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Avowed has no traditional romance routes for its player character. Game director Carrie Patel said the team considered adding romance, but chose to focus on companion relationships that develop through the player’s time with each character and on other companion content within the game’s scope.
Romance was considered, then left out
The absence of romance was a deliberate design choice, not simply an option the developers forgot to add. Patel told Windows Central that the team discussed romance and weighed the investment involved in building romanceable companions. In a 2024 interview with Game Informer, Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo discussed that decision alongside the companion stories, character insights, and overall shape of the game.
The available interviews do not give a specific budget, schedule, or development-cost figure for romance. They describe a creative and production trade-off: what the team wanted companion content in Avowed to do, and what it could prioritize within this game.
The team wanted relationships to grow naturally
Patel’s stated aim was for players’ relationships with companions to feel natural and to reflect how much attention a player chose to give them. GameSpot, reporting on Patel’s appearance on the IGN Unlocked podcast, quoted her hope that players would get from companion relationships “exactly what they want and exactly as much as they put in.” GameSpot’s report also says Patel worried that conventional romance routes could draw attention away from the broader story and characters.
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- Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.
- Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way
- Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.
That is Patel’s reasoning for this game, not a claim that romance systems are inherently a poor fit for role-playing games. Vice’s interview similarly describes her preference for relationships that emerge from a player’s time with a character rather than from a dedicated romance route. Read the Vice interview.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.No romance routes does not mean no companion relationships
Avowed still features companions, their stories, and interactions shaped by the player’s experience. Xbox Wire’s January 2025 preview describes four companions encountered as the story progresses and presents those relationships as part of the game’s player-shaped narrative design. Windows Central also discusses companions’ distinct personalities and their interactions with the player and one another.
Rank #2
- Requires base game, Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass Membership (Sold Separately)
- Premium Upgrade includes: Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
- Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
The distinction is the form those relationships take: the game does not offer traditional player-character romance options, but companion relationships and stories remain part of the experience. The developers’ stated priorities were a natural-feeling connection with characters and other companion content—not a rejection of romance across the genre.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- L'édition Premium SteelBook comprend: le jeu de base Avowed, jusqu'à 5 jours d'accès anticipé, le SteelBook Avowed, la carte des Terres Vivantes, deux packs de skins Premium et l'accès à l'Artbook numérique Avowed et à la bande-son originale
- Vous êtes l'envoyé d'Aedyr, une terre lointaine, missionné pour enquêter sur les rumeurs selon lesquelles une épidémie se propagerait dans les Terres Vivantes, une île pleine de mystères et de secrets, de dangers et d'aventures, de choix et de conséconsés. quences, et d'une nature sauvage
- Explorez une île qui abrite de nombreux environnements et paysages différents, chacun avec son propre écosystème unique
- Mélangez et associez des épées, des sorts, des armes et des boucliers pour vous frayer un chemin
- The compagnons d'un large éventail d'espèces se battront à vos côtés, avec leurs propres capacités uniques
Rank #3
- Premium Edition includes: Avowed base game, Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for each of your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
- Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
- Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.
- Game Informer’s 2024 interview discusses why romance was considered but not included.
- Windows Central’s interview report covers the discussion of romance and companion design.
- Xbox Wire’s January 2025 preview describes the game’s companions and player-shaped narrative.
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