Avowed Sequel/DLC Hinted At as Sales Numbers Satisfies Obsidian and Microsoft

Avowed's successful launch has sparked exciting discussions about the future of the franchise, with hints from the game's director suggesting potential expansions or sequels. Read on to discover more about the possibilities and Obsidian's plans.

Avowed Director Envisions Expanding the World

Future Expansions or a Sequel?

Following Avowed's strong sales performance, which has reportedly pleased both Microsoft and Obsidian, Game Director Carrie Patel hinted at future possibilities in a Bloomberg interview on February 22, 2025. While Obsidian hasn't officially announced any plans, Patel expressed her enthusiasm for continuing work within the established world. She 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." This suggests a strong possibility of expansions or even a full sequel.

Navigating the Challenges of Avowed's Development

Avowed's journey to release wasn't without its hurdles. Patel candidly described the development process as "messy," highlighting the numerous challenges and changes the team faced. The project, initiated in 2018 while Obsidian was navigating a sale, saw a shift in leadership and a game reboot in January 2021. This involved streamlining features, including the removal of multiplayer functionality, and managing a large team of over 80 people. Patel noted the difficulties of such a large-scale creative reevaluation, contrasting it with the typical smaller team approach for such revisions. Under her direction, the team refocused on strengthening the story and lore, drawing from the Pillars of Eternity franchise, and shifting from an open world to open zones to enhance these areas. Patel concluded, "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."

Pillars of Eternity Tactics on the Horizon?

With Avowed successfully reviving the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Obsidian has expressed interest in developing a Pillars of Eternity Tactics game. In a Twitch livestream on February 23, 2025, Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Director Josh Sawyer revealed this interest, stating, "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 acknowledged the challenges of determining the appropriate scope, visual quality, and overall size of such a project. While previous reports indicated developer interest in a tactics game, Avowed's success may now make this a more viable future endeavor. Sawyer also reiterated his desire to create Pillars of Eternity 3, aiming for a budget comparable to Baldur’s Gate 3's reported $100 million.

Avowed is available now for Xbox Series X|S and PC. For the latest Avowed news, check out our related article!