In a revealing interview with Bloomberg, Carrie Patel, the second game director of Avowed, provided insights into the tumultuous development journey that saw the project discard two years of work. Initially, Obsidian Entertainment set out to create Avowed as a unique blend of Destiny and Skyrim, intending to merge cooperative exploration in a vast open world with multiplayer dynamics.

The first teaser trailer, released in 2020, sparked excitement among fans, yet it concealed the true state of the game's development: it was far from finished. Mere months after the trailer's release, the decision was made to abandon the entire project and begin afresh. Today, that teaser serves as a nostalgic reminder of an unrealized prototype, one that bears little resemblance to the game that ultimately emerged.

After the project's reboot, Carrie Patel took the helm as game director and steered Avowed in a new direction. She moved away from the inspirations drawn from Skyrim and Destiny, opting instead to eliminate the open-world and multiplayer aspects. Obsidian shifted focus to their renowned zone-based structure, emphasizing a rich, single-player narrative deeply connected to the Pillars of Eternity universe.

The decision to restart mid-development posed significant challenges, comparable to making a film without a script. Teams labored under uncertain conditions as the leadership worked to forge a unified vision. Despite these obstacles, the development continued for another four years until Avowed was finally ready for release.