Obsidian’s upcoming RPG Avowed could be a monster hit for Xbox Series X, giving fans another exclusive single-player RPG. However, this wasn’t the original plan, as the RPG was almost a co-op focused-title that happened to have a fantasy setting.
Feargus Urquhart, the studio head of Obsidian, revealed that he had different plans for the fantasy RPG. During a multi-part documentary about the company’s history, Urquhart said he wanted the game to have a multiplayer focus.
Since multiplayer was still a popular buzzword with publishers at the time, Urquhart knew that would get Microsoft more interested. There was actually some work done to make Avowed more of a co-op RPG but as development went on, the devs realized they needed to refocus.
"With Avowed, we focus on unique bespoke content, deep systems and incredible storytelling that's focused on characters, societies and factions,” said Justin Britch, Head of Development. “Avowed is the natural extension of all the things we care about as a studio, of all the things we are great at."
Avowed looks like it’s going to be Obsidian’s version of Skyrim, much like how Outer Worlds was their version of Fallout. Set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, this RPG is going to be substantially different gameplay-wise, being a first-person title. This isn’t the first time Obsidian worked on a licensed title, as reports stated they were working on a Rick and Morty title before.
Read More: Avowed - release date, trailer, and platforms
No release date for Avowed has been revealed, though the game does have a 2024 release window. Obsidian is also working on The Outer Worlds 2, which might actually come out on PlayStation 5 if Sony gets its way.