Obsidian CEO Envisions Shadowrun RevivedFallout is Popular, But…
During an interview with Tom Caswell on his podcast, Obsidian’s CEO Feargus Urquhart was asked what non-Fallout Xbox IP he’d like to work on. The studio, known for their work on Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, is currently busy with projects like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, but Urquhart has made it clear that Shadowrun is a franchise he’d love to explore.
"I love Shadowrun. I think it’s super cool," Urquhart stated, adding that he requested a list of Microsoft IPs shortly after the company’s acquisition. With the recent addition of Activision and its extensive catalog, the list of potential projects they could work on increased. Nevertheless, Urquhart honed in on one IP in particular. "If you had to pin me down on one, yes, Shadowrun is the one," he stated.
Obsidian Entertainment has carved a unique niche for itself in the gaming industry by crafting compelling sequels within existing franchises. While they’ve undoubtedly proven their ability to create original worlds with Alpha Protocol and The Outer Worlds, their legacy is deeply intertwined with prestigious RPG series. From their work on Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2 to Fallout: New Vegas and Dungeon Siege III, Obsidian has consistently demonstrated a talent for expanding existing universes.
In a 2011 interview with Joystiq, Urquhart offered insights into the studio’s affinity for sequels: "RPGs have a lot of sequels because you can keep on adding on 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 envisions expanding the Shadowrun universe remains uncertain. However, if the studio were to secure the license, fans of the RPG can rest assured that their beloved world would be in trustworthy hands. The CEO himself confessed to being a long-time fan of the tabletop RPG: "I bought the book when it first came out. I probably own four of the five editions."
What Happened to Shadowrun?
Harebrained Schemes has developed several Shadowrun games in recent years, but fans eagerly await a new, original entry. The last standalone Shadowrun game, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, was released in 2015. Remastered versions of previous titles were compiled for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC in 2022, but the community's desire for a fresh Shadowrun experience persists.
