History Creator / ChrisAvellone

Chris Avellone (born September 27, 1972) is an American video game designer and writer, who started out with Creator/InterplayEntertainment, working on such titles as ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}'', ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' and the ''VideoGame/IcewindDale'' series. He left Interplay after the cancellation of ''VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren'' and headed over to Creator/ObsidianEntertainment. His first work there was ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', followed by ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' and action RPG ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol''. He then returned to the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series with ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', for which he is a senior designer and was heavily involved in the development of the DLC campaigns. He also starred in Season 2 of the fan project called ''WebVideo/FalloutNukaBreak'', which contained numerous nods to the original two Fallouts.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. After a year of silence, Avellone [[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/its-come-to-this-chris-avellone-2fe5db836746 posted a response]] denying all accusations made against him, explaining the background that led to the accusations and stating that he had filed a libel lawsuit against the accusers. In August 2022 [[https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=2&doc_id=2366954&doc_no=B316206&request_token=NiIwLSEmPkw3W1BZSSFdTEtJUEA6USxXIiM%2BTzpSUCAgCg%3D%3D his lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that it was meritless and intended to suppress his victim's freedom of speech]] and he was ordered to pay over $130,000 in damages. Avellone would eventually settle with his accusers outside of court in March 2023. Though the details of the settlement are unknown, the accusers would issue a public retraction of their previous claims on social media and clearing Avellone of any wrongdoing.

* ObviousBeta: The sheer amount of ''effort'' he puts into games means that publishers tend to release them before he gets a chance to finish them. Unpolished games have even become one of Obsidian's trademarks.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. After a year of silence, Avellone [[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/its-come-to-this-chris-avellone-2fe5db836746 posted a response]] denying all accusations made against him, explaining the background that led to the accusations and stating that he had filed a libel lawsuit against the accusers. In August 2022 [[https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=2&doc_id=2366954&doc_no=B316206&request_token=NiIwLSEmPkw3W1BZSSFdTEtJUEA6USxXIiM%2BTzpSUCAgCg%3D%3D his lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that it was meritless and intended to suppress his victim's freedom of speech]] and he was ordered to pay over $130,000 in damages.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. After a year of silence, Avellone [[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/its-come-to-this-chris-avellone-2fe5db836746 posted a response]] denying all accusations made against him, explaining the background that led to the accusations and stating that he had filed a libel lawsuit against the accusers. In August 2022 [[https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=2&doc_id=2366954&doc_no=B316206&request_token=NiIwLSEmPkw3W1BZSSFdTEtJUEA6USxXIiM%2BTzpSUCAgCg%3D%3D his lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that it was meritless and intended to suppress his victim's freedom of speech and he was ordered to pay their legal fees.]]

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. After a year of silence, Avellone [[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/its-come-to-this-chris-avellone-2fe5db836746 posted a response]] denying all accusations made against him, explaining the background that led to the accusations and stating that he had filed a libel lawsuit against the accusers.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. After a year of silence, Avellone [[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/its-come-to-this-chris-avellone-2fe5db836746 posted a response]] denying all accusations made against him, explaining the background that led to the accusations and stating that he had filed a libel lawsuit against the accusers. The lawsuit was dismissed in August 2022 under anti-SLAAP laws with Avellone ordered to pay legal fees.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. After a year of silence, Avellone [[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/its-come-to-this-chris-avellone-2fe5db836746 posted a response]] denying all accusations made against him, explaining the background that led to the accusations and stating that he had filed a libel lawsuit against the accusers.

* ''VideoGame/DyingLight2StayHuman'' (2021; narrative designer)

* ''VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous'' (TBA; narrative designer)

* ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'' (2018; additional writing)

* AuthorAppeal: He seems to have a thing for mute girls such as [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Christine Royce]] and [[VideoGame/AlphaProtocol Sis]] for the non-verbal communication factor. Ecco, one of Fall-From-Grace's students, from ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' is also mute. Non-traditional communication in general is a great mainstay of his, particularly when he's allowed to run away with a primarily text-based game.

* CharacterFilibuster: Kreia was the biggest culprit -- the game would routinely create situations where she would be able to lecture and criticize the player's actions no matter what they said or did. In future games, he toned it down, and the player is able to tell a character like this that he or she is full of shit. He brought it back in full force with [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Ulysses]] - the result was, however, not entirely intentional, as he was cut as a companion. [[spoiler: He will never acknowledge the flaws of his views, even if you convince him to stop his plan. And even if you manage to stop it, you end up proving his point.]]
** Interestingly, Avellone himself believes Kreia to be wrong and he wrote Ulysses as if he was wrong.

* NoHuggingNoKissing: He is known to dislike writing traditional romance in his games, stating that he prefers romances that end poorly, or other forms of intra-personal relationships, because they hold more interest to him as an author. A joke stretch goal on one of Obsidian's Kickstarters was to ''[[SelfDeprecation prevent]]'' [[SelfDeprecation Avellone writing anything for the romantic sub-plots]].
** He has pointed out that romances in video games usually are about two people rushing into a relationship in the middle of a crisis situation, which in his opinion is not a healthy basis for a relationship. Whether this is one source of his dislike or an after the fact justification is difficult to say.

* ''VideoGame/DyingLight2'' (TBA; narrative designer)

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}''(1998; designer)

* ''Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous'' (TBA; narrative designer)

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. While not admitting to any criminal wrong-doing, Avellone himself stated that his behavior in the instances mentioned in many of the accusations had been wrong and issued a public apology. What impact this will have on his long term career is yet to be seen.

* AuthorAvatar: He has gone on record saying that he does characters like [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII Kreia]] and [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Ulysses]] to convey his personal opinions on their settings. Interestingly, this doesn't stop him from claiming they are ''wrong''.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. While not admitting to any criminal wrong-doing, Avellone himself admitted that his behavior in the instances mentioned in many of the accusations had been wrong and issued a public apology. What impact this will have on his long term career is yet to be seen.

In June 2020, Avellone was faced with several allegations of sexual harassment and assault, which caused quite a few of the game studios who had employed him as a freelance writer to officially distance themselves from him and even remove his writing from the projects he had been involved with. What impact this will have on his long term career is yet to be seen.

He has then gone on to be involved in a number of Website/{{Kickstarter}} games (even styling himself as a "professional stretch-goal"), including Obsidian's ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', Creator/InXileEntertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/TormentTidesOfNumenera'' and even became "special guest writer" for ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight: [[UpdatedRerelease Advanced Edition]]''. He left Obsidian in June 2015 to work as a freelance game writer, due to [[https://www.vg247.com/2019/04/16/obsidian-chris-avellone/ radical disagreements with the higher-ups at the company.]] The next project he worked on was ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII''. He would later return to the industry, working on ''Videogame/Prey2017'' and ''VideoGame/DyingLight2''. His writing also appears in ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach''.

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines2'' (2020; writer)

He has then gone on to be involved in a number of Website/{{Kickstarter}} games, including Obsidian's ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', Creator/InXileEntertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/TormentTidesOfNumenera'' and even became "special guest writer" for ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight: [[UpdatedRerelease Advanced Edition]]''. He left Obsidian in June 2015 to work as a freelance game writer, due to [[https://www.vg247.com/2019/04/16/obsidian-chris-avellone/ radical disagreements with the higher-ups at the company.]] The next project he worked on was ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII''. He would later return to the industry, working on ''Videogame/Prey2017'' and ''VideoGame/DyingLight2''. His writing also appears in ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach''.

He has then gone on to be involved in a number of Website/{{Kickstarter}} games, including Obsidian's ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', Creator/InXileEntertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/TormentTidesOfNumenera'' and even became "special guest writer" for ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight: [[UpdatedRerelease Advanced Edition]]''. He left Obsidian in June 2015 to work as a freelance games writer and [[https://www.vg247.com/2019/04/16/obsidian-chris-avellone/ because of radical disagreements with the higher-ups at the company.]] The next project he worked on was ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII''. He would later return to the industry, working on ''Videogame/Prey2017'' and ''VideoGame/DyingLight2''. His writing also appears in ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach''.

He has then gone on to be involved in a number of Website/{{Kickstarter}} games, including Obsidian's ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', Creator/InXileEntertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/TormentTidesOfNumenera'' and even became "special guest writer" for ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight: [[UpdatedRerelease Advanced Edition]]''. He left Obsidian in June 2015 to work as a freelance games writer and [[https://www.vg247.com/2019/04/16/obsidian-chris-avellone/because of radical disagreements with the higher-ups at the company.]] The next project he worked on was ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII''. He would later return to the industry, working on ''Videogame/Prey2017'' and ''VideoGame/DyingLight2''. His writing also appears in ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach''.

He has then gone on to be involved in a number of Website/{{Kickstarter}} games, including Obsidian's ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', Creator/InXileEntertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/TormentTidesOfNumenera'' and even became "special guest writer" for ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight: [[UpdatedRerelease Advanced Edition]]''. He left Obsidian in June 2015, apparently to focus on his Kickstarter Stretch Goal career full-time, as the next project he worked on was ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII''. He would later return to the industry, working on ''Videogame/Prey2017'' and ''VideoGame/DyingLight2''. His writing also appears in ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach''.

* OldShame: He regrets his involvement in the development of the now mostly forgotten ''Descent to Undermountain'', which received immense backlash from gamers when released in 1997 due to its unfinished nature and is regarded as one of the worst games of its era.

* OldShame: He regrets his involvement in the development of the now mostly forgotten ''Descent to Undermountain'', which recieved immense backlash from gamers when relased in 1997 due to its unfinished nature and is regarded as one of the worst games of its era.

* OldShame: He regrets his involvement in the development of the now mostly forgotten ''Descent to Undermountain'', which released to an immense HypeBacklash in 1997 due to its unfinished nature and is regarded as one of the worst games of its era.