The World of Grounded May Expand into a Full Trilogy
Obsidian Entertainment, the acclaimed studio behind titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity, is not only gearing up for the release of Grounded 2 but is also hinting that the adventure of miniature survivalists could blossom into a full trilogy. While a trilogy wasn't the initial plan, the scope of their ideas has grown alongside the success of the first game.
From One Backyard to a Bigger World
In an interview with Eurogamer, Marcus Morgan, Executive Producer for the Grounded series, explained that Obsidian originally envisioned the first Grounded as a complete narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. “This isn’t Minecraft or ARK, which are constantly expanding. Our benchmarks were closer to The Forest and Subnautica,” Morgan stated. Despite the first game surpassing expectations, the team realized that implementing all their new ideas within the original game's framework simply wasn’t possible.
One such concept was the introduction of rideable insects, allowing players to traverse the world more dynamically. This feature couldn't be fully realized in the cramped backyard setting of the first Grounded. For the sequel, the game world has expanded significantly to an entire park, benefiting from a shift to Unreal Engine 5 and introducing a host of new mechanics.
A Collaborative Effort: Obsidian and Eidos Montreal Join Forces
The development of Grounded 2 is a collaborative effort, receiving crucial support from Eidos Montreal. Unlike the first game, which Obsidian developed internally, this time partners were brought in due to Obsidian’s concurrent commitments to other major projects, including Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2. Interestingly, Morgan revealed that more staff from Eidos Montreal are currently working on Grounded 2 than from Obsidian itself. However, a “significant number of employees” from Obsidian, including the original team, are still deeply involved, with the American studio retaining its lead role in defining the game’s canon and overall vision.
“We knew we wanted to make Grounded 2, and we understood we would need help scaling up and developing the project. So, we started looking: ‘Where can we find partners who share our vision and genuinely love this game?’ There was no pressure or rush – we just needed to find the right partner.
Eidos has a lot of authority, and they contribute immensely to Grounded 2 – both in terms of participation and content, so I would say it’s a joint effort. I don’t think we even consider who is formally in charge. If we had to put a stamp on it, it would be Obsidian – because it’s our game. But Eidos is just as much an owner and participant. We are one team. Yes, there are two studios, but there’s one team – the Grounded team. That’s how we work.” – Marcus Morgan, Executive Producer, Grounded Series.
Looking Ahead: The Potential for Grounded 3
As for the future, the team already has a wealth of ideas that could evolve into Grounded 3. Morgan hinted at these possibilities:
“I don’t know if it will be in Grounded 2 or a full Grounded trilogy, but I can say for sure – we have ideas, stories, additions, and features that we want to implement. Will we continue to develop Grounded 2 or move on to Grounded 3… For now, I want to focus on the second part – it hasn’t even been released yet, and I need to keep that in mind. But we truly have more – in our hearts and souls there is something that goes beyond even the plans we see for Grounded 2 in early access. We believe players will want to see and try it. It lives within us.” – Marcus Morgan, Executive Producer, Grounded Series.
Grounded 2 Early Access Arrives Soon
Grounded 2 is set to enter Early Access very soon, launching on July 29th. The game will be available on PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, and it will also be included in the Game Pass catalog. This strong commitment to the series, coupled with the collaboration with Eidos Montreal, suggests a bright and expansive future for Grounded fans.
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