The success of Avowed has sparked excitement about the future of the franchise, as hinted by the game's director. Dive into the details below to discover what might be next for Avowed, including potential expansions or sequels, and other intriguing plans from Obsidian.
Avowed Director Eager to Expand the World They've Created
Possibility of Expansions or Sequels
The launch of Avowed has been a triumph, with both Microsoft and Obsidian expressing satisfaction with its sales figures. In a recent Bloomberg interview on February 22, 2025, Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel shared her thoughts on the potential for expanding the Avowed universe. While no official announcements have been made, Patel's enthusiasm for continuing to direct and create within this world is palpable. She expressed a keen interest in exploring future expansions and sequels, stating, "Now that we’ve built this wonderful world, and also built this team strength and muscle memory around the content and gameplay in this world, I’d love to see us do more with it."
Changes in Avowed During Development
The journey to Avowed's final form was fraught with challenges and significant changes. Patel candidly described the development process as "messy," yet ultimately successful. Initiated in 2018, the project faced hurdles as Obsidian navigated the complexities of being an independent studio before its acquisition by Microsoft in 2020. The game's announcement followed, but not without the team having to abandon several planned features, including multiplayer aspects. A pivotal shift occurred in January 2021 when the leadership team was changed, and the project was rebooted under Patel's direction.
Managing a team of over 80 people, Patel faced the daunting task of realigning the project's creative direction. She emphasized a focus on deepening the narrative ties to the Pillars of Eternity franchise and opting for open zones over a fully open world, enhancing the quality of these spaces. Reflecting on her experience, Patel noted, "There’s this interesting thing I’ve seen on every project I’ve worked on or seen during my time at the studio — things are messy, messy, messy, then they start coming together."
Obsidian's Ambition for Pillars of Eternity Tactics
With Avowed reviving interest in the Pillars of Eternity universe, Obsidian is contemplating new ventures within this beloved franchise. During a Twitch livestream on February 23, 2025, Josh Sawyer, director of Pillars of Eternity and its sequel, revealed the studio's interest in developing a tactics game titled Pillars: Tactics. Sawyer highlighted the widespread interest within the studio for such a project, stating, "Pillars: Tactics is a thing that a lot of people would like, a lot of people at the studio would like to work on; there are a lot of people who like tactics games." However, he acknowledged the challenges in defining the project's scope, including team size, visual quality, and overall scale.
Despite this, Sawyer remains focused on his vision for Pillars of Eternity 3, aspiring for a budget on par with the acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3, which stands at $100 million—a significant leap from the budget of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire.
Avowed is currently available for Xbox Series X|S and PC. To keep up with the latest developments and news on Avowed, be sure to check out our comprehensive coverage below!
