Set in the world of Eora, which has been featured inPillars of Eternity,Avowedis set to be a huge project for Obsidian Entertainment. The first-person action-RPG was immediatelycompared toThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimafter it was revealed, due to its first-person perspective and a featured character wielding a sword and magic simultaneously. The game is in development exclusively for Microsoft platforms, and it’s anticipated to be a huge release. Obsidian Entertainment, however, has several other projects in development, with one that has thus far been unannounced but has the potential to be an even bigger title than theirPillars of Eternityspin-off.
Avowedhas the potential to be one of Obsidian Entertainment’s biggest projects yet. The world of Eora is rife with different lands and in-built conflicts with narrative potential, while the developer has also been busy wrapping up post-launch support forThe Outer Worlds,with its final DLC expansion coming in Q1 2021. Obsidian has also been busy crafting its early access survival game,Grounded.It’s hard to imagine for some fans, but the developer has another title that is in some stage of development at the moment that could challengeAvowed’smagnitude.
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Josh Sawyer is Directing a New Game
Josh Sawyer’s earliest work includes design work on thebelovedIcewind DaleseriesandNeverwinter Nights 2.More recently, he found success after noticing a gap in the market for CRPG games, leading to the then-record setting Kickstarter campaign forPillars of Eternity.He went on to serve as the director ofPillars of Eternityand its sequel. Josh Sawyer, however, is perhaps known as the director of the fan-favoriteFallout: New Vegas.Since the acquisition of Obsidian by Microsoft, the rumor mill went into overload regarding a possible follow-up and with Sawyer himself confirming he’s directing a new project, fueling speculation even further.
Avowedis almost certainly a game with huge scope, with its release being widely reported to be late 2022 or 2023. The first-person RPG has been reported to have been in development for two years already, which further reinforces the notion that it’s a huge undertaking. While it’s difficult to imagine that Obsidian Entertainment would even have the resources for it, thestars might be aligning for aFallout: New Vegas 2, especially since the Microsoft acquisition of Bethesda.
If this is the secret game that Josh Sawyer is working on, it’s reasonable to expect that this will take even longer thanAvowedrelease. Its scope would almost certainly need to match or surpassAvowedto meet and exceed fan anticipation surrounding aNew Vegassequel. However, it should be noted that this is just speculation and in no shape, way, or form has there been any indication. As such a deal would have to happen pre-acquisition to even being remotely in the works now, this makes it all the more unlikely.
Pillars of Eternity or Something Else Entirely
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfirewas a crowdfunding success, but unfortunately, it didn’t sell as well as Obsidian Entertainment hoped. The developer has remained open about returning to the series if the right ideas came along, and perhaps the time for a sequel has come along.Avowedis set in the same world, Eora, so it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine the team getting some ideas together forPillars of Eternitysince work began on the first-person RPG. Josh Sawyer served as the director of the first two games, and in its own way, a newPillars of Eternityrelated entrycould match and exceed the scope ofAvowed.While thePillarsgames are isometric RPGs, they do contain a vast number of locations and quests, or the game could be in a different genre altogether.
Alternatively, a large, new project headed up by Josh Sawyer could be something entirely new. Obsidian Entertainment has proven its interest in trying new things, such as theearly access survival game,Grounded,and its move into first-person games withThe Outer Worlds.Obsidian has proven capable of developing licensed titles as well as creating its own properties, and while the developer has its interests firmly rooted in role-playing experiences, it seems willing to try new things. Fans could end up being surprised by the secret project if Josh Sawyer directs something completely new.
Considering the presumed scope ofAvowedand the possibility of another large project being made, it’s very likely that Obsidian fans will be waiting a long time before any official news is revealed concerning the Josh Sawyer project. There are some likely candidates for what that game is,including a now-possibleFallout: New Vegas 2, but gamers will likely have to be patient before anything is formally unveiled regarding Obsidian’s mystery game.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
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