‘Avowed’ Was Originally Supposed to Be a Mix Between ‘Skyrim’ and ‘Destiny’ with Multiplayer Elements

Avowed, Obsidian Entertainment’s latest RPG, has had its share of challenges during development. Originally, the team envisioned it as a massive, multiplayer open-world game similar to Destiny, where players could roam freely with others.

In fact, during early talks with potential buyers, director Carrie Patel described it as a mix between Destiny and Skyrim. But, things didn’t go as planned.

Development on Avowed started back in 2018, but the game had to go through two full reboots before it really took shape. The first major change came in January 2021, when Obsidian swapped out the leadership team just as the game was about to enter full production.

This shift led to two key decisions: focusing on story and lore tied to the Pillars of Eternity universe, and moving away from the large, open-world format that they initially planned.

Instead of a sprawling map like Skyrim, the team shifted to a more structured ‘open-zone’ format, similar to the one used in The Outer Worlds. This move allowed them to create smaller, more detailed environments with a stronger sense of progression as players travel between them.

Patel mentioned this change was inspired by the success they had with The Outer Worlds, where dense and thematic areas made for a better experience.

As for multiplayer, it was eventually scrapped in favor of a more focused single-player adventure. Despite these setbacks, Patel expressed confidence in how the game has been received, noting that the team is happy with its sales numbers so far.

Though she didn’t give details on their next project, we do know Obsidian is working on The Outer Worlds 2, with a gameplay trailer shown at The Game Awards 2024. The sequel is expected later this year.

Avowed is currently available on PC and Xbox Series X|S, as well as through Game Pass.

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