Fallout: New Vegas and Outer Worlds developer Obsidian Entertainment initially intended to create its upcoming RPG Avowed as a cooperative multiplayer game before returning to its single-player roots. In a documentary celebrating Obsidian’s 20th anniversary, studio head and founder Feargus Urquhart admitted that pushing for Avowed to be multiplayer was a mistake, recognizing it as the wrong decision in the end.
The head of development, Justin Britch, revealed that Obsidian showcased Avowed to Microsoft early on during the acquisition process. While not specifically mentioning Microsoft, Urquhart explained that the multiplayer aspect added value, making it more enticing to publishers. However, the studio’s focus on multiplayer caused a variety of issues. Obsidian, known for its single-player games, had to relearn various aspects of game development, including pipeline workflows, dialogue writing, and quest design.
The situation mirrors the recent controversy involving fellow Xbox Games Studios developer Arkane. Known for its single-player games like Dishonored, Arkane developed the co-op multiplayer game Redfall, which received negative reviews upon launch. Reports suggest that its parent company, ZeniMax, pushed for a multiplayer focus, resulting in significant problems. Around 70% of the staff who worked on the single-player game Prey left during Redfall’s development. Some employees even wished for the game to be rebooted as a single-player experience or canceled entirely.
In contrast to Arkane, Obsidian decided to stick to its roots with Avowed. Set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, the game aims to create a more approachable world and universe. The goal is to appeal to a larger audience who may not have played the Infinity Engine games or the previous Pillars of Eternity titles.
Avowed is scheduled to launch in 2024, although no specific release date has been announced. Obsidian released a new trailer for the game in June, providing glimpses of its features, including destructible environments. The game’s size is expected to be closer to that of The Outer Worlds than Skyrim.
As players anticipate the release of Avowed, only time will tell if Obsidian can achieve its goal of creating an experience that stays true to its roots while appealing to a wider audience.
