Avowed was initially intended to feature multiplayer elements, similar to Destiny where players could explore a vast world.
In a conversation with Bloomberg, director Carrie Patel revealed that Obsidian Entertainment proposed Avowed as a combination of Destiny and Skyrim to potential investors, resulting in Microsoft acquiring the studio. The development of Avowed began in 2018 but went through two reboots, prompting Obsidian to eliminate its multiplayer component.
The second reboot occurred in January 2021 when Obsidian changed the leadership of Avowed just before production was set to start. Patel initiated two significant changes to Avowed, the first being a focus on its narrative and lore derived from the Pillars of Eternity universe. The second was to replace Avowed’s original open world with open-zone areas, akin to Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds. This latter choice was made to allow the development team to create more defined and denser environments.
Consequently, the development team needed to reduce the scope of creating vast and sprawling maps like Skyrim. “We learned from The Outer Worlds that we could craft an exceptional game with ‘open zones,’ which also offers advantages in thematically distinct and intentional area design, and enhances the sense of progression as the player transitions from one environment to another,” Patel explained.
Patel additionally mentioned that the team is satisfied with Avowed’s sales figures so far. Although she did not disclose what her team’s next venture is, we do know that Obsidian Entertainment is currently working on The Outer Worlds 2. Initially announced in 2021, Obsidian unveiled its first gameplay trailer at The Game Awards 2024. The game is slated for release sometime this year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Avowed is now available