"Avowed Blends Destiny and Skyrim in Early Design"

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Carrie Patel, the second game director of Avowed, provided insights into the tumultuous development journey that led to the abandonment of two years' worth of work. Initially, Obsidian Entertainment envisioned Avowed as a unique blend of Destiny and Skyrim, aiming to merge cooperative exploration in a vast open world with dynamic multiplayer features.

The excitement around the first teaser trailer, released in 2020, was palpable among fans. However, this teaser hid the true state of the project: the game was far from finished. Mere months after the teaser's debut, the decision was made to completely overhaul the project, leaving the teaser as a nostalgic remnant of an unreleased prototype that no longer reflected the final vision.

After the project's reboot, Carrie Patel stepped in as game director and significantly altered the course of Avowed. She moved away from the original inspirations of Skyrim and Destiny, ditching the expansive open-world and multiplayer elements. Instead, Obsidian returned to its roots with a zone-based structure, emphasizing a rich single-player narrative deeply connected to the lore of Pillars of Eternity.

Restarting the game mid-development posed significant challenges, comparable to making a film without a script. Teams worked relentlessly amidst uncertainty as the leadership struggled to craft a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, the development continued for another four years until Avowed was finally ready for release.