Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming action role-playing title The Outer Worlds 2 has received an official rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The sequel to the critically acclaimed 2019 release has been given an M for Mature 17+ rating, citing Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, and Strong Language as key content descriptors. The rating applies to all platforms on which the game is set to launch, including Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.
According to the ESRB’s detailed rating summary, The Outer Worlds 2 allows players to step into the shoes of an agent from the Earth Directorate. The protagonist’s mission is to investigate and infiltrate a distant space colony amid escalating tensions and a looming factional conflict. The game can be played from both first-person and third-person perspectives, allowing players to explore locations, interact with various characters, and engage in combat against a range of enemies, including soldiers and hostile robots.
The combat sequences are expected to be fast-paced and violent, involving a variety of firearms such as pistols, rifles, shotguns, and melee weapons. Battles are marked by realistic sound effects, gunfire exchanges, large-scale explosions, and visible blood splatter. The summary highlights that blood may pool beneath corpses, and that certain attacks could result in graphic outcomes such as dismemberment or decapitation. Interestingly, players are also given the ability to harm or kill civilian characters, though this action may lead to negative consequences affecting game progression.
Strong language will also feature in the game’s dialogue, with the ESRB specifically noting that the word “f**k” is heard during gameplay. The rating summary indicates that the game does not include interactive elements like user-to-user communication or in-game purchases, suggesting a focus on a single-player experience without online features.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, The Outer Worlds 2 serves as a standalone sequel set in the Arcadia star system. The narrative follows the protagonist’s efforts to uncover the cause behind mysterious rifts that threaten the stability of the colony. The setting reflects the franchise’s established theme of corporate dominance, as megacorporations control every aspect of life within the system.
The Outer Worlds 2 is scheduled for release on October 29, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.
