Avowed: Destiny Meets Skyrim in New RPG

In a recent Bloomberg interview, Avowed's second game director, Carrie Patel, revealed the tumultuous development journey that resulted in the scrapping of two years' work. Obsidian Entertainment initially conceived Avowed as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, aiming for cooperative exploration within a vast open world, incorporating multiplayer elements.

The 2020 teaser trailer, while exciting for fans, masked the game's far-from-finished state. Months later, the decision was made to completely restart development, leaving the trailer as a representation of a discarded prototype vastly different from the final release.

Following the reboot, Patel took the helm, reimagining the project. She moved away from the Skyrim and Destiny influences, abandoning the open-world design and multiplayer features. Instead, Obsidian opted for their signature zone-based structure, focusing on a compelling single-player narrative deeply rooted in the Pillars of Eternity lore.

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