Avowed Director Sets a WILD Collision Course For Failure... Let's See How This Works Out For Them, Cotten.
Information/BlueSky Tweets for this article were passed along to SmashJT by an anonymous tipster that I've personally verified.
Xbox and Obsidian Entertainment’s (once highly anticipated) first-person fantasy RPG, Avowed, now finds itself at the center of a growing controversy. Crazed Art Director Matt Hansen who's been employed at Obsidian for over 9 years has now openly admitted to hating actual gamers. His messages on Bluesky are a fascinating case study in what NOT to do when "promoting" a new game... Because holy crap, this takes derangement to a whole new level...
What's wild to me about all this is how these people are all the same.
If they just made a product gamers wanted everyone would be happy, but no. They have to self insert politics that clash with the overwhelming majority of gamers and have no place in the game world itself. When the game ultimately fails to meet expectations, they always act surprised. Are they really this stupid? Its gotta make you wonder...
So, here we go again... In addition to attacking gamers, of course, he has 'Elon Derangement Syndrome' and he's wanting to antagonize Elon Musk with some lambasting tweets on Bluesky, raising serious concerns that the game’s creative direction prioritizes personal political messaging over immersive storytelling... In a, once again... FANSTAY RPG.
Hansen Hates Gamers
Matt Hansen, the art director for Avowed, has made his extreme disdain for a significant portion of the gaming audience abundantly clear to everyone. In a recent post on BlueSky, Hansen stated:
"With all sincerity, there is no such thing as, 'just a fan;' y'all are the whole reason for making this stuff, and it's why we do everything we can to make the game as inclusive as possible. Pissing off the chuds is just a side benefit."
By labeling traditional gamers as "chuds" and openly celebrating their frustration as a "side benefit" - Hansen reveals his deep-seated contempt for, ironically, the very community that has supported Obsidian and its projects over the years. His current attitude not only alienates longtime fans... but now? It also signals an extremely troubling shift in the studio’s priorities toward promoting divisive rhetoric over actually fostering a welcoming gaming experience. Almost like they contradict the very thing they say they stand for. Weird...
Targets Elon Musk
The controversy began when Elon Musk reacted to the news that Avowed would feature pronoun options - as I mentioned in a previous video, Elon Retweeted @Grummz on twitter, which initially sent this story into orbit.
Elon was calling the inclusion “utterly unacceptable” in a post on X. Hansen, in response, took to BlueSky to celebrate Musk's criticism, writing:
“Sickos.jpg. I wanted to badly to make him mad with my game, and I cannot believe it actually happened.”
He went further, threatening:
“Just wait until you see the default, you sad little s**t.”
Hansen’s posts continued to fan the flames:
"It's honestly deeply surreal to have the world's richest, shittiest boy whine about something I am making. I am quite frankly giddy. I cannot think of a single person in the world I would rather irritate."
He even encouraged potential players to embrace the game's “woke” content, writing:
“Anyway, Avowed comes out Feb 18 next year. Give it a whirl if you ain't afeared of the woke my mind virus.”
Political Statements Outside of Gaming
Hansen’s comments on political and social issues outside of the gaming space have added another layer to the controversy. I know... totally shocking, right? Reacting to Ohio’s legislation banning transgender individuals from using bathrooms that don’t align with their biological sex, Hansen wrote:
“Ohio? Hey Ohio? Get f***ed.”
He also shared a meme that reads:
“Repost this if Trans people are welcome and safe with you.”
Of course, having your own opinion is always gonna be there, but how you push it out to the masses says a lot about your state of mind. His remarks have fueled concerns among fans who feel that Avowed is unfortunately going to prioritize social commentary over the immersive, escapist experience Obsidian was once known and beloved for.
A Pattern That’s Hard to Ignore
I have to be honest with you guys... it’s really hard not to recognize a pattern here. Hansen’s comments, combined with the inclusion of pronouns and his wide-open disdain for critics like Musk, shows us specifically just how Avowed is going hard with heavily leaning into political messaging.. IN A FANTASY RPG.
It's DOA exactly for these reasons. For many, this is an example of yet another gaming studio prioritizing ideology over creativity. AGAIN. You gotta ask the question - when will they learn?
But then again, we already know the answer. They won't. They're driven by their ideologies... and it's really unfortunate that it's come to this.
Personally, this is deeply disappointing. As mentioned previously, I'd been really looking forward to Avowed as a fresh, engaging addition to Obsidian's legacy of narrative-driven RPGs.
Justin requested them to remove ideology and pronouns.
Instead, nope. He was blocked by @AvowedtheGame. Yo - Obsidian... WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK is wrong with you??
It's clear to everyone now that Microsoft is fully embracing woke ideology, and their shift is DIRECTLY alienating a large portion of the gaming audience.
~ Smash
