How Outer Worlds 2’s Weapons Pay Homage to Xbox’s Past

Recently, a release date for The Outer Worlds 2 was finally revealed for October 29, 2025, during the Xbox Games Showcase. This was followed by a Direct Showcase for the game that delved deep into some of the gameplay improvements coming in The Outer Worlds 2, the sequel to one of Obsidian Entertainment’s beloved RPG franchises.

While there are still some things that have yet to be revealed, several new weapon types have already been announced for The Outer Worlds 2. From what’s been shown off so far, some of these new weapons coming in The Outer Worlds 2 bear a strong resemblance to iconic weapons from other famous game franchises, with a particular focus on Xbox franchises, paying respect to the console’s rich history of games.

Outer Worlds 2 Auntie Cleo Handsome Jack Similar

The Outer Worlds 2’s Auntie Cleo Has a Lot in Common With One of Gaming’s Best Villains

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The Outer Worlds 2’s Weapons Wear Their Xbox Inspirations with Pride

While the weapon variety of the original game was relatively limited, The Outer Worlds 2 will be taking things to the next level by introducing several new, unique weapon types, alongside general combat gameplay improvements over the original The Outer Worlds. As of the new gameplay trailers for The Outer Worlds 2 shown off at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, this upcoming RPG will arguably come surprisingly close to the weapon variety of the Borderlands franchise games, known for their ridiculously large catalog of unique sci-fi weapons.

Among some of the brand-new weapon types coming in The Outer Worlds 2, a few fan-favorite Science weapons from the original The Outer Worlds will be returning, along with other new Science weapons. For some of these weapons, their influence from iconic weapons from other games is undeniable, in the most respectful way possible.

The Outer Worlds 2’s Shrink Ray Has Major Grounded Vibes

True to its name, The Outer Worlds 2’s Shrink Ray will shrink enemies down to only a few centimeters tall, allowing players to defeat them simply by stepping on them. Naturally, this connects to the Grounded games, given that the plot of the original game and the upcoming Grounded sequel kicks off when a few teenagers are shrunk by a science experiment in a strange accident.

Although the Shrink Ray from The Outer Worlds existed before the original Grounded was first released in early access, in hindsight, it’s hard to unsee how this gun connects these two Obsidian Entertainment franchises. Especially now that the Shrink Ray is returning as a Science weapon in The Outer Worlds 2 with some distinct new improvements, this weapon’s resemblance to the Grounded franchise is arguably no mere coincidence.

The Outer Worlds 2’s Spectrum Dance Saber Weapon Is a Love-Letter to Hi-Fi Rush

Another Science Weapon coming in the sequel is the Spectrum Dance Saber. This new melee weapon in The Outer Worlds 2 has its own battle music, and it’s said to grant unique bonuses when players time their attacks to the beat of the music. It’s still unclear what exactly these bonuses will entail, but one thing that is clear is the influence this weapon draws from Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush.

While Grounded and Hi-Fi Rush were originally Xbox/PC-exclusive titles, both games have since been released for PlayStation consoles.

In this hack-and-slash adventure, the game is set to a soundtrack with audible and visual cues that encourage players to synchronize with the beat. While it’s not mandatory, matching certain actions with the beat in Hi-Fi Rush will give players an overall higher performance score and increased combo-attack damage. Hence, the Spectrum Dance Saber melee weapon in The Outer Worlds 2 seems like an obvious tribute to this stylish rhythm game.