Avowed Is About the Friends We Made Along the Way, Not Romance – And That’s Totally Fine

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Avowed‘s ending.

A lot has been made of Avowed‘s “missing” features since the Obsidian Entertainment action-RPG dropped in mid-February. And it’s true that Avowed lacks content and systems players have come to expect – including romance options for the game’s companion characters.

But what’s also true is that Obsidian was always upfront about Avowed‘s near total lack of amorous activity. Director Carrie Patel confirmed that love most certainly was not in the air in Living Lands in a January 2025 IGN interview. Patel even laid out the reason why she and her team didn’t squeeze any mushy stuff into Avowed, arguing that “if you’re going to do [romanceable companions], 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.”

As justifications go, that’s pretty solid; no romance is indeed better than a half-baked alternative. But more importantly, it highlights one of the most underrated aspects of Avowed (and the Pillars of Eternity franchise more broadly). This isn’t a story about falling head over heels after saving the day – it’s a story about the friends you make along the way.

There IS One Romance Option in Avowed

If you’ve already blitzed through Avowed‘s main quest, at this point you may (depending on your in-game choices) take issue with me characterizing Avowed as romance-free. And you’d have a point: Obsidian did sneak in a decidedly non-platonic path for the player and their fish-person pal, Kai. Provided you choose the right dialogue options, complete the right side quest, and make a handful of the right choices at the end, Avowed‘s epilogue confirms that you and Kai become an item.

Related: Best Early Builds in Avowed

But that’s the thing: you and Kai get together after the game is over. The first overt hint that shacking up is even on the cards doesn’t come until relatively late in Avowed‘s core narrative, either. The rest of the time? You’re just a couple of buddies, going on adventures. There’s no real relationship initiation, much less upkeep, to speak of. Indeed, until Kai confesses his true feelings, your interactions with him aren’t really any different from those with your other companions Marius, Yatzli, and Giatta.

Why should they be? Avowed isn’t that fussed about friskiness – none of the franchise’s entries are.

Romance Isn’t a Big Deal in the Pillars of Eternity Universe

The original Pillars of Eternity doesn’t feature any romance options. Its direct sequel, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, does. However, anyone going into Deadfire expecting to pitch woo (or knock boots) in a similar fashion to other RPG series like Mass Effect or The Witcher will undoubtedly exit disappointed. Like its predecessor, Deadfire encourages players to invest time getting to know their companions on a deeply personal level. But getting any closer than friends? Not so much.

Related: What Other RPGs Were Built With Avowed’s Game Engine, Unreal Engine 5?

You can try your charms on five characters in Deadfire – Aloth, Maia, Tekēhu, Xoti, and (briefly) Serafen – and the romances that follow are barely worthy of that characterization. None of these unions is particularly meaningful. There’s a bit of flirty banter, some additional side quest content, and not much else. Certainly, you don’t learn that much more about any of your paramours from courting them than you do if you knock back their advances.

That would be a problem – if romance was a fundamental component of the Pillars of Eternity games. But it’s not, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Avowed’s Focus on Friendship Is a Feature, Not a Bug

While recent RPGs have made romance options effectively a default feature of the genre, plenty of modern classics get by just fine without them. Fallout: New Vegas, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and more besides were well received without cribbing from the dating sim playbook. Arguably, part of what makes these games work so well is that they don’t have any romance (although admittedly, New Vegas lets players have sex).

Related: All 12 Treasure Map Locations in Avowed

Let’s be honest: with rare exception, most RPG love stories are awkward at best, because emulating believable romance is really hard – especially when you’re trying to fit it within the cracks surrounding action-based gameplay. Better to leave it out entirely, than do it badly. But friendship? That’s easier to convincingly recreate, with the constant combat reinforcing player-companion bonds, not distracting from them.

It’s what compels us to forge meaningful connections with our pixel-powered partners in Avowed; the sense that they’re fighting alongside us, in service of a common goal. And it’s why our post-battle debriefs matter: because, unlike a shorthand romance, we’ve actually experienced it all together in real-time. Is that enough for anyone looking for more than friendship from Avowed‘s character roster? Nope. But personally, I love it.

Avowed is available now on Xbox Series X/S and Windows.