Phil Spencer’s No-BS Attitude Helped Convince Obsidian To Join Xbox
One of the major acquisitions that Microsoft made when it began bolstering its number of first-party studios several years ago was Obsidian Entertainment. The studio behind Neverwinter Nights 2 and Pillars of Eternity joined the Xbox games division in 2018, in a deal that was initiated by Microsoft.
Microsoft wanted games; Obsidian wanted creative freedom to develop the types of games that it was passionate about. Four years later, that deal has seen the company produce the well-received RPG The Outer Worlds, survival video game Grounded, and start work on Avowed, a new fantasy RPG that will be exclusive to Xbox Series X|S and PC.
According to Obsidian studio head Feargus Urquhart, Xbox’s acquisition philosophy and a promise to allow the studio to retain its creative freedom and culture were key selling points for the deal back in 2018. A meeting with Microsoft Studios head Matt Booty and then-Xbox senior director of business development Noah Musler helped convince him to join the Xbox team, but it was Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer who helped seal the deal.
