Avowed director Carrie Patel has recently left Obsidian Entertainment, a renowned RPG developer, just months following the launch of their latest game. Patel announced her departure via an update on her LinkedIn profile, revealing her transition to a new role at Night School, a studio owned by Netflix known for the Oxenfree series of narrative adventure games.
In her LinkedIn post, Patel expressed enthusiasm about her new position, stating, "I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Game Director at Night School: A Netflix Game Studio!" Although the specifics of her upcoming projects at Night School remain undisclosed, her role as a game director continues.
Night School gained recognition with their Oxenfree series, with the latest entry being 2023's Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals. Earlier this year, the studio also released Thronglets, a spin-off of the Black Mirror series, amidst an unspecified number of layoffs. Additionally, Netflix had previously shut down another of its studios, which was working on a AAA game project led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.
During her 11-year tenure at Obsidian, Patel held various senior roles and contributed to notable titles such as the Xbox sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She assumed the directorial role for Avowed following its early development reboot, guiding the game from its original concept of a darker fantasy setting akin to The Elder Scrolls, with an open world and multiplayer co-op, to a brighter, more distinctive single-player experience with multiple large maps.
Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots
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Avowed received largely positive feedback upon its release, and Patel had previously hinted at potential expansions or a sequel. However, she will not be involved in the franchise's future. Last week, Obsidian unveiled an Avowed development roadmap, promising minor free updates over the next six months, including a Photo Mode and New Game Plus feature.
IGN's review of Avowed praised the game's worldbuilding and character writing, noting, "With awesome worldbuilding and stellar character writing, Avowed reminds me why I fell in love with Obsidian's RPGs in the first place. However, the bigger picture is that it plays it quite safe, with a by-the-numbers fantasy adventure that's more familiar than evolutionary."
Obsidian's next major release, The Outer Worlds 2, is set to be showcased in detail at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase in June.
