Avowed Director Leaves Obsidian for Netflix's Oxenfree Studio After Over a Decade

Avowed director Carrie Patel has left Obsidian Entertainment, a renowned RPG developer, just months following the launch of their latest game. Patel, who updated her LinkedIn profile, has taken on a new role at Night School, a studio owned by Netflix and known for the Oxenfree series of narrative adventures.

In her LinkedIn post, Patel announced, "I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Game Director at Night School: A Netflix Game Studio!" While at Night School, Patel will continue her work as a game director, though details of her new project remain under wraps.

Night School gained fame through its Oxenfree series, with the latest entry being Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals released in 2023. The studio also launched a Black Mirror spin-off titled Thronglets earlier this year, amidst an unspecified number of layoffs. Additionally, Netflix closed another of its studios that was developing a AAA game led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.

Patel, a long-time member of Obsidian, contributed to the development of several key titles over her 11-year tenure, including Xbox's sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She took the helm of Avowed after its early development reboot, steering the game from a darker, Elder Scrolls-inspired fantasy with a single open world and multiplayer co-op, to a brighter, visually distinct experience featuring multiple expansive maps and a single-player focus.

Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots

View 39 ImagesAvowed received generally positive feedback, and Patel had expressed interest in expanding the franchise through expansions or a sequel. However, she will not be involved in Avowed's future developments. A recent development roadmap for Avowed outlined 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, yet noted that the game's overall formula felt safe and familiar rather than innovative.

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