When it comes to RPGs, there are few developers with a more impressive resume than Obsidian’s Josh Sawyer. The list of games he’s either designed or directed include Icewind Dale II, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Pillars of Eternity, so needless to say, RPG fans follow whatever he’s working on with bated breath. Last year Sawyer confirmed he’s working on a new project at Obsidian that isn’t Avowed or a sequel to The Outer Worlds, and on the latest episode of his premium Grubbsnax series, wanton leaker Jeff Grubb provided some more details.
Per Grubb, Josh Sawyer’s next game, codenamed Project Missouri, is more of an experimental project being worked on with a relatively small team. It seems Sawyer may be taking some notes from Disco Elysium, as the new project is said to be a murder mystery RPG, with a focus on character building and interactions and player choice. In fact, the game likely won’t have any combat at all. The game’s setting definitely diverges from Disco Elysium though, as it’s said to take place in 16th century Europe.
Of course, take this with a grain of salt for now, but it wouldn’t be surprising for Disco Elysium to start influencing other RPG developers. Personally, I’d love to see what Sawyer can do with a combat-less fully character-driven RPG.
Obsidian is keeping very busy at the moment – in addition to Project Missouri, they’re also working on Avowed, which is rumored to essentially be The Outer Worlds in a dark fantasy setting. Speaking of The Outer Worlds, a full sequel was announced earlier this summer. Obsidian also continues to update and expand their early access open-world adventure, Grounded.
What do you think? Are you excited for Sawyer’s next project and Obsidian’s slate in general?
