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, shortly after the launch of their latest game. Patel announced on LinkedIn that she has taken up a new position as Game Director at Night School, a studio owned by Netflix and known for the Oxenfree series.

"I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as Game Director at Night School: A Netflix Game Studio!" Patel shared in her LinkedIn update. Although her specific project at Night School remains under wraps, her role will continue to be in game direction.

Night School gained recognition with the Oxenfree series, with the latest release being Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals in 2023. The studio also launched a Black Mirror spin-off, Thronglets, earlier this year, amid an unspecified number of layoffs. Netflix had previously shut down another of its studios, which was working on a AAA game led by Halo veteran Joseph Staten.

Patel, a long-time member of Obsidian, contributed significantly to the company over 11 years, working on acclaimed titles like The Outer Worlds and the Pillars of Eternity series. She took the helm of Avowed after its early development reboot, steering it away from a darker, Elder Scrolls-like setting to a brighter, more distinctive experience. The final version of Avowed features multiple large maps and is exclusively single-player, diverging from the original plans of a single open world with co-op multiplayer.

Avowed - Xbox Developer Direct Screenshots

View 39 ImagesAvowed received largely 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 several minor free updates planned over the next six months, including a Photo Mode and New Game Plus.

IGN's review praised Avowed for its "awesome worldbuilding and stellar character writing," yet noted that the game "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 Xbox Games Showcase in June.