Carrie Patel, who served as game director on this year’s acclaimed fantasy RPG Avowed, has confirmed her departure from Obsidian Entertainment after nearly 12 years with the studio and announced a new role at Netflix.
Patel, who was very much the face of Avowed throughout its development, shared the news in a brief update on LinkedIn, revealing she’s now working within Netflix’s gaming division, having joined Oxenfree developer Night School Studio as a game director.
She offered no further clue on what she’ll be working on at Night School, but the Oxenfree and Afterparty studio has an impressive track record, despite its limited output since being acquired by Netflix in 2021. It released Oxenfree 2 in 2023 but nothing else until Black Mirror tie-in Thronglets earlier this year – a release that followed an unspecified number of layoffs in March.
Netflix’s steady expansion into gaming has taken some dramatic shifts in direction since the streaming service took its first tentative steps back in 2021. After an initial focus on mobile titles, it seemed ready to stride into the world of AAA console gaming, even hitting up longtime Halo creative lead Joseph Staten, Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonny, and God of War art director Rafael Grassetti to found a new development team.
However, Netflix quietly closed the studio late last year, and is reportedly now focusing on narrative and transmedia projects, on big mainstream IP, on being a trusted destination for families, and on party games played on TVs using mobile phones as a controller. That does, of course, leave room for Night Studio – and Patel – to continue making the kind of games it does best.
As for Avowed back at Obsidian, prior to her departure, Patel suggested it wasn’t a one-and-done effort. “Now that we’ve built this wonderful world, and also built this team strength and muscle memory around the content and gameplay in this world,” she explained, “I’d love to see us do more with it.” Next up for Obsidian, though, is The Outer Worlds 2. It’s due out later this year, with a special developer deep dive set to air on 8th June following the Xbox Games Showcase.
