Avowed's director hints at future plans for the franchise following the game's successful launch. Read on to discover the possibilities of expansions, sequels, and other projects in the works.
Avowed's Director Looks to Expand on the World She Created
Future Expansions or Sequels?
Avowed's release has been a success, with Microsoft and Obsidian reportedly pleased with sales figures. In a February 22, 2025 interview with Bloomberg, Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel discussed the potential for expansions or a sequel.
While Obsidian hasn't officially announced any plans, Patel expressed a strong desire to continue working on the franchise. She's keen to explore new creative avenues and stated, "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."
Navigating the Challenges of Avowed's Development
Avowed's development journey was fraught with challenges and significant changes. Patel openly acknowledges the messy process, ultimately leading to a successful outcome.
The project began in 2018, amidst Obsidian's consideration of selling the company despite prior successes with titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. The subsequent acquisition by Microsoft in 2020 and the game's announcement brought its own set of hurdles. The team had to cut several features, including multiplayer functionality. A leadership change and game reboot in January 2021 further reshaped the project.
Patel, taking the helm, described the difficulties of managing a team of over 80 people. She noted, "Normally if you’re stepping back and reevaluating your creative direction, putting together a new vertical slice and revised production plans, you would do that with a very small team." Under Patel's leadership, the team refocused on strengthening the story and lore from the Pillars of Eternity franchise, shifting from an open world to open zones to enhance these areas.
Reflecting on the experience, Patel observed, "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 Eyes a Pillars of Eternity Tactics Game
With the Pillars of Eternity franchise revitalized by Avowed, Obsidian is exploring the possibility of a Pillars of Eternity Tactics game. During a Twitch livestream on February 23, 2025, Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Director Josh Sawyer revealed this interest.
Sawyer stated, "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 also highlighted the challenges in determining the scope, including team size, visual quality, and overall scale. Previous reports indicated developer interest in a Pillars of Eternity tactics game, and Avowed's success may finally bring this project to fruition.
Despite this, Sawyer remains committed to developing Pillars of Eternity 3, but envisions a budget closer to Baldur’s Gate 3's $100 million, a significant increase from Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire's budget.
Avowed is available now for Xbox Series X|S and PC. For the latest Avowed news, check out our related article below!
