Avowed: A Fusion of Destiny and Skyrim Originally Planned

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, with the goal of merging cooperative exploration in a vast open world with robust multiplayer components.

The excitement surrounding the first teaser trailer released in 2020 was palpable among fans, yet it belied the project's true state of development. The game was far from complete, and within months, the decision was made to completely overhaul the project. The teaser now serves as a poignant reminder of an unreleased prototype that has little in common with the game that eventually came to fruition.

Following this drastic pivot, Carrie Patel took the helm as game director and steered Avowed in a new direction. She moved away from the initial inspirations drawn from Skyrim and Destiny, abandoning the open-world and multiplayer aspects. Instead, Obsidian returned to its roots with a zone-based structure and concentrated on developing a rich single-player narrative deeply connected to the Pillars of Eternity universe.

The decision to restart the project mid-development presented significant challenges, comparable to making a film without a script. Teams worked under uncertain conditions as the leadership sought to forge a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, the development process extended over another four years until Avowed was finally ready for release.