Avowed Director Warns of Launch Riddled w/Bugs—and, ummm... The game comes out next week...
In a recent interview with MinnMax on their YouTube channel, Avowed Director and Sr. Narrative Designer Carrie Patel made an pretty wild statement that's sparked, or reinforced (depending where you stand on this game) concern among gamers everywhere. Patel went on to openly acknowledge that Avowed, the once-highly-anticipated RPG coming from Obsidian Entertainment is going to be launching with ...some degree of "jank"—the kind of unexpected glitches that can - and do - seriously interfere with an overall gameplay experience. While I appreciate the 'honesty' (if you want to call it that), minor technical issues are often forgiven in sprawling RPGs- her comments sound far more concerning.
The casual way Patel framed this all as almost inevitable has set off alarm bells not just with myself, but the entire gaming community. Pair this with what multiple insiders have been communicating to me over the past few months who are directly affiliated in some way with Obsidian Entertainment - There are fairly low expectations for how the game is going to be received overall by the entire gaming community at large...
Patel attempts to explain how a little 'jank' is “necessary for a fun and creative experience” implying that these bugs are actually somehow features - part of the charm when it comes to massive RPGs... Which, I gotta be honest - couldn't help but chuckle when I heard. Considering the recent industry trends of launching completely broken, incomplete games, her statement feels far less like playful jokes and far more like attempting to soften the inevitable blow for what sounds like is going to be an extremely deeply flawed product.
Fans have reason to worry that Avowed is going to suffer the same exact fate that’s plagued other similar titles in recent years—overpromised, underdelivered, and left to patch its problems longggg after release.
Insider Warnings Raise Concerns
While Patel’s comments alone might have raised some eyebrows, I’ve been contacted by multiple insiders over the past few weeks regarding Avowed and Obsidian Entertainment’s internal atmosphere. These sources, who have of course asked to remain anonymous, paint a troubling picture of the game’s current state... and the studio’s overall direction. I’m bound by confidentiality so while I can't disclose specific details, the general consensus among these insiders is clear: Avowed is simply not living up to expectations.
The biggest damning info that I've heard? Even those working intimately on the game don’t seem to have much confidence whatsoever in it.
To make matters worse, Obsidian’s Art Director, Matt Hansen, has been exposed by multiple individuals who know him personally for fostering what’s been described as an extremely toxic workplace culture. According to these sources, the studio’s morale is nowhere close to what you’d expect from a team working on a supposed 'flagship' RPG in their pre-existing Pillars of Eternity world.
A Gamepass Special?
Given everything I’ve been hearing, Avowed feels suspiciously like a title developed with Gamepass in mind—a game designed to attract curiosity clicks to play it without much expectation of long-term player investments. Gamepass is a double-edged sword in this regard: it’s great for accessibility to play games on the cheap, but then again, it also provides a safety net for studios to release less polished experiences. With Avowed, Obsidian and Microsoft seem to be banking on gamer curiosity over actual game quality, knowing that most players won’t actually buy the game outright anyway.
For those planning to pick up Avowed at launch, I’d stress to wait for trusted reviewers to weigh in - or try it on Gamepass for yourself. I wouldn't recommend buying this one at full price on day one, given everything I've been hearing. This game might look exciting on the surface, but all signs I've been seeing point to a very rough experience at release. If history's any indication, the bugs and issues aren't gonna be just some sort of fun “charming jank”—they’ll be frustrating, immersion-breaking problems that leave players wondering what went wrong, and how studios continue to release games in the states they do.
Will Avowed surprise everyone and rise above the doubts, or is it destined to join the growing list of recent letdowns in the industry? Who knows at this point... But either way, one thing's certain: You'd be well served to hold back any heightened levels of hype.
Approach this one with extreme caution.
~Smash
