Wasteland 3 Dev Says Microsoft Hasn't Meddled, Only Helped After Buyout

Wasteland 3 is due to release on May 19, 2020, and is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The PS4 release is still going ahead despite developer inXile Entertainment having been bought out by Microsoft in November 2018. In a recent interview, studio founder Brian Fargo has spoken about Microsoft’s purchase of the company, and has made it clear that they’ve essentially let them do their thing, albeit with the added financial safety net that a major publisher can provide.

Talking to Gamesradar+, Fargo explained that Microsoft propped the company up with money and then left them to their own devices. “Microsoft basically came in, gave us a tonne of cash, and said go and make the best game that you possibly can,” he said. Similarly, game director Tim Campbell says that the buyout “hasn’t changed the game (they) are making at all.” He acknowledges that it’s reasonable for people to expect otherwise, but assures Gamesradar+ that “Microsoft is just helping us do what we do but better, right?”

Microsoft’s support has reportedly allowed them to add far more voice acting to the in-game dialog, and ultimately create a better version of the game they originally set out to make with the over $3 million the game earned through its Fig crowdfunding campaign. “Microsoft has a user research lab, which is going to give us feedback on the UI and what people are experiencing,” Fargo says. “And they have their localisation groups and their QA groups… I could go on, but you have to understand that it is allowing us to make a more robust product.”

Brian Fargo is expected to retire after the release of Wasteland 3. He is perhaps best known for his work on The Bard’s Tale and its sequels.