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' worth of work. Obsidian Entertainment initially conceived Avowed as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, aiming for a massive open world with cooperative multiplayer.

The 2020 teaser trailer generated considerable buzz, but it masked the game's unfinished state. Months later, the decision was made to completely restart development. The teaser now serves as a reminder of a discarded prototype, vastly different from the final release.

Following the reboot, Patel took the reins as game director, reimagining the project. She moved away from the Skyrim and Destiny influences, abandoning the open-world design and multiplayer aspects. Instead, Obsidian adopted its signature zone-based structure, focusing on a compelling single-player narrative grounded in the Pillars of Eternity lore.

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