Avowed Was Originally Designed as a Blend of Destiny and Skyrim

Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed: A Development Story of Two Years Lost and Four Years Found

Bloomberg recently interviewed Carrie Patel, Avowed's second game director, revealing a tumultuous development journey. Initially conceived as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, Obsidian's ambitious vision involved a massive open world with cooperative multiplayer.

The 2020 teaser trailer, while exciting for fans, masked a stark reality: the game was far from finished. A critical decision followed months later: the entire project was scrapped and restarted. The teaser trailer now serves as a reminder of a discarded prototype, vastly different from the final release.

Patel took the reins as game director after the reboot, significantly altering the project's direction. The Skyrim and Destiny influences were abandoned, along with the open-world design and multiplayer features. Instead, Obsidian returned to its roots, utilizing its signature zone-based structure and focusing on a compelling single-player narrative deeply connected to the Pillars of Eternity lore.

The mid-development restart presented immense obstacles, comparable to filmmaking without a script. Teams worked diligently under considerable uncertainty as leadership solidified a unified vision. Despite these setbacks, Avowed's development continued for another four years before its eventual launch.