Baldur's Gate 3 Dev wants to play Josh Sawyer's Dream RPG

Michael Douse, the publishing director of Baldur's Gate 3, has expressed strong support for Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity director Josh Sawyer, urging that he be given the resources to create his ideal RPG.

Josh Sawyer recently revealed that he doesn't see himself returning to the Pillars of Eternity franchise, feeling that he's "out of step" with the core audience, particularly concerning the game's romance mechanics. In response, Douse publicly backed Sawyer, expressing his desire to see another RPG crafted by the talented designer. Sawyer, who currently holds the role of design director at Obsidian, isn't tied to any specific projects in development at the moment.

"I really hope Josh gets the resources he needs to create the RPG he truly wants to make," Douse stated. "He's an extraordinary designer, and with great design comes a dedicated audience. He has the capability and the team to bring that vision to life. I would love to play that game."

Sawyer’s latest work was the critically acclaimed 2022 narrative adventure Pentiment, developed at Obsidian. The studio's next major RPG, Avowed, set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, is slated for a 2025 release, but Sawyer isn't leading the project due to burnout. His next steps remain uncertain, but he has recently discussed the conditions that would need to be met for him to return to the Fallout series.

"When revisiting any IP, especially one I've worked on before, the key question is, 'What can I do this time that I couldn't do last time?'" Sawyer explained. "If the constraints are too limiting, it's not appealing, because why work on something where the one thing you want to explore isn't possible?"

Douse's endorsement highlights the high regard in which Sawyer is held within the industry and the potential for a new RPG that could capture the imagination of gamers worldwide.