Avowed isn't aiming for an open world as big as Skyrim's

Avowed looks a lot like a Skyrim successor, but it sounds like it won't have an open world as big as Bethesda's modern classic.

Speaking to PC Gamer in a new interview, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart says that while Avowed did start out as Obsidian's Skyrim, it's changed into something else. Instead, Avowed has been rescoped, as games often are, into something that's still quintessentially Obsdian.

"We could go off and create an 8km x 8km open world and then deal with all the consequences of that - because that makes it a different style game," Urquhart said. "But we want to tell more confined stories that the player can experience with their companions, and then move from part of the world to part of the world. And, like I said, in the end, that's us."

In other words, don't expect Avowed to be as gigantic as Skyrim's open world is. However, this really sounds like it's for the best, and it's really what Obsidian would rather do - making sure the end product is something that plays to the studio's strengths and better represents them as developers.

Last night when the new Avowed gameplay trailer premiered during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023, we noted that it sure looked to be a good Skyrim successor. Obsidian's new game features all the chaos and creativity we've come to associate with Bethesda's game, complete with the player character running around with a weapon in their right hand and magical spells in their left hand.

Avowed is currently targeting a release date next year in 2024, and when it arrives, it'll be available on both PC and Xbox Series X/S.

Head over to our upcoming Xbox Series X games guide for a look at all the other console exclusives launching next year.