned sequel to the upcoming RPG Avowed. While the situation remains somewhat "in flux" according to insider reports, the mandate from Microsoft is clear: drop everything else and fix the Fallout supply problem. Meanwhile: Light News for Handheld Pirates In vastly lighter, less dystopian gaming news, Rock, Paper, Shotgun launched its "Steam Deck Academy" coverage for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. If you are looking to escape the grim reality of corporate layoffs by sailing the digital Caribbean, tech reviewer James Archer confirmed that the well-made pirate remake can run smoothly on both the Steam Deck and Valve's newly launched Steam Machine hardware—provided you tweak the settings just right. But for the broader RPG landscape, all eyes remain anxiously fixed on Obsidian. We are getting the Fallout sequel we always wanted, but the wasteland to get there has never felt more real.
