The Outer Worlds 2: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more

By Jesse Lennox Updated August 29, 2025

Not to be confused with The Outer Wilds, the indie title that launched in the same year as The Outer Worlds, The Outer Worlds 2 is an upcoming video game sequel to the dystopian sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment that Xbox announced during E3 2021. The first game was well-received, with some considering it one of the best Xbox Series X games, leading many to wonder whether this new universe would ever come back. In a world where Fable and Gears of War: E-Day are upcoming Xbox Series X games, it seems like anything is possible. Many (including us) were surprised to see news about this game. Now that the release date is nearly upon us, let’s run through your orientation before taking your first steps into the corporate dystopia that is The Outer Worlds 2.

The Outer Worlds 2 will launch on October 29, 2025.

Xbox has already been moving away from exclusives, and with The Outer Worlds 2, PS5 players won’t even have to wait before it gets a port. The Outer Worlds 2 will launch on Xbox, PC, and PS5 at the same time in 2025.

The reveal trailer, which is more of a teaser than anything else, is peak self-aware comedy. The trailer’s narrator breaks the fourth wall basically instantly, mocking how traditional teasers and reveals are shot. They show off a cool monster and immediately remark that it won’t be in the final game, then mock how slow-motion action shots are used to make things seem cooler than they are to bump pre-orders and how they all have to end with musical cues placed over sweeping shots of the environment until we get to a silhouette of the protagonist.

Obsidian, via the humorous narrator, is upfront about the fact that they have no character models, gameplay, or anything else about the game complete except for the title. Alone, that teaser really gives us very little to work with except for the fact that The Outer Worlds 2 is being made, and will also be set in space. Thankfully, a little more information has creeped out about the game.

Thanks to an official tweet of the teaser from The Outer Worlds account, the team added a few brief lines: “New star system. New crew. Same Outer Worlds.” From that, we can assume a few things. First, we’re going to be leaving the Halcyon system, or at least be able to go to a new star system in addition to it. Second, there will be an entirely new crew of companions, and quite possibly a new protagonist as well. Finally, this game will not be a major departure from what we all loved about the original game.

Moon Man remains the logo for The Outer Worlds 2, but is the mascot for the corporation Spacer’s Choice in the game, inferring that there will be at least some tie-ins with the first game. Considering one of the possible endings for The Outer Worlds involving the fate of the Halcyon Holdings which owns Spacer’s Choice, it will be interesting to see how the sequel moves forward in regards to the player’s action in the first game. Or it could completely ignore them, too.

The phrase “New crew” implies that none of the old cast will return in the sequel, at least as party members, but perhaps some will show up as NPCs. Many people grew pretty attached to the crew in the first game and would love to see them come back in some form for this game.

If you enjoyed the writing and tone of the first game, The Outer Worlds 2 looks like a very safe bet for more of the same in that regard.

The Outer Worlds 2 was quiet until The Game Awards 2024 where it revealed a gameplay trailer. The trailer has the same tone as the first, but focuses more on gameplay and keeps the story under wraps for now.

The gameplay trailer for The Outer Worlds 2 gives us just a taste of what the gameplay will be like, but it appears to stick to what the first game was best at. It is still a FPS with tons of ranged and melee options, from lasers, pistols, and explosives to knives and grenades. One instance of the trailer shows what appears to be the Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) mechanic returning when a character throws a grenade, slows time, and shoots it out of the air near enemies.

Elemental weapons or mods also appear to be in the game. We see the player use an icy shotgun to freeze an enemy and bash them while they’re stuck in place.

Besides human enemies, a few new aliens are shown off that we will fight on some new planets.

IGN secured 11 minutes of exclusive gameplay before the June direct of an alpha build of the game. The footage shows a mission through a facility with a companion named Aza. While initially going for a stealthy approach and getting one silent kill with a backstab using a dagger, the enemies spotted the body and went on alert.

During dialogue, you still have multiple detailed options, with certain ones locked behind skills. Your main character remains voiceless, allowing for a greater range of responses.

A new piece of gear found is called the N-Ray Scanner, which, when worn, allows the player to see enemies through walls while draining energy. It can also be used in puzzle solving to follow power cables.

Like the first game, The Outer Worlds 2 is not a seamless open world. We see in the gameplay loading between various locations, though they only last a few brief seconds.

I was able to play the opening hour of The Outer Worlds 2 before launch and give my impressions. On the positive side, the gameplay of The Outer Worlds 2 is a tremendous step up over the first game. Moving, jumping, sliding, and shooting all feel like a proper FPS, though nothing on the level of a Call of Duty game, for example. This isn’t a game you come to for the shooting, but it is more than enjoyable as opposed to something you kind of tolerated like before.

Character building, at least at the start, is streamlined but effective. You can pick a background and some traits, with no need to spend a single point. Even in the early hours, background and traits came into play in dialogue and world interactions, promising very dramatic differences in how you play based on your character.

My only issue with this preview was that it didn’t show off The Outer World 2‘s strengths as an RPG. I saw moments to influence future and immediate events, but wasn’t able to see the outcomes of the former. As cool as it is to get an instant payoff to having a specific skill, it is seeing the game react over time to the culmination of choices that will elevate the experience to where many of us hope it will be.

After a bit of a back and forth over pricing, The Outer Worlds 2 can be preordered now for $70 and not $80 as was originally the case. You can get either the standard or premium edition right now.

The premium version costs $100 and comes with five days of early access, a DLC pass, Moon Man’s corporate appreciation premium prize pack, and a digital art and soundtrack.