Josh Sawyer says he's more interested in creating original IP than doing Pillars of Eternity 3.

Pillars Of Eternity 2 Deadfire was my favorite CRPG before Baldur's Gate 3 dominated the world. It was the perfect example of what a modern CRPG in this venerable style should look like. It was deeply rooted in the legacy of Infinity Engine games but had a setting which allowed Obsidian explore more meaty subjects like colonialism while still delivering a thrilling pirate romp. It was a delicious fusion of old and new.

It sold less than expected and left a bad taste in the mouth of game director Josh Sawyer, who was burned out and resented the crowdfunding model that had inspired Obsidian's more conservative approach.

Pentiment is the first game Sawyer has led the development of. It's a historical detective romp that I love, but it's miles away from his RPGs. Avowed, a new game set in the Pillars universe is not being led by Sawyer. He has been lending a helping hand, as he explained in a recent RPG Site interview.

"I'm working on Avowed," said he. "I'm still in an advisory role, but I wrote a little on Avowed. I've helped with system design and other things. I helped out wherever they needed it. "I am doing more practical work there, and then just talking and thinking about ideas for future project."

It's a shame that Sawyer's Avowed role is so small, given his influence on the show. It's not surprising, but it is disappointing. In 2019, he struggled to answer the question of why Pillars 2 failed.

Sawyer continues to talk about the possibility of Pillars 3. After the phenomenal success of BG3, he stated, "I would definitely make Pillars 3 if there was an unlimited budget. I know how much money was spent on [Pillars of Eternity:] Deadfire and I have heard multiple times what the budget for Baldur's gate 3 was. I won't go into numbers, but if that budget were available, I would certainly do it."

He seems to have changed his mind a little bit in the last year. RPG Site asked the same question to him: Would he make Pillars 3 without time and budget constraints?

"I don't think so," he replied. "I feel that now Avowed, is where the Pillars Universe has sort of gone. It will be interesting to see how the audience reacts, and perhaps that's the direction the Pillars Universe takes in the future. So I think that there are many different options for what to do in future. I think I'm more interested in original IP than existing IP. "But we'll see what the future brings me."

Even though I loved Pillars 2 a lot, I'm not sad about it. Obsidian created a great setting for the sequel but the universe they created is still very D&D-like. I'm more interested to see RPG developers exploring less obvious realms. Revachol, from Disco Elysium, is the best example. I'd love to see another Sawyer-led game, in any universe, and perhaps that will be on the cards once again.

This is not to say I don't look forward to Avowed. Robin's Avowed impressions last week reassured me. It may not be a game changer, but I'll be happy if the story is "well-crafted" and compelling, with some political volatility, and choices that aren’t just empty gestures.