Honey, Obsidian shrunk the kids… again. Of all the announcements at the Xbox Games Showcase, it was Grounded 2 that caught me off-guard. Obsidian Entertainment has partnered with Eidos Montreal to present a lushly produced sequel, a shift to Unreal Engine 5 and current-gen platforms allowing for big advancements across Xbox's smallest adventure. The open world is far larger, combat has been overhauled, so too have the core crafting and survival systems. If Grounded was a curiosity in the survival genre, then its sequel is shaping up to be a celebration of Xbox Game Studios' enduring creativity.
In an era where first-party studios are still grappling with how best to support live-service ventures, it's surprising to see Grounded 2 emerge so soon. Its predecessor burrowed out of early access in 2022, and led Microsoft Gaming's multiplatform initiative when it leaped onto PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch last spring. Obsidian tells me that over 25 million players have sought to survive the backyard. With this momentum established, why start over?
