Obsidian's new RPG Pentiment wouldn't have been possible without Game Pass, director says

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Pentiment director Josh Sawyer says he wouldn't have "bothered" pitching the game without Game Pass

Pentiment screenshot
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Obsidian's new and acclaimed RPG Pentiment wouldn't have been possible without Game Pass, director Josh Sawyer has said.

Speaking on the Waypoint Radio podcast (thanks, PC Gamer), Sawyer explained that he wouldn't have "bothered" even pitching Pentiment in a world where Game Pass doesn't exist. 

"I never would have proposed making Pentiment without Game Pass," Sawyer said. "Like, I literally just wouldn't have done it. I just don't think it would have been possible."

The narrative-focused RPG isn't a conventional game by any means, less so in relation to Obsidian's prior body of work, and Sawyer felt that a traditional developer-publisher model wouldn't have supported his vision.

"In a traditional model, I just don't think I would have even bothered because no one's going to pick that up. Even if my boss were supportive of it, it would have been so incredibly difficult to get a publisher to pick it up. And that's why this specific environment is the only way in which I really conceive of it being viable."

I've always loved how Game Pass affords me the opportunity to check out games I otherwise wouldn't have, and I appreciate it even more knowing a neat little game like Pentiment likely wouldn't exist without it. Our Pentiment review loved its robust and meaningful dialogue choices and rich historical detail while noting its occasionally slow pace.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.