Avowed Was Originally Designed as a Blend of Destiny and Skyrim

In a recent Bloomberg interview, Avowed's second game director, Carrie Patel, revealed the turbulent development journey that resulted in the scrapping of two years' worth of work. Initially, Obsidian Entertainment conceived Avowed as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, aiming to unite cooperative exploration of a vast open world with engaging multiplayer aspects.

The 2020 teaser trailer ignited fan anticipation, yet it masked a stark reality: the game was far from finished. Months later, the difficult decision was made to completely overhaul the project. The teaser now serves as a reminder of a discarded prototype, vastly different from the final release.

Following the reboot, Carrie Patel stepped into the role of game director, fundamentally reshaping the project. She moved away from the Skyrim and Destiny influences, abandoning the open-world design and multiplayer features. Instead, Obsidian returned to its signature zone-based structure, focusing on a captivating single-player narrative deeply rooted in the lore of Pillars of Eternity.

This mid-development restart presented monumental challenges, comparable to filmmaking without a script. Teams worked relentlessly amidst uncertainty as leadership solidified a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, development continued for another four years before Avowed's eventual release.