A project developed by a small team inside the studio

Nov 16, 2019 07:11 GMT  ·  By

It's common knowledge that Obsidian Entertainment has a great RPG pedigree, so seeing that the studio is done with The Outer Worlds, we thought a brand new IP in the same genre will be announced at X019.

Alas, Obsidian's next game is a co-op survival called Grounded, which is expected to arrive in Spring 2020 on Xbox One digitally through Xbox Game Preview and with Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft Store, and on Steam. Grounded will be the first Xbox Game Preview title available with Xbox Game Pass.

Grounded is developed by a very small team inside Obsidian, which means that work on bigger projects won't be affected. It's probably one of those projects that the studio comes back in between big releases.

Microsoft has been a fantastic partner for Grounded which was in development long before the acquisition last year. We’re fortunate to be given the freedom to continue flexing our creative muscles and develop the games we want to make,” said Mikey Dowling, Director of Communications at Obsidian Entertainment.

Anyway, in Grounded, players are shrunken to the size of an ant and they have to survive in the unique micro-world of a common backyard. The survival aspect is represented by game mechanics like gathering, crafting and base building, which can be done with everyday objects found within the yard.

According to developers, their new game offers a mix of environmental and narrative-driven storytelling. The game is set in a versatile, handcrafted sandbox structure, which should allow players to create their own experience from the ground up.

The trailer showcased at X019 doesn't show too much gameplay, but we're certain that more details will be revealed closer to launch. Of course, if you're an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you won't have to pay anything for Ground when it launches next year.