WhenObserverfirst released in 2017, one of the biggest selling points for the cyberpunk, psychological horror game was the inclusion ofBlade Runneractor Rutger Hauer. The actor lent his likeness and performance to the game asObserver’s protagonist, Daniel Lazarski. To celebrate the upcoming release of its expanded remaster,Observer: System Redux, Bloober Team released an edited interview with the late actor conducted during the original game’s development.
Rutger Hauer passed away on Jul 16, 2025. WhileObserverwas his first work in video games, he claims in the interview that he had previously contributed to two other canceled projects. Hauer later replacedStar Trekactor Leonard Nimoyas Master Xehanort inKingdom Hearts 3,and the character was recast byBack to the Futureactor Christopher Lloyd forKingdom Hearts 3’sReMINDDLC.
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Hauer is best known for his performance as Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s influential 1982 science-fiction filmBlade Runner.Blade Runnerhas inspired many cyberpunk video gamesincludingObserverand CD Projekt Red’s upcomingCyberpunk 2077.
In the interview, Hauer shows an appreciation for the project, claiming his previous canceled video games were “in no way as good as this one,” as well as complementing the developers at Bloober Team for their vision of the project. In releasing the first part of the interview, Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babineo said, “Rutger was a good friend and will be missed. It was hard hearing him and knowing that he is not with us, but in a way, being able to share his voice again felt special. This interview really shows the depth of passion he had in his role as Dan — he was a wonderful person, and we’re deeply sorry that he passed.”
Observer: System Reduxis an expanded re-release of the 2017 originalfeaturing fully reworked visuals, remastered at 4K with ray-tracing. The game is exclusive to next-generation hardware and will be a launch title on both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, taking advantage of their capabilities and SSDs.
The game will also featurenew story content in the form of expanded side-quests, which Bloober Team confirmed will feature archived dialogue recorded by Rutger Hauer during the original game’s development.Observer: System Reduxwill cost $29.99 upon release, but owners of the originalObserveron PC and Xbox One can upgrade toSystem Reduxfor 80% percent off by pre-ordering before October 20.
Observer: System Reduxis the first of two titles planned from Bloober Team on next-generation consoles this year, as the studio is also developing theXbox Series X/S console-exclusive horror gameThe Medium. Earlier this week, the studio revealed thatThe Mediumwill release on December 10 and be included in Xbox Game Pass.
Observer: System Reduxwill release on November 10 for PC and Xbox Series X/S, then on November 12 for PlayStation 5.
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