The upcoming game Avowed won’t have any romance options, and that’s a choice the developers made from the start. Game director Carrie Patel explained that Obsidian focused on other aspects of storytelling instead. While some players enjoy building relationships with characters, this game won’t include that feature.

Obsidian decided to center the experience on friendships and adventure rather than romantic connections. Patel said this was because of how the game’s world and story were structured. Instead of romance, the team put more effort into making the companions feel important in different ways. They wanted each one to have a strong presence without needing romance to make them stand out.

Another big reason is the game’s scope. Avowed is designed to be a tighter, more focused RPG compared to something like The Outer Worlds. With a smaller scale, the team had to decide what to include and what to leave out. Patel said adding romance would have taken resources away from other parts of the game, so they chose to refine the existing character interactions instead.

That doesn’t mean the game will lack personal connections. Players will still build bonds with companions, and their choices will affect how these relationships develop. However, those connections will stay platonic. Patel emphasized that the team worked hard to make every companion feel unique, with their own goals, personalities, and evolving stories.

Some players may be disappointed, especially since Obsidian has included romance in past RPGs like Pillars of Eternity. But Patel pointed out that every game has its own goals, and Avowed was designed differently from the beginning. Romance was never meant to be part of the experience, and the team stuck to that vision throughout development.

Avowed is still shaping up to be a deep RPG with meaningful choices. While dating might not be an option, players can still expect strong storytelling, engaging characters, and plenty of decisions that impact the game world. Obsidian has made it clear that their focus was on making relationships feel meaningful in their own way, even without romance.