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, just a few months following the launch of their latest game. Patel announced her departure via an update on her LinkedIn profile, where she revealed her new role as Game Director at Night School, a studio owned by Netflix and known for the Oxenfree series of narrative adventures.

In her LinkedIn post, Patel expressed enthusiasm 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 new project remain under wraps, her transition to Night School marks a significant shift in her career.

Night School gained recognition with the Oxenfree series, with the latest installment, Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, released in 2023. The studio also ventured into the Black Mirror universe with Thronglets earlier this year, amidst an unspecified number of layoffs. This comes after Netflix shut down another of its studios, which was working on a AAA project led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.

Patel's tenure at Obsidian spanned over 11 years, during which she held various senior roles and contributed to notable titles such as The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She took the helm of Avowed after its early development reboot, steering the game away from its original darker, Elder Scrolls-like fantasy setting toward a brighter, more distinctive experience. Under her direction, Avowed evolved into a single-player game with multiple expansive maps, diverging from its initial plan of a single open world with multiplayer co-op.

Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots

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The reception to Avowed was largely positive, and Patel had hinted at potential expansions or a sequel for the franchise. However, she will not be involved in its future development. Last week, Obsidian released a development roadmap for Avowed, outlining minor updates such as a Photo Mode and New Game Plus, all to be added for free 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."

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