Avowed Success Prompts Sequel, DLC Talks

The director of Avowed has hinted at the studio's future ambitions for the series following its successful launch. Discover what this means for possible expansions or sequels and other company initiatives.

Avowed Director Eager to Expand the Universe

Potential for Expansions or Sequels

Avowed’s launch has been a commercial success, pleasing both Microsoft and Obsidian with its sales performance. In a February 22, 2025 interview with Bloomberg, Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel discussed the potential for future expansions or a sequel.

Obsidian hasn't officially announced any follow-up plans yet, but Patel voiced her passion for continuing to direct games and explore new ideas. She expressed interest in both expansions and sequels, remarking, "Now that we’ve built this incredible world and developed our team's expertise with its content and gameplay, I’d love to see us do more with it."

How Avowed Evolved During Development

Avowed's development journey was filled with obstacles and revisions before the final product took shape. Patel described the process as messy, with the team eventually achieving clarity toward the end.

Development began in 2018, as Obsidian was preparing to sell the studio despite having acclaimed titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. Independence brought its own difficulties. Microsoft acquired the company in 2020 and announced Avowed shortly after, but the team had to cut several planned elements, including game features and a multiplayer mode. In January 2021, the project underwent a leadership change and was effectively rebooted.

Taking the helm, Patel faced the challenge of managing a team of more than 80 developers. "Normally when rethinking creative direction, producing a new vertical slice, or revising production plans, you would do that with a small team," she explained. Under her guidance, the team prioritized storytelling and lore from the Pillars of Eternity universe while transitioning from an open world to open zones—a change that enabled more detailed, polished environments.

Reflecting on the experience, Patel observed, "I’ve seen this on every project I've worked on or witnessed at the studio—everything is chaotic at first, then it slowly starts coming together."

Obsidian Interested in Pillars of Eternity Tactics

With the Pillars of Eternity franchise revitalized by Avowed, Obsidian is considering a new tactical spin-off. In a Twitch livestream on February 23, 2025, Josh Sawyer, director of Pillars of Eternity and its sequel Deadfire, shared the team's interest in developing a tactics game.

"Pillars: Tactics is something both fans and the studio want—there’s a lot of enthusiasm for tactical games here," Sawyer noted. However, he highlighted the challenge: "The real hurdle is defining the scope—team size, target visual quality, and overall scale." Rumors had circulated before about developers wanting to create a tactics game, and with Avowed's success drawing fresh attention to the series, such a project may soon materialize.

That said, Sawyer reiterated his commitment to a potential Pillars of Eternity 3—though he stressed the need for a budget comparable to Baldur’s Gate 3's $100 million, far exceeding that of Deadfire.

Avowed is currently available on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Stay informed with the latest Avowed updates in our follow-up story below!