Avowed Was Originally Designed as a Blend of Destiny and Skyrim

In a revealing interview with Bloomberg, Carrie Patel, the second game director of Avowed, provided insights into the tumultuous development journey that saw two years of work discarded. Initially, Obsidian Entertainment had ambitious plans for Avowed, envisioning it as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim. The goal was to create a massive open world ripe for cooperative exploration, infused with robust multiplayer elements.

The excitement was palpable when the first teaser trailer was released in 2020, sparking anticipation among fans. However, behind the scenes, the game was far from ready. Mere months after the trailer's debut, the entire project was scrapped, leaving the teaser as a poignant reminder of an unreleased prototype that bore little resemblance to the final game.

Following this dramatic pivot, 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, opting to abandon the open-world and multiplayer ambitions. Instead, Obsidian returned to its roots with a zone-based structure, emphasizing a rich, single-player narrative deeply connected to the lore of Pillars of Eternity.

Restarting development midstream posed significant challenges, akin to attempting to make a film without a script. Teams labored under uncertainty as the leadership worked to forge a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, it took another four years of dedicated effort before Avowed was finally ready for release.