Obsidian Entertainment has confirmed the release timing for their highly anticipated sci-fi RPG, The Outer Worlds 2.

The game famously courted controversy after being marketed as Microsoft’s first $80 title, though it was quickly adjusted to $69.99 (or 79,800 won in local Korean pricing). The official launch is set for October 30 at 2:00 AM KST, with early access for Premium Edition owners beginning on October 24 at 1:00 PM.

Built on Unreal Engine 5, The Outer Worlds 2 offers significant visual and performance upgrades over its predecessor. This comes with higher hardware requirements, notably the mandatory use of an SSD. According to Obsidian, 110GB of SSD storage is essential for optimal performance and fast loading times.

Minimum requirements include an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i5-8400 CPU and 16GB of RAM. For the graphics card, an AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, or Intel Arc A580 or better is required. Recommended specifications call for an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i7-10700K CPU, 16GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or better. For those targeting 4K resolution or ultra settings, the developer recommends a high-end PC setup exceeding these specifications.

The Outer Worlds 2 retains the satire and wit of the original while adding a more serious tone. Players take on the role of a veteran 'Special Operations Commander' for the Earth Board, infiltrating the Arcadia star system to uncover the truth behind anomalies caused by skip drives. True to Obsidian’s RPG design, the game offers high freedom, allowing players to influence NPC interactions and quest progression based on their background and skills (such as hacking, persuasion, or lockpicking). However, as combat remains largely similar to the previous title, with some feedback regarding stiff animations and predictable AI, it remains to be seen how much these elements will be improved in the final release.