Baldur's Gate 3's success doesn't make Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer want to make Pillars of Eternity 3 because he's "out of step" with the RPG's audience

GamesRPGPillars of EternityBaldur’s Gate 3’s success doesn’t make Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer want to make Pillars of Eternity 3 because he’s “out of step” with the RPG’s audienceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRPGPillars of EternityBaldur’s Gate 3’s success doesn’t make Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer want to make Pillars of Eternity 3 because he’s “out of step” with the RPG’s audienceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Obsidian) Baldur’s Gate 3’s success doesn’t make RPG guru Josh Sawyer want to make Pillars of Eternity 3 because he doesn’t think his vision would be able to turn a profit. In a new Q&A posted to hisYouTubechannel (timestampedhere), Sawyer was asked about the potential for Pillars of Eternity 3 following the explosive success of Baldur’s Gate 3. The original Pillars of Eternity was, after all, seen as a spiritual successor to the Baldur’s Gate series, and Sawyer took the lead on both it and its sequel. Sawyer seemingly implied that conversations have been had internally at Obsidian about making another sequel, but said in no uncertain terms that he probably isn’t the best person to be directing one. “Yes, people talked about [Pillars of Eternity 3] because BG3 was a huge critical hit, a huge commercial hit,” he said, pointing to the big gulf in funding between Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Pillars of Eternity series. “Money doesn’t fix all your problems, but there are certain things you simply cannot do without money. So for example, the production quality of the character models, the cinematics especially, all the animation, that’s crazy. That’s a lot of time and money. So it’s an expensive proposition.” Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite being generally well-received, didn’t reach the soaring heights, universal acclaim, and indeed, sales of Baldur’s Gate 3. A few years back,Sawyer himself saidthe “relatively low sales” of the sequel would mean the studio would have to “re-examine the entire format” of a potential Pillars of Eternity 3. Now, he has strongly implied it would need someone else in the director’s chair as well. “Looking at Deadfire and how it was received and looking at BG3 and how it was received, I feel like I don’t have the pulse of that audience, even if I ever did,” Sawyer said. “So whether I did 20 years ago or whether I do now, I don’t think I got it now. Things that they like and don’t like, mechanically, story-wise, things like that. Or I do get it, and I don’t dig it. So I feel like I’m kind of out of touch with that audience in a way that - if you want to give me a pile of money to make a game, I’ll make it [laughs] - I don’t think it’s necessarily going to appeal to the same audience and make that money back.” Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Specifically, Sawyer said he doesn’t think his idea of a fantasy romance system in an RPG is what most fans would want. “I’m out of step with that, and it’s hard for me to get it, and the things I do get it are like, ‘I get it, but I don’t like it’,” Sawyer said. “So I think that that’s a tricky aspect. And so the question there is, if I were to make romances in a game that were done in a way that I find appealing, would an audience enjoy that or would they really actually even hate it more than romances not being in the game?” Curiously, back in OctoberSawyer said he would try making Pillars of Eternity 3 if he had Baldur’s Gate 3’s reported budget. It seems at some point between then and now he’s changed his mind. While not a direct sequel, Obsidian’s upcoming action-RPGAvowedtakes place in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity and nowlaunches on February 18 after a recent delay. Sawyer’s most recent project, the 2D narrative-driven RPGPentiment, launched to numerous accolades in 2022. It’s unclear what he’s working on next. 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preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s 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over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”