In sweeping fantasy RPGs, players are somewhat accustomed to finding a companion that they'll settle down with. Whether it be Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate III or the ever-faithful Lydia from Skyrim, you can often pick a partner to be more than friends with in these games.
However, Obsidian's Avowed will forego romance. Speaking with Game Informer, the game director Carrie Patel explained why the studio went for this option: "It's something that we thought very hard about, and we talked about it as a narrative team. I think if you're going to invest in romance, everyone who's writing them needs to be absolutely, fully bought in. And the other thing you need to do is make sure that if you're going to provide that path, that you're balancing that with an equally meaningful and well-developed, non-romantic path because you never want players to feel that, 'Well, the only way I really get to know this character or really get to form a meaningful bond with them, is if I commit to romancing them, which maybe isn't something I want to do.'"
"So, for all of those reasons, we decided to forego romances, specifically in Avowed," she continued. "But we still built a lot of content around getting to know your companions. Forging deeper bonds with them and coming to understand their stories."
There will be flirtatious dialogues, Patel explains, but they'll be more to do with the situation and the character you're interacting with rather than trying to score in-game romance points. You'll still be able to build up your relationship with all four of the game's main companions, but everything you do will remain platonic and professional throughout.