I still remember the first time Obsidian confirmed that Avowed would not have romance. It was 2024, the internet did its usual thing, and I was somewhere between disappointed and curious. Now it is 2026, the game has been out for a while, and I can finally say it: the no-romance decision was not a bug. It was a deliberate, bold design choice, and it makes Avowed feel different in a way I have come to appreciate.
Carrie Patel, Avowed's creative director, explained after Xbox's Summer showcase that romance was seriously talked about early in development. The team did not just forget it. They considered it. But Patel said if they were going to include romance, they wanted an equally meaningful non-romantic path. That means writing two emotional tracks, not one. That takes time, money, and narrative bandwidth. Obsidian put so much into companions and tied them into the central story that, in Patel's words, they would have had to really, really, really do it right - or not at all. They chose not at all, and focused on other aspects of companions and platonic relationships.
Look, I am only human. I wanted to romance Kai. I wanted the flirty banter, the tension, the big confession scene. But the more I played, the more I realized that Avowed's companions are not lesser because they are friends. They are written with interior lives, opinions, and arcs that do not depend on whether I picked the heart icon. In 2026, that stands out even more because so many RPGs still treat romance as a checklist.
| RPG habit | Avowed's approach |
|---|---|
| Romance as reward | Platonic bonds as the core |
| Companion approval meters | Story-driven relationships |
| Flirt to unlock backstory | Earn trust through choices |
| Romance for everyone | No romance, deeper focus |
The companions in Avowed - Kai, Giatta, Yatzli, and Marius - are not just walking dialogue trees. They push back. They change. They have their own problems, and their stories are woven into the main plot rather than tucked into a separate romance lane. That is the part I think people missed in 2024. Obsidian was not removing intimacy. It was redefining where intimacy comes from.
Why did Obsidian skip romance? The answer is scope. If you add romance, players expect breakups, jealousy, different orientations, reactivity to every major choice, and endings that acknowledge it. That is a second game's worth of writing. Obsidian decided to spend that budget on the world, combat, and companion quests. In 2026, I think that was the right trade.
And honestly? I have had enough RPG romances that felt like vending machines. You put in gifts and approval, and out comes a love scene. Avowed avoids that. It asks you to care about people without expecting a prize. That is rare.
What I love in 2026:
-
Companions remember your choices without a visible approval bar.
-
Friendships can be intense without being romantic.
-
No approval meter to game, no flirt option to farm.
-
The story stays focused on the world and your role in it.
Not every RPG needs romance. Avowed proves that platonic relationships can carry emotional weight. It is not about being anti-romance. It is about being honest about scope. Patel and her team knew they could either do romance perfectly or not at all. They chose not at all. In 2026, with the benefit of hindsight, I think that was the mature call. If Avowed 2 ever happens, maybe they will revisit it. But for now, I am happy to call my companions friends. Sometimes that is enough.
Comments