The Outer Worlds 2 Direct: Arcadia Is Nice This Time of Year
Immediately following the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, The Outer Worlds 2 Direct revealed all of the new mechanics coming to Obsidian's upcoming sequel.
It has been an absolute whirlwind of news, previews, world premieres and new gameplay reveals during the weekend of Summer Game Fest 2025. New looks were given to titles like Grounded 2, Ninja Gaiden IV, and even a new Call of Duty was announced, however, Obsidian Entertainment followed the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 with their very own The Outer Worlds 2 Direct. The teaser trailer presented at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 presentation can be seen in full below, and a written breakdown of the direct follows.
One of the most interesting things following the sequel is The Outer Worlds 2 is leaving the previous star system of Halycon, and it takes place in a further star system from Earth than even Halycon, in the Arcadia star cluster. What was made immediately transparent by the direct, is Obsidian leaned fully into their trademark humour and storytelling, and chaos will ensue everywhere. Arcadia is a lawless system cut off from Earth, featuring a pressure cooker of a colony bearing immense pressure, torn apart by space-time rifts, factions with ever-shifting alliances, and these three power-hungry factions locked in a war for control.
Like The Outer Worlds (and mostly every other Obsidian Entertainment game), The Outer Worlds 2 allows the player to create themselves from head to toe, giving an in-depth character creator to the player. In The Outer Worlds 2, you've been sent in as an Earth Directorate agent but how you approach problems, tense scenarios, and storyline segments is entirely up to the player. Obsidian gives players complete control, allowing you to select from a group of traits, flaws, and backgrounds that Obsidian promises will 'shape every decision.'
The three warring factions are as follows: The Protectorate, Auntie's Choice, and The Order of the Ascendant. The Protectorate is the law of Arcadia and believes order = everything, while they believe they're beloved peacemakers, it appears locals have differing opinions. Auntie's Choice are those who align themselves with the Matriarch of The Outer Worlds 2, Auntie Cleo (her origin is explored in Prime Video's Secret Level series). This branch of her company is Auntie Cleo x Spacer's Choice, an in-game collaboration that promises freedom, fulfillment, and Auntie Cleo product placement in spades. The Order of the Ascendant is a science-based faction, determined to perfect humanity by solving the Universal Equation.
In The Outer Worlds 2, players will travel with six companions and Obsidian has built upon the system considerably, each with personal stakes in the colony's future and of course, their own opinions on you're behaviour. The companions are listed (along with their allegiances) below courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment.
Niles: Another Earth Directorate recruit torn between duty and defection.
Inez: A former experiment from Auntie's Choice with a grafted combat edge and a moral core.
Aza: A chaos-loving Rift worshipper with a taste for violence and room to grow—maybe.
Marisol: A stoic killer from the Order of the Ascendant with calculations to settle.
Tristen: A walking tank and judge from the Protectorate, looking to dispense justice — or redefine it.
Valerie: A floating, chirping support unit with unexpected upgrades and untapped potential.
Fans who pre-purchase can claim the Commander Zane Pack which comes with Commander Zane-theme armor skin, helmet, signature pistol and dagger, and an Earth Directorate drone companion pet. It's worth noting that if fans purchase the title from Battle.net or the Xbox Marketplace, the purchase is cross-play enabled, you just have to link the accounts to pick up and play on either platform.
The Outer Worlds 2 launches October 29, 2025 and fans can pre-purchase today for the new AAA title price of $79.99.
Be sure to check out all of the other announcements from the Xbox Games Showcase
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