Official Avowed Account IMMEDIATLY Blocks ANYONE Questioning Pronouns

Avowed: Obsidian Entertainment’s Self-Sabotage Through Unhinged Censorship and Complete Community Alienation

The upcoming release of Avowed by Obsidian Entertainment has been plagued by controversy, to put it nicely. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, the official Avowed account from Obsidian Entertainment is now doubling down on alienating potential future customers rather than addressing their genuine concerns.

People have been informing me left and right that the game's official X account and Reddit page are blocking users en masse for mild criticisms or even polite questions, while dissent is also being silenced across the internet on official forums. This heavy-handed approach has a ton of gamers out here questioning whether Avowed has completely lost it's collective marbles .

Blocking Critics on X

The censorship accusations gained big time traction when a multitude of users shared their respective experiences across the board of being blocked by the official Avowed account. For instance, Justin__NC, a prospective buyer, tweeted:

"They blocked me, and half the comment section, for mentioning pronouns. They have openly alienated and attacked gamers. They deserve to flop."

Justin’s offense? Exposing the inclusion of pronouns in the game and questioning whether they might be removable—a reasonable query for someone considering their purchase.

Justin continued:

Not just me. Anyone who even mentions “pronouns” to them gets banned

They banned half their own comment section

Instead of engaging constructively, Obsidian chose to block him.

Similarly, Penumbra shared their experience:

"Yeah, I got blocked only for saying that I was not gonna try the game."

Such a response is baffling. Ignoring feedback is one thing; preemptively silencing even mild disinterest borders on hostility toward customers.

The Controversial Character Design Debate

The controversy escalated when Learning the Law (@MangaLawyer) pointed out a stark difference in character design between the studio’s previous work and Avowed. Sharing a comparison between Visas Marr from Knights of the Old Republic II (2004) and a female character from Avowed, MangaLawyer remarked:

"What happened, Obsidian Entertainment? Are you afraid of attractive fictional women?"

He continued:

"The funny thing is that you can barely see the face of Visas, yet you can tell right away that she’s female. Put a veil on modern game female characters, and you wouldn’t know if it’s Mike Tyson or Sylvester Stallone talking."

This commentary struck a chord with many, sparking broader discussion about trends in game design. Instead of addressing the feedback, Obsidian blocked MangaLawyer, prompting him to post:

"The answer is yes lol."

Carlos (@SirDubs27) also shared a screenshot of being blocked with the simple statement:

"Same."

The collective frustration of gamers reflects a toxic environment where any player feedback is met with hostility rather than engagement. Ironically, trying to sidestep a toxic environment actually created an entirely new one.

Bans Extend to Reddit and Official Forums

The heavy-handed approach hasn't been limited to X.

Regarding the Avowed subreddit, a user named Lsd2122 on a Steam community page shared their experience of being permanently banned:

"Wrote that I’m fine with woke stuff as long as I’m not fed like foie gras duck. Perma ban. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, I dislike woke, I hate though when woke agenda is being pushed in a game, which kids might be playing. Sad state."

Another user, Sundancer, commented on similar censorship on the Obsidian forums:

"There was a post asking nicely about Obsidian’s stance on the matter with Hansen—just a simple question, even polite without insults. It was viewed like 200 times and then disappeared without a trace. That alone tells you everything you need to know."

This pattern extends far beyond Reddit and X as well, with a number of other accounts I've witness claim similar tactics by Obsidian. It tells us that this company is unwilling to tolerate any dissent, no matter how respectfully presented. By removing posts and banning users, Obsidian is far more concerned with trying to control the narrative than building goodwill among its fanbase. Ironic too, because after the Matt Hansen fiasco, you'd think they'd be trying to build good will, not push out additional perspective buyers. This company has been ass-backwards from jumpstreet, and its no wonder they find themselves in a position that the game will most certainly flop.

A Lesson in What Not to Do

In an industry where community engagement is key to a game’s success, Obsidian’s approach with Avowed is the PEAK of what NOT TO DO. Blocking, banning, and silencing feedback alienates the very audience the company should be trying to sell their game to. Gamers already have too many choices, and when a company openly dismisses their concerns, they’ll simply take their money elsewhere. How many times do we need to teach them this lesson?

The irony here is that the people being silenced are not radicals or trolls—they’re overwhelmingly genuine prospective customers voicing valid criticisms or concerns regarding pronoun usage. Obsidian's refusal to engage is a clear signal that feedback, even constructive or polite, is unwelcome to them as a company. This level of disdain for the player base can only lead to one very obvious outcome: failure.

With every block, ban, and deleted post, Obsidian chips away at its reputation. If and when Avowed fails, it won’t just be due to the game itself - but because the company alienated the very community that would have made it a success. Instead of silencing critics, Obsidian should take their own advice: listen to your players.

It’s the only way forward. At this point though? It's already far, far too late...

~Smash