Avowed to Feature Romance Options

Obsidian's Avowed, now available in early access, invites players on a journey through the Living Lands, filled with magic, peril, and surprisingly, romance. While Obsidian previously stated Avowed wouldn't include a dedicated romance system, focusing instead on "thoughtful relationships" with companions, early access reveals at least one companion, Kai, develops romantic feelings for the player character.

This contradicts earlier statements by Avowed game director Carrie Patel, who, in an IGN interview, explained their decision to avoid a traditional romance system: "We are building thoughtful relationships with our companion characters," Patel stated. "Ultimately, I personally am a fan of making that an option, but I feel like if you're going to do it, you really, really have to commit and make sure that you're giving all to fulfilling that in a way that feels both true to the character, but also creates an engaging player experience. So not something we're doing for Avowed, but I wouldn't say never."

Spoiler Alert! Details regarding the romantic interactions with Kai follow. If you wish to experience these interactions unspoiled, please stop reading now.

Warning! Avowed spoilers ahead!