'No microtransactions of any kind' in upcoming Obsidian RPG despite Take-Two involvement

Publisher Take-Two Interactive raised some eyebrows last month when it said that all of its future games would have microtransactions—or "recurrent consumer spending opportunities", as it put it. But it seems that might not extend to titles published by its new indie studio, Private Division.

One of the titles that studio will be publishing is the next RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, developers of Tyranny, Pillars of Eternity and Fallout: New Vegas, among others. Obsidian has reassured fans that there will be "no microtransactions, of any kind, in our game", in a post on its official forums.

It added that Private Division has in no way pressured the team to include microtransactions in the title. "Far from 'pushing' us to put anything—microtransactions or otherwise—into our game, Private Division has been incredibly supportive of our vision, our creative freedom, and the process by which we work to make RPGs. They have been fantastic partners, and we are extremely excited to work with them through release, to put what we know is going to be an amazing game into as many hands as possible."

As for what the next game is all about, Obsidian is keeping shtum for now. "We wish we could tell you all about it right now…but we’re going to hold off until the time is right."

What are you hoping for from the Obsidian team?

Samuel is a freelance journalist and editor who first wrote for PC Gamer nearly a decade ago. Since then he's had stints as a VR specialist, mouse reviewer, and previewer of promising indie games, and is now regularly writing about Fortnite. What he loves most is longer form, interview-led reporting, whether that's Ken Levine on the one phone call that saved his studio, Tim Schafer on a milkman joke that inspired Psychonauts' best level, or historians on what Anno 1800 gets wrong about colonialism. He's based in London.