After almost 12 years at Obsidian Leisure, Avowed sport director Carrie Patel has left the studio to tackle the same place at Evening College, the Netflix-owned developer of the Oxenfree video games.
Patel introduced her departure and new function in a really transient message posted on LinkedIn (through Insider Gaming): “I’m completely happy to share that I’m beginning a brand new place as Sport Director at Evening College: A Netflix Sport Studio!”
Evening College was based in 2014 and got here to prominence with its acclaimed debut launch, the 2016 supernatural journey Oxenfree. Netflix acquired Evening College in 2021, and it was a reasonably large deal on the time: Evening College was Netflix’s first studio acquisition, and it appeared set on turning into a participant within the video games business—not less than within the mid-tier, indie-darling scene.
It hasn’t actually labored out that method, although. In more moderen years Netflix seems to have dialed again its gaming ambitions: A brand new studio geared toward constructing “the subsequent huge factor in gaming” was closed in October 2024; a month later Netflix’s vice chairman of video games Mike Verdu reworked into Netflix’s vice chairman of generative AI in video games, after which 4 months after that he reworked once more into a man who does not work there anymore.
There have been additionally layoffs in February 2025 at Evening College particularly, though a Netflix rep stated on the time that solely a small variety of staff had been let go and that its broader technique with the studio, no matter it’s, remained unchanged.
As for Patel, she’s had a protracted and seemingly enviable profession at Obsidian: Previous to serving as director and narrative designer on the very well-received Avowed, she labored as narrative designer on Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds, and narrative design lead (together with Obsidian stalwart Josh Sawyer) on Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire.
Given all that, it might sound a bit odd that Patel would wish to make the transfer from one to the opposite, and for now we’re left to invest: Netflix has the sources to place some huge cash on the desk to draw big-name expertise, certain, but it surely’s simply as seemingly that Patel merely needs to get inventive with a smaller staff. Patel herself hasn’t stated any extra about her causes for making the transfer or what she’ll be getting as much as at Evening College, and Netflix confirmed that Patel has joined Evening College as a sport director however declined to remark additional.
