"Avowed: A Fusion of Destiny and Skyrim's Original Design"

In a revealing interview with Bloomberg, Carrie Patel, the second game director of Avowed, provided insights into the tumultuous development journey that resulted in the abandonment of two years' worth of work. Initially, Obsidian Entertainment set out to create Avowed as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, envisioning a game that would offer cooperative exploration within a vast open world, complemented by robust multiplayer elements.

The excitement surrounding the project peaked with the release of the first teaser trailer in 2020, which sparked anticipation among fans. However, behind the scenes, the game was far from finished. Mere months after the teaser's debut, the decision was made to completely overhaul the project, rendering the trailer a nostalgic reminder of an early prototype that bore little resemblance to the eventual final product.

Following this pivotal reboot, Carrie Patel stepped in 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 chose to return to their roots with a zone-based structure, emphasizing a rich, single-player narrative deeply connected to the lore of Pillars of Eternity.

The decision to restart development mid-stream posed significant challenges, comparable to attempting to shoot a film without a script. Teams navigated through uncertainty as the leadership worked to forge a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, the development process extended over an additional four years before Avowed was finally ready for release.