Obsidian Should Make an Isometric Outer Worlds Spinoff in 2026

The Outer Worlds was a genuine breakthrough for Obsidian Entertainment. After years of smaller projects, it became the studio’s first AAA first-person RPG since 2010’s Fallout: New Vegas. It was dark, funny, violent, and absolutely driven by player choice. The game drew plenty of comparisons to Fallout, even if it was never the full Fallout New Vegas 2 that some fans wanted. More than half a decade later, Obsidian has already released Avowed, a fantasy first-person RPG full of guns and magic. It landed on Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC in February 2025. But now, in 2026, it may be time for The Outer Worlds to move in exactly the opposite direction.

🧭 Avowed Is Not a New IP

At first glance, Avowed looks like a brand-new intellectual property. Players who only see a few gameplay screenshots might assume it has no connection to anything else. That assumption would be wrong. Avowed is actually a spin-off of the Pillars of Eternity franchise, which Obsidian also created. Pillars of Eternity is not as famous as The Elder Scrolls or Fallout, but it still matters to RPG fans. The series currently includes two games: Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. Both were isometric CRPGs with real-time-with-pause combat. They were deeply inspired by the original Baldur’s Gate games, especially when it came to combat and roleplaying systems.

Both Pillars games received strong critical praise. They did not, however, move huge numbers. Deadfire in particular failed to hit Obsidian’s sales expectations. That may explain why Avowed abandoned the isometric perspective. By turning the Pillars universe into a first-person game, Obsidian could reach the same audience that loved Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and other first-person RPGs. It was a smart commercial pivot.

📉 Why Avowed Changed Perspective

The pivot makes even more sense when one looks at the structure of Avowed. Instead of a top-down camera and paused combat, players get direct control of a single character in a more action-oriented fantasy world. The change in perspective also changes the feel of exploration, dialogue, and combat. Some depth may be lost, but accessibility increases. This is the exact trade-off that can make a niche series more mainstream.

The Outer Worlds already benefits from being first-person. It is approachable, fast, and familiar to fans of Bethesda-style games. So why would Obsidian consider an isometric Outer Worlds spinoff? The answer is time. In 2026, the CRPG market is healthier than it has been in years. Baldur’s Gate 3 did not just succeed; it became a cultural event. It proved that turn-based and real-time-with-pause role-playing systems can still attract millions of players. The audience for deep, choice-driven isometric RPGs is no longer niche. It is huge.

🎲 The Isometric Renaissance Is Here

That opens the door for an experiment. Obsidian could keep The Outer Worlds franchise moving as a big first-person series and also make a smaller isometric spinoff set in the Halcyon colony. This would not need to replace the mainline games. It could simply expand the universe. An isometric Outer Worlds game could bring back the feeling of the classic Interplay-published Fallout titles, but with the dark corporate satire that defines The Outer Worlds. That combination is hard to resist.

The benefits would go beyond nostalgia. An isometric camera would allow for more detailed party management, more tactical combat, and richer environmental storytelling. It would also give Obsidian a chance to revisit the real-time-with-pause systems from Pillars of Eternity without abandoning the sci-fi tone that made The Outer Worlds stand out. There is a clear gap in the market for a modern sci-fi CRPG that is not tied to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The Outer Worlds could fill that gap.

🔄 The Opposite Path

A quick comparison shows the paths quite clearly:

The table is simple, but the strategic point is strong. Avowed moved a fantasy CRPG series into first-person. An isometric Outer Worlds would do the opposite: take a first-person sci-fi franchise and move it into the CRPG space. That direction would let both properties stand out on their own terms.

🛠️ What an Isometric Outer Worlds Could Look Like

This does not mean Pillars of Eternity should be forgotten. A new mainline Pillars game would still be welcome. But an isometric Outer Worlds spinoff might be even smarter right now. It would tap into the current hunger for hardcore CRPGs while using a setting that already has mainstream recognition. Obsidian has the experience, the world, and the talent to pull it off. After Avowed, a reverse journey could be exactly what The Outer Worlds needs.