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 acclaimed 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 engrossed in projects like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, Urquhart clearly stated his enthusiasm for the Shadowrun franchise.

"I love Shadowrun. I think it's incredibly cool," Urquhart declared, mentioning he requested a list of Microsoft IPs following the company's acquisition of Obsidian. The subsequent acquisition of Activision significantly expanded this list, yet Urquhart remained focused on one specific IP. "If pressed to choose just one, yes, it would be Shadowrun," he confirmed.

Obsidian has established a reputation for crafting compelling sequels within existing franchises. Although they've successfully created original worlds with titles like Alpha Protocol and The Outer Worlds, their legacy is undeniably linked to established 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 demonstrated its ability to expand and enrich existing universes.

In a 2011 interview with Joystiq, Urquhart explained the studio's attraction to sequels: "RPGs often have many sequels because you can continually build upon the world and create new narratives. From that perspective, developing sequels is advantageous, allowing us to explore pre-existing worlds."

While the specifics of Urquhart and Obsidian's vision for a Shadowrun game remain undisclosed, securing the license would undoubtedly place the beloved franchise in exceptionally capable hands. Urquhart himself is a long-time 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 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 since inspired 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 in recent years, but fans eagerly anticipate a fresh, original entry. 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, yet the community's desire for a new Shadowrun experience remains strong.