Obsidian Sets The Outer Worlds 2 Expansion for December 2

Obsidian Entertainment announced that Side Effects Guaranteed, the first story expansion for The Outer Worlds 2, will launch December 2 for $14.99 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC. The expansion is included with the game’s Premium Edition and Premium Edition Upgrade.

The studio describes the release as the first half of a two-part narrative. A second installment is planned for spring 2027, and decisions made in Side Effects Guaranteed will carry over into that story. The second expansion’s date is a plan, not a confirmed release date.

The story begins when the crew of the ship Incognito answers a distress signal from a derelict vessel. Its crew is in suspended animation after exposure to a substance that causes explosive cell death. Players search for a cure in Elysium Valley, a new region on the planet Eden, where a settlement’s residents have been abandoned by the Protectorate.

The choices center on two agents of the Sub Rosa organization. Gordon Hazen seeks help for the settlement, while Algernon Lankester wants to exploit its residents for his own gain. Players’ decisions affect the settlement, the infected crew and Sub Rosa, according to the expansion description.