Avowed Director Leaves Obsidian for Netflix's Oxenfree Studio

Avowed game director Carrie Patel has departed from the acclaimed RPG studio Obsidian Entertainment, mere months following the release of their latest title.

In a recent update to her LinkedIn profile, Patel announced she has started a new position at Night School, the Netflix-owned developer known for the Oxenfree series of narrative adventure games.

"I'm excited to share that I'm beginning a new role as Game Director at Night School: A Netflix Game Studio!" Patel stated in a brief post. Her new position at Night School will once again involve directing a game, although the specific project she is leading has not yet been revealed.

Night School is renowned primarily for its Oxenfree games, the most recent installment being Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals in 2023. Earlier this year, the Netflix-owned studio released the Black Mirror spin-off Thronglets, a period which also saw the company undergo an undisclosed number of staff layoffs. Months prior, Netflix completely shuttered another one of its internal studios that was developing a AAA game under the leadership of Halo veteran Joseph Staten.

Patel was a long-time veteran at Obsidian, the developer behind Avowed. Over her 11-year tenure, she held various senior roles on major projects, including the Xbox sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds and the classic Pillars of Eternity series.

More recently, Patel assumed the director role for Avowed after the game underwent a significant reboot early in its development cycle. The initial vision for Avowed featured a darker fantasy tone, closer to The Elder Scrolls, with one vast open world and multiplayer cooperative play.

Ultimately, Patel guided the project towards its final form: a visually brighter and more distinctive experience with multiple large, separate maps to explore and a focus on a purely single-player campaign.

Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots

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Critical reception for Avowed was generally positive, and Patel had previously discussed potential future paths for the franchise, including downloadable expansions, a full sequel, or a combination of both. Now, however, she will not be involved in those future developments.

A development roadmap for Avowed, announced last week, outlines a series of mostly minor free updates planned for the next six months. These additions will include a Photo Mode and a New Game Plus feature.

"With compelling world-building and superb character development, Avowed reminds me why I became a fan of Obsidian's RPGs," notes IGN's review of the game. "That said, the overall experience feels relatively safe, offering a conventional fantasy adventure that feels more familiar than groundbreaking."

Obsidian's next scheduled release is The Outer Worlds 2, which is set to be featured in a detailed presentation at this year's Xbox Games Showcase in June.