Carrie Patel, a prominent figure at Obsidian Entertainment, has announced her departure after twelve years of collaboration. She will now join Night School Studio, a subsidiary of Netflix Games, as a game director. Her career at Obsidian began as a narrative designer on Pillars of Eternity and its expansions, The White March, followed by work on Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire and The Outer Worlds, where she led the development of the DLC “Peril on Gorgon”. Most recently, she served as game director on Avowed; you can read our review of it here.
Carrie Patel leaves Obsidian just months after the release of Avowed, a highly anticipated first-person RPG set in the Eora universe. Despite receiving critical acclaim for its artistic direction and accessible combat system (81 on Metacritic for critic scores), the game was met with mixed reception from players, scoring 6.9/10. Avowed fell short of fully meeting expectations set by Obsidian’s reputation in narrative RPGs. Carrie Patel’s departure as game director on this project occurs at a pivotal moment and may signify both the conclusion of a creative cycle and a desire to explore new opportunities. She now joins Night School Studio, a subsidiary of Netflix Games, as a game director. Starting her career at Obsidian as a narrative designer for Pillars of Eternity and its expansions, she later worked on Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire and The Outer Worlds, directing the “Peril on Gorgon” DLC. Most recently, she served as game director for Avowed, which we reviewed here.
In a LinkedIn post, Carrie Patel shared her satisfaction regarding her new role as game director at Night School Studio: “I am pleased to announce that I am starting a new position as game director at Night School: a Netflix games studio!” Night School, renowned for its narrative-focused games such as Oxenfree and Afterparty, was acquired by Netflix in 2021 as part of the company’s strategic expansion into video games. Patel’s transition to this role coincides with Netflix’s ongoing efforts to solidify its position in the gaming sector, despite recent organizational changes including layoffs at Night School in February 2025. Her appointment may indicate Netflix’s commitment to developing high-caliber narrative titles by tapping into the experience of industry veterans.
For Obsidian Entertainment, Carrie Patel’s departure marks the end of an era as the studio continues developing projects such as The Outer Worlds 2. This transition may also indicate a shift in priorities within the studio, which is now part of Xbox Game Studios. Patel had been with Obsidian for twelve years, starting her career there as a narrative designer on the popular Pillars of Eternity series and later working on The Outer Worlds, where she led the development of the DLC “Peril on Gorgon.” Most recently, she was the Game Director for Avowed, an acclaimed yet controversial first-person RPG in the Eora universe. Despite critical praise, Avowed received mixed reviews from players. Patel’s move to Night School Studio, a Netflix Games subsidiary and now her new role as Game Director, shortly after Avowed’s release, signifies the conclusion of one creative chapter and the beginning of another with fresh opportunities. She expressed enthusiasm for this change on LinkedIn, joining a team recognized for narrative-driven games like Oxenfree and Afterparty, which were acquired by Netflix in 2021 to enhance its gaming portfolio. This shift underscores Netflix’s dedication to high-quality narrative titles as it addresses recent internal changes, including layoffs at Night School in February 2025.
