[Interview] What the Game Director of "Grounded 2" Says About Future Prospects — Anticipating a Grand Story Experience Unfolding in a Small Park [TGS2025]
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/918/G091810/20250926003/
Writer: Takahashi Yusuke | 2025/09/25 15:59 (UTC)
Obsidian Entertainment and Eidos Montréal are developing Grounded 2, published by Xbox Game Studios, currently in early access.
This sequel to the survival crafting series takes place in a “world beneath your feet,” seen from an ant’s perspective. It offers cooperative battles, story-driven gameplay, and more. The original Grounded has attracted over 25 million players worldwide, while Grounded 2 surpassed 3 million early access players shortly after launch.
Although the game has started strong, ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2025’s opening, Chris Parker—the co-founder of Obsidian Entertainment and game director for Grounded 2—and Marcus Morgan, Vice President of Operations and Executive Producer, visited Japan to conduct a joint media interview.
Chris Parker
Marcus Morgan
Before the interview, we received a warm briefing from Marcus Morgan’s enthusiastic presentation. Additionally, we had the chance to battle “Axel,” a massive tarantula boss introduced in the September 30 update.
My partner for this challenge was Justin Britch, Vice President of Development and Executive Producer at Obsidian Entertainment, while Marcus Morgan provided advice from behind—making it an exceptionally well-supported experience.
While avoiding spoilers, I’ll note that Axel is incredibly large, requiring significant adjustment to track its movements. As health depletes, the battle intensifies dramatically—the final onslaught was particularly fierce. Separating and fighting alongside a buggy (a rideable insect) can also be effective strategy.
Also noteworthy: the September 30 update will add Japanese language support, so players should prepare for battle with full awareness.
Tasting Success: Insights from the Joint Interview on Future Plans
Following that, we had the opportunity to speak with Chris Parker—a renowned game designer known for titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. His involvement underscores Obsidian Entertainment’s deep commitment to Grounded 2.
— “Grounded” has been widely enjoyed in Japan. How do you feel about that now?
Chris Parker (hereafter, Parker):
It feels incredibly exciting. No matter how great a game we make, its true value only becomes clear when players actually play it. The positive feedback since launch—from so many people enjoying the game—has truly made us happy.
But this is just the beginning. Grounded 2 still has countless areas to refine and expand upon. Our team is determined to carefully build on these elements through upcoming updates.
— The setting has expanded from the backyard to a park. How will this change gameplay in the future?
Parker:
One of the most frequent requests from players of the original game was, “I want to ride on top of insects.” So we introduced the buggy—a new mount that allows exploration and combat alongside allies. Riding significantly increases movement speed and expands your options for transporting items and coordinating attacks. This made it impossible to stay confined within just a backyard. That’s why we expanded the setting to include a park.
The park offers much greater variety in terrain and scenery, enabling us to incorporate multiple biomes. We’ve added meadows, playgrounds, ponds, sandpits—creating richer, more diverse environments for exploration.
— What enemies are currently present, and what new ones can we expect in the future?
Parker:
Currently, players face a wide variety of insects: ants, spiders, scorpions, mosquitoes, bees. The next update will introduce new boss “Tarantula Axel.” Alongside it, new weapons, armor, furniture, and more will be added.
We’re also expanding the building system to better reflect player feedback—improving usability and freedom. We want each update to bring fresh ways to play.
— Are there specific criteria for selecting which insects appear?
Parker:
There’s no strict rule. First, we brainstorm ideas on a whiteboard as a team, then evaluate whether they fit the setting and feel fun to interact with. We aim for a balanced mix of small and large creatures while paying attention to visual variety—colors, shapes, and more. The key question is: does using this insect open up new gameplay possibilities? For example, ants could inspire bite-based attack patterns; spiders might lead to web-based mechanics.
Additionally, expanding the setting into a park allows us to weave in elements like nearby pet stores or research facilities from the fictional company “Omnient.” This gives narrative justification for introducing rare or mutated insects that wouldn’t normally be found there.
— While it’s a survival crafting game, I still can’t help but look forward to the story.
Parker:
For Obsidian Entertainment, storytelling is absolutely essential. The early access version currently offers only Chapter 1 of the full story—a very beginning stage. Through future updates, we’ll gradually reveal more plot and characters, culminating in a complete release (version 1.0). Our goal with Grounded 2 is to deliver both open-ended survival gameplay and a compelling narrative thread.
— Axel was incredibly huge and unforgettable. If you tame it, could it bite someone who enters the park? (laughs)
Parker:
That’s something we’ll consider in Grounded 3 (laughs). We have no plans to introduce full-sized humans at this stage. But I do think it’s a fantastic idea—and one that remains on our mental wishlist for future possibilities. The world of Grounded started small, with just a backyard. Now it’s expanded into the park. With imagination, there’s really no limit to how far we can grow.
— What kind of ideas would you like to implement in the future?
Parker:
It might sound dreamy, but I’d love to add a flying vehicle. Imagine riding insects through the sky—it would dramatically expand exploration freedom. Whether it’s possible remains uncertain, but having such long-term visions keeps our development momentum strong.
— Finally, any message for fans?
Parker:
I’m genuinely thrilled and surprised by how many players around the world have embraced this game. I often think making games is a little like cooking. When we prepare a meal, we imagine whether everyone will find it delicious—but only when they actually taste it do we know. It’s exactly the same with games: evaluation comes only after players experience them.
Fortunately, based on feedback so far, it seems we might just be serving up something truly “delicious.” Going forward, we’ll continue to value community input and keep refining our game into an even better experience. I’m genuinely excited about walking this development journey alongside all of you.
— Thank you very much.