In a revealing interview with Bloomberg, Carrie Patel, the second game director of Avowed, provided insights into the tumultuous development journey that resulted in the abandonment of two years' worth of work. Initially, Obsidian Entertainment set out to create Avowed as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, aiming to merge cooperative exploration of a vast open world with dynamic multiplayer elements.
The first teaser trailer, released in 2020, sparked excitement among fans, yet it concealed the truth: the game was far from ready. Mere months after the teaser's debut, the decision was made to completely overhaul the project, rendering the trailer a mere echo of an unrealized prototype, now starkly different from the final game.
After the reboot, Carrie Patel took the helm as game director and steered the project in a new direction. She moved away from the initial inspirations of Skyrim and Destiny, abandoning the open-world and multiplayer aspects. Obsidian then adopted their renowned zone-based structure, concentrating on delivering a rich single-player narrative deeply embedded in the lore of Pillars of Eternity.
The decision to restart mid-development posed significant challenges, comparable to filming a movie without a script. Teams toiled under uncertain conditions as the leadership team endeavored to forge a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, the development process extended for another four years until Avowed was finally ready for release.
