"Avowed Director Leaves Obsidian for Netflix's Oxenfree Studio After 13 Years"

Avowed director Carrie Patel has recently left Obsidian Entertainment, the renowned RPG developer, shortly after the launch of their latest game. Patel announced her departure via an update on her LinkedIn profile, revealing her new role as Game Director at Night School, a studio owned by Netflix and known for the Oxenfree series.

In her LinkedIn post, Patel expressed excitement about her new position, 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 upcoming project remain undisclosed, Patel's transition marks a significant shift in her career.

Night School gained recognition with its Oxenfree series, with the latest installment being Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals in 2023. The studio also ventured into the Black Mirror universe with Thronglets earlier this year, amidst reports of layoffs. This follows Netflix's decision to close another of its studios, which was working on a AAA game led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.

Patel, a long-time member of Obsidian, contributed significantly to the company over her 11-year tenure. Her roles included senior positions on major titles like The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She took the helm of Avowed following its early development reboot, steering it from a darker fantasy setting akin to The Elder Scrolls towards a more vibrant and unique experience. Under her direction, Avowed evolved into a single-player game featuring multiple expansive maps, diverging from its original plan of a single open world with multiplayer co-op.

Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots

View 39 ImagesAvowed received largely positive feedback, and Patel had expressed intentions to expand the franchise through potential expansions or a sequel. However, she will not be involved in Avowed's future developments. Last week, Obsidian released a development roadmap for Avowed, outlining minor free updates over the next six months, including a Photo Mode and New Game Plus.

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."

Obsidian's next major release, The Outer Worlds 2, is set to be showcased in detail at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase in June.