"Avowed Director Leaves Obsidian for Netflix's Oxenfree Studio After Over a Decade"

Carrie Patel, the director of the recently released RPG Avowed, has left Obsidian Entertainment to join Night School, a Netflix-owned studio known for the Oxenfree series. Patel announced her new role as Game Director at Night School via an update on her LinkedIn page, though details about her upcoming project remain undisclosed.

Night School gained fame with its Oxenfree games, the latest being Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals in 2023. The studio also launched Thronglets, a Black Mirror spin-off, earlier this year amidst some layoffs. This follows Netflix's decision to shut down another of its studios that was working on a AAA game led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.

Patel, a veteran at Obsidian for over 11 years, contributed to significant titles like The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She took the helm of Avowed after its early development reboot, transforming it from a darker, Elder Scrolls-like fantasy with a single open world and multiplayer co-op into a brighter, unique single-player experience with multiple large maps.

Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots

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The reception to Avowed has been largely positive, with Patel initially expressing interest in expanding the franchise through expansions or a sequel. However, she will not be involved in Avowed's future developments. A recent development roadmap for Avowed outlined minor free additions like a Photo Mode and New Game Plus over the next six months.

IGN's review praised Avowed for its worldbuilding and character writing but noted that it plays it safe with a familiar fantasy adventure. Obsidian's next big release, The Outer Worlds 2, is set to be showcased at the Xbox Games Showcase in June this year.