Avowed director Carrie Patel has recently left Obsidian Entertainment, a renowned RPG developer, shortly after the release of their latest game. Patel announced her departure via an update on LinkedIn, revealing her new position as Game Director at Night School, a studio owned by Netflix and known for the Oxenfree series.
In her LinkedIn post, Patel expressed enthusiasm about her new role, 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 new project remain under wraps, her move marks a significant shift in her career.
Night School gained prominence with the Oxenfree series, with the latest installment being Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals released in 2023. The studio also launched the Black Mirror spin-off, Thronglets, earlier this year amidst layoffs. This period also saw Netflix closing another of its studios, which was working on a AAA game led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.
Carrie Patel's tenure at Obsidian spanned over 11 years, during which she held various senior roles and contributed to notable titles like The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She took the helm of Avowed after its early development reboot, steering it away from a darker, Elder Scrolls-inspired setting to a brighter, more distinctive experience. Under her direction, Avowed transitioned from a single open-world with multiplayer co-op to a single-player game with multiple expansive maps.
Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots
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Avowed received generally positive feedback upon its release, with Patel hinting at potential expansions or a sequel. However, she will not be involved in the game's future development. Obsidian recently unveiled a development roadmap for Avowed, promising minor updates like Photo Mode and New Game Plus over the next six months.
IGN's review of Avowed praised its 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."
Looking ahead, Obsidian is gearing up for the launch of The Outer Worlds 2, which is set to be showcased in detail at the Xbox Games Showcase in June this year.
