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A Pillars of Eternity Tactics game has been pitched by 'a number' of Obsidian devs, because fans 'will play a lot of them, even if they're not that good'
Obsidian developers have pitched a Pillars of Eternity Tactics game, acknowledging the niche but passionate audience for strategy RPGs, but the project's feasibility remains uncertain due to potential budget and team constraints.
"A number" of developers at Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas, and Avowed studio Obsidian have pitched Tactics games set in the CRPG's universe.
In an interview with Limit Break Network, Josh Sawyer - director of both Pillars of Eternity games - was asked whether there was an interest in returning to the game's world beyond Avowed, Obsidian's upcoming RPG set in the same setting. He confirmed that "there have been a number of different people at the studio who have floated the idea of a Pillars Tactics game."
It's an interesting concept, according to Sawyer, because the audience for those games "is not huge, typically, but very passionate. People that are into [strategy] RPGs, tactical RPGs, they'll play a lot of them, even if ther've not that good."
While there are "breakout hits" in the genre - Sawyer points to Fire Emblem as the most obvious example - the case for developing a Tactics game remains tricky. While several people at the studio have pitched the idea, "it's a hard one to make a case for," with questions about the size of a potential project and the team attached to it appearing to have no concrete answer. Nevertheless, Sawyer says, "every once in a while we bring it up and go 'oh, we could maybe…'
Sawyer has, of course, also discussed the possibility of making Pillars of Eternity 3, but he's also suggested that's not a project he's desperate about. In one interview, he suggested he felt "out of step" with the modern RPG audience, while elsewhere he suggested that he'd need a Baldur's Gate 3-shaped budget if he was going to commit to a third entry.