In brief: While RPG specialist Obsidian Entertainment is preparing for the launch of its highly anticipated The Outer Worlds this October, it's also looking beyond that title by advertising several jobs on LinkedIn.
As spotted by PC Gamer, the studio wants to hire staff for its "next world-class RPG," which, like The Outer Worlds, is made in Unreal Engine 4. It appears that the game could have a multiplayer focus as the ads ask for a Network Programmer, while the Gameplay Programmer position states that "multiplayer game development experience" would be an advantage.
The game is also described as being multi-platform, which will doubtlessly cover both the PC and Xbox One, and the combat designer position suggests it will feature "first-person melee combat."
Other advertised jobs include character animator, graphics programmer, UI programmer, and lead narrative designer.
Before its acquisition by Microsoft last year, Obsidian had helped the resurgence of cRPG titles by releasing Pillars of Eternity I, Tyranny, and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. But the company is arguably best-known for the brilliant Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and Fallout: New Vegas.
It certainly sounds as if Obsidian is hiring people for a new IP, but there's always a chance the positions may be related to expansions for The Outer Worlds, though that seems less likely.
The Outer Worlds will not only let you complete the game without killing anyone, but you also have the ability to kill everyone you meet---and it won't break the quests. It launches on October 25, 2019, for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, where it is exclusive to the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store.