Avowed Was Originally Designed as a Blend of Destiny and Skyrim

Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed: A Development Story Marked by a Two-Year Reset

Bloomberg recently interviewed Carrie Patel, Avowed's second game director, revealing a turbulent development journey that involved discarding two years of work. Initially, Obsidian envisioned Avowed as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, aiming for a cooperative, massively open-world experience with multiplayer components.

The 2020 teaser trailer, while generating significant fan enthusiasm, belied the game's actual state of incompletion. A decision was made to completely overhaul the project shortly after. The teaser now serves as a reminder of a discarded prototype, vastly different from the final release.

Following the reboot, Patel took the helm and redefined Avowed's direction. The Skyrim and Destiny influences were dropped, along with the open-world design and multiplayer features. Obsidian returned to its established zone-based structure, focusing on a captivating single-player narrative deeply rooted in the Pillars of Eternity lore.

The mid-development restart presented substantial challenges, likened to filmmaking without a script. Teams navigated uncertainty as leadership solidified a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, development continued for another four years before Avowed's eventual launch.