Avowed game director Carrie Patel has departed from renowned RPG studio Obsidian Entertainment, just a few months following the release of the company's latest title.
In a recent update to her LinkedIn profile, Patel announced she has started a new role at Night School, the Netflix-owned developer known for the narrative adventure series Oxenfree.
"I'm excited to share that I've begun a new position as Game Director at Night School: A Netflix Game Studio!" Patel wrote in a brief statement. Her role at Night will once again involve game direction, though details about the specific project have not yet been revealed.
Night School is best known for its Oxenfree franchise, the latest installment being 2023's Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals. The studio, owned by Netflix, launched the Black Mirror spin-off Thronglets earlier this year, around the same time it underwent an undisclosed number of staff reductions. Months prior, Netflix shut down another internal studio that was developing a major AAA game led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.
Patel was a long-time veteran at Obsidian, the developer behind Avowed, having spent over 11 years in senior roles on titles like the sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds and the acclaimed Pillars of Eternity series.
Most recently, Patel assumed the director role for Avowed after the project was restarted early in development. The game was originally envisioned with a darker fantasy tone, closer to The Elder Scrolls, featuring a vast open world and multiplayer cooperative play.
Ultimately, Patel guided the game to become a visually brighter and more distinctive experience, featuring several expansive individual maps to explore and focusing entirely on a single-player journey.
Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots
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The reception for Avowed was largely positive, and Patel had previously discussed the potential for the franchise to continue—either through expansions, a full sequel, or both. However, Patel will no longer be involved in those future developments.
A development roadmap for Avowed, announced last week, outlined several mostly minor free additions planned over the next six months, including a Photo Mode and a New Game Plus feature.
"With incredible worldbuilding and superb character writing, Avowed reminded me why I originally fell in love with Obsidian's RPGs," states IGN's review of Avowed. "Nevertheless, the overall experience is quite safe, presenting a conventional fantasy adventure that feels more familiar than innovative."
Obsidian's next upcoming release is The Outer Worlds 2, which is scheduled to be detailed at this year's Xbox Games Showcase in June.
