Set in the world of Eora, which has been featured in Pillars of Eternity, Avowed is set to be a huge project for Obsidian Entertainment. The first-person action-RPG was immediately compared to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim after it was revealed, due to its first-person perspective and a featured character wielding a sword and magic simultaneously. The game is in development exclusively for Microsoft platforms, and it's anticipated to be a huge release. Obsidian Entertainment, however, has several other projects in development, with one that has thus far been unannounced but has the potential to be an even bigger title than their Pillars of Eternity spin-off.

Avowed has the potential to be one of Obsidian Entertainment's biggest projects yet. The world of Eora is rife with different lands and in-built conflicts with narrative potential, while the developer has also been busy wrapping up post-launch support for The Outer Worlds, with its final DLC expansion coming in Q1 2021. Obsidian has also been busy crafting its early access survival game, Grounded. It's hard to imagine for some fans, but the developer has another title that is in some stage of development at the moment that could challenge Avowed's magnitude.

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Josh Sawyer is Directing a New Game

fallout new vegas 2

Josh Sawyer's earliest work includes design work on the beloved Icewind Dale series and Neverwinter Nights 2. More recently, he found success after noticing a gap in the market for CRPG games, leading to the then-record setting Kickstarter campaign for Pillars of Eternity. He went on to serve as the director of Pillars of Eternity and its sequel. Josh Sawyer, however, is perhaps known as the director of the fan-favorite Fallout: New Vegas. Since the acquisition of Obsidian by Microsoft, the rumor mill went into overload regarding a possible follow-up and with Sawyer himself confirming he's directing a new project, fueling speculation even further.

Avowed is almost certainly a game with huge scope, with its release being widely reported to be late 2022 or 2023. The first-person RPG has been reported to have been in development for two years already, which further reinforces the notion that it's a huge undertaking. While it's difficult to imagine that Obsidian Entertainment would even have the resources for it, the stars might be aligning for a Fallout: New Vegas 2, especially since the Microsoft acquisition of Bethesda.

If this is the secret game that Josh Sawyer is working on, it's reasonable to expect that this will take even longer than Avowed release. Its scope would almost certainly need to match or surpass Avowed to meet and exceed fan anticipation surrounding a New Vegas sequel. However, it should be noted that this is just speculation and in no shape, way, or form has there been any indication. As such a deal would have to happen pre-acquisition to even being remotely in the works now, this makes it all the more unlikely.

Pillars of Eternity or Something Else Entirely

Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was a crowdfunding success, but unfortunately, it didn't sell as well as Obsidian Entertainment hoped. The developer has remained open about returning to the series if the right ideas came along, and perhaps the time for a sequel has come along. Avowed is set in the same world, Eora, so it wouldn't be too hard to imagine the team getting some ideas together for Pillars of Eternity since work began on the first-person RPG. Josh Sawyer served as the director of the first two games, and in its own way, a new Pillars of Eternity related entry could match and exceed the scope of Avowed. While the Pillars games are isometric RPGs, they do contain a vast number of locations and quests, or the game could be in a different genre altogether.

Alternatively, a large, new project headed up by Josh Sawyer could be something entirely new. Obsidian Entertainment has proven its interest in trying new things, such as the early access survival game, Groundedand its move into first-person games with The Outer Worlds. Obsidian has proven capable of developing licensed titles as well as creating its own properties, and while the developer has its interests firmly rooted in role-playing experiences, it seems willing to try new things. Fans could end up being surprised by the secret project if Josh Sawyer directs something completely new.

Considering the presumed scope of Avowed and the possibility of another large project being made, it's very likely that Obsidian fans will be waiting a long time before any official news is revealed concerning the Josh Sawyer project. There are some likely candidates for what that game is, including a now-possible Fallout: New Vegas 2, but gamers will likely have to be patient before anything is formally unveiled regarding Obsidian's mystery game.

Avowed is in development for PC and Xbox Series X.

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