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Avowed
DeveloperObsidian Entertainment
PublisherXbox Game Studios
DirectorCarrie Patel
ArtistMatt Hansen
ComposerVenus Theory[1]
SeriesPillars of Eternity
EngineUnreal Engine 5[2]
Platforms
ReleaseFebruary 18, 2025
GenreAction role-playing
ModeSingle-player

Avowed is an action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game is set in the world of Eora, the same universe as Pillars of Eternity. It was released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on February 18, 2025.

Gameplay

[edit]
The player engaging in combat with a bear

Avowed is an action role-playing game that can be played from both first-person and third-person views.[3] Players can use magic, melee weapons, and firearms to defeat enemies. A wide variety of spells—such as those that freeze or entangle foes—can be combined with physical attacks; for instance, freezing an enemy may set it up for a crushing melee strike. Players can quickly switch between several combat setups, including dual-wielding pistols or wands, wielding a two-handed axe, or using a sword or gun together with a shield.[4] The game also features several skill trees for unlocking new abilities and permits individual weapon upgrades.[5] Although not a fully open world game, Avowed includes several large, explorable zones.

As players explore the world, they will interact with various non-player characters (NPCs). Like in The Outer Worlds, dialogue choices allow players to shape their character's tone and influence relationships with companions—although romance is not an option. Decisions made throughout the game affect both the storyline and how companions assist in combat and questing.[6][7]

Plot

[edit]

Avowed takes place in the Living Lands, a diverse region within the world of Eora.[8] The Living Lands features a range of environments—from lush forests and arid deserts to sprawling caves and valleys. Players assume the role of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire, tasked with investigating a mysterious plague known as the "Dream Scourge".[9] The Envoy arrives to the port city of Paradis, where representatives from the Aedyran Empire clash with the islands native inhabitants. The Envoy mediates between rebel groups, the Empire, and the Steel Garrote, a militant religious order that seeks to eliminate the chaos prevalent in the Living Lands. The Envoy is murdered by Paradis rebels and in death, meets a mysterious deity who revives the Envoy in exchange for their help in destroying the Dream Scourge. After their revival, they may decide to aid one of the factions vying for power in Paradis, or seek revenge for their murder in an effort to discover the source of the Dream Scourge.

Next, the Envoy travels to the Emerald Stair, a nearby region known for producing most of the food in the Living Lands using controversial soul-manipulating magic called Animancy. Here, the Envoy encounters the Living Lands' many intelligent non-human species, and the first ruins of a lost civilization known to colonial forces as the "Godless." The Envoy learns that the Godless called themselves the Ekida, and they had a connection to the mysterious deity that aids the Envoy and potentially the Dream Scourge. In doing so, they conflict with the Steel Garrote who consider both colonial and native inhabitants in need of rigid order, and eventually siege the city in Emerald Stair. The Envoy decides whether to support the siege or repel it, both resulting in the evacuation of the city.

The siege coincides with in an increase in the ferocity of the Dream Scourge, so the Envoy proceeds to desert colony Shatterscarp to continue investigating the Ekida. There, the Envoy encounters more conflicts between inhabitants who colonized the area a century prior, and Empire and Steel Garrote forces. Many of the disparate civilizations in the Living Lands are a few hundred years old, and none have a connection to the Ekida or understand their history, proving a challenge for the Envoy. They investigate a major Ekida ruin and discover that the mysterious deity supporting the Envoy is a god named Sapadal, who has been isolated from the rest of the world and the Living Lands after a catastrophic event killed most of the Ekida. Sapadal is considered to be much younger than other gods in Eora, expressed in their propensity for intense emotion. The ruin is also discovered to be a source of monsters created by the Dream Scourge which oppress the nearby inhabitants, and the Envoy must choose whether to destroy the ancient structure or retain it and sacrifice the people of Shatterscarp.

The final civilization the Envoy encounters are the Pargrunen, resilient mountain dwarves who are the most established colony in the Living Lands. The Envoy mediates a central conflict between the Pargrunen, some of whom wish to continue their strict isolation and some who would open their gates to others. Further investigation of Ekida ruins reveal that Sapadal's temperamental nature was responsible for many disasters that killed Ekidan people, culminating in a disaster that wiped out all Ekida in the Living Lands. The stress of this discovery and the rising political turmoil in the Living Lands causes Sapadal to lash out, manifesting in tremors and a volcanic eruption that threatens the new inhabitants of the Living Lands. After deciding the fate of the Pargrunen's home, the Envoy seeks to find Sapadal and end the Dream Scourge, which has been worsening in tandem with the instability in the region. The patron deity of the Steel Garrote, Woedica, urges the player to destroy Sapadal and claims that their temperament has killed many and will continue to do so. The player may choose to destroy Sapadal or free them. After their decision, the player participates in the emerging civil war in the Living Lands, choosing to support the local civilizations, the Steel Garrote, or the Empire, with or without Sapadal's divine aid.

Development

[edit]

Obsidian Entertainment started development in 2018 as an online multiplayer game. At that time, Obsidian's leadership were preparing to sell the company and pitched Avowed—then framed as a mixture of Destiny (2014) and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)—to prospective buyers, with Microsoft's Xbox division purchasing the studio in November 2018.[10] By January 2020, the studio had cut the multiplayer elements to focus on a single-player, narrative-focused experience, managed by Carrie Patel, director of The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon.[11] Obsidian and Xbox Game Studios announced Avowed with a teaser trailer at a showcase in July 2020.[12]

The game's reveal concerned the 80-person development team, who were starting development again. Patel's leadership led to two major overhauls: utilize the setting of the Pillars of Eternity franchise and replace the open-world setting with zones. The game was revealed again in 2023 with a scheduled 2024 release,[10] which was later delayed to February 18, 2025.[13] A premium edition was sold, offering access from February 13.[14]

Reception

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Avowed received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic,[15][16] and 84% of critics recommended the game according to OpenCritic.[31]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Avowed

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from Grokipedia
Avowed is a first-person action role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios.[1][2] Set in the fictional world of Eora—previously featured in the Pillars of Eternity series—the game takes place on the mysterious island of the Living Lands, where players assume the role of an envoy from the distant empire of Aedyr tasked with investigating rumors of a spreading plague that threatens both the region and the protagonist's own soul.[3][2] Released on February 18, 2025, with an early access period beginning February 13 for preorders of the premium edition, Avowed emphasizes player choice and consequence, allowing decisions to shape the narrative, alliances, and outcomes across diverse ecosystems ranging from untamed wilderness to ancient ruins.[1][4] Gameplay features visceral, hybrid combat systems blending melee weapons like swords and shields, spellcasting, and firearms, alongside exploration of a rich, lore-filled environment and interactions with a cast of companions including Kai, Giatta, Marius, and Yatzli.[3] The game is available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC via Steam and Battle.net, with day-one inclusion in Xbox Game Pass, and is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 on February 17, 2026,[5] carrying an ESRB Mature rating for blood and gore, strong language, and violence.[1][3][6] Standard and premium editions include the base game, cosmetic skin packs, a digital artbook, and the original soundtrack, with the premium upgrade offering additional content for existing owners.[3]

Setting

World of Eora

Eora is a richly detailed fantasy world created by Obsidian Entertainment, serving as the shared setting for the Pillars of Eternity video game series and the spin-off title Avowed. Central to its metaphysics is the concept of souls as tangible, animating essences that persist beyond death and undergo reincarnation through a cosmic cycle known as the Wheel. This process ensures that souls are reborn into new bodies across lifetimes, influencing personal identities, cultural beliefs, and magical practices throughout the world. Animancy, the scientific study and manipulation of souls and their essence, emerged as a pivotal discipline, allowing practitioners to interact with these ethereal forces for healing, enchantment, and other applications.[7] The divine landscape of Eora was profoundly shaped by the ancient Engwithan civilization, whose god-making experiments addressed a perceived divine silence. Facing existential uncertainty, the Engwithans harnessed advanced animancy to construct artificial deities from collective soul energy, crystallized within adra stone structures; these entities, perceived as gods by the inhabitants of Eora, guide mortal affairs through inspiration, omens, and occasional direct intervention. This revelation forms a foundational lore element from the Pillars of Eternity games, though Avowed integrates it accessibly without necessitating prior experience, positioning itself as an entry point to the universe. Godlike individuals, born when a divine essence touches a developing soul in the womb, manifest physical traits echoing specific gods—such as ethereal horns or luminous markings—and often serve as seers, leaders, or outcasts, with the protagonist of Avowed being a godlike of the deity Sapadal.[8][9] Key historical events, including the Saint's War, underscore Eora's turbulent imperial dynamics. Fought approximately two decades before the events of Pillars of Eternity, the conflict pitted the independent Free Palatinate of Dyrwood against the theocratic Penitential Regency of Readceras, escalating over religious and territorial disputes that culminated in widespread devastation and a crisis of soul reincarnation known as the Hollowborn. The war's aftermath accelerated the spread of animancy across Eora, as Dyrwoodan institutions advanced soul research amid reconstruction efforts. In the Aedyr Empire, an expansive monarchy originating from human tribes that unified around 300 AI and later merged with the elven kingdom of Kulklin around 2400 AI to form the empire, animancy's proliferation intersected with political tensions; the empire's conservative nobility and devotion to the goddess Woedica led to suppression of "heretical" practices, fostering internal factions and colonial ambitions that extend to remote frontiers like the Living Lands.[10][11]

The Living Lands

The Living Lands form a vast, untamed island chain situated in the far north of Eora, characterized by rugged mountains, deep valleys, and a diverse array of biomes that range from lush coastal jungles and verdant forests to volcanic badlands and mist-shrouded highlands plagued by unnatural afflictions.[12] This geography creates isolated pockets of wilderness, where extreme weather patterns—such as massive storms and geothermal activity—shape the landscape into a dynamic, ever-shifting frontier inaccessible to most southern explorers.[13] The region's isolation has preserved its status as an independent territory, free from the direct control of major empires like Aedyr or the Vailian Trading Company, fostering a sense of raw, unexplored potential amid its perilous terrain.[14] Ecologically, the Living Lands stand out for their extraordinary biodiversity, where ancient magic infuses the environment, causing flora to exhibit lifelike movements and fauna to grow to immense sizes, often intertwined with the animistic forces of nature spirits in Eoran lore.[15] Giant trees with twisting roots that span valleys, bioluminescent undergrowth that pulses with ethereal energy, and herds of massive, migratory beasts dominate the ecosystems, creating a symbiotic web that blurs the line between the natural world and the supernatural.[16] This uniqueness stems from the land's deep attunement to the souls of the departed, a core aspect of Eora's metaphysics, allowing the environment to respond almost organically to disturbances.[3] Culturally, the Living Lands are inhabited by a mosaic of indigenous tribes, such as the hardy coastal clans and inland shamanic groups, who revere the land's spirits and maintain traditions rooted in animancy and survivalist lore passed down through oral histories.[14] These native peoples coexist uneasily with encroaching colonial outposts established by the Aedyr Empire, which views the region as a ripe territory for expansion, sending envoys and settlers to impose order on what they perceive as savage wilderness.[12] Tensions arise from cultural clashes, with Aedyran influences introducing structured governance and trade hubs, while indigenous practices emphasize harmony with the land's volatile spirits. Emerging threats, including early manifestations of the Dreamscourge—a fungal, dream-warping plague of magical origin that corrupts both body and mind—further strain these societies, turning verdant zones into quarantined wastelands and heightening conflicts over resources and survival.[17] In the broader narrative of Avowed, the Living Lands embody a frontier of profound mystery and simmering conflict, where ancient secrets buried in adra veins and forgotten ruins draw seekers from afar, often leading to clashes between imperial ambitions and local autonomy.[3] Key entry points like Dawnshore, a southwestern coastal region anchored by the bustling settler hub of Paradis, serve as gateways for outsiders, blending scrappy colonial architecture with tribal enclaves amid the crashing waves and encroaching jungles.[18] This setting underscores themes of exploration and upheaval, positioning the Living Lands as a crucible where Eora's wild essence confronts the tides of change.[19]

Gameplay

Combat mechanics

Avowed features a hybrid combat system that integrates melee, ranged, and magical attacks in real-time from a first-person perspective, allowing players to switch seamlessly between styles during engagements. Melee combat emphasizes close-quarters tactics with options like swords for slashing combos, dual-wielding for faster strikes, and heavier weapons for crowd control, all governed by a stamina resource that depletes with swings and recovers over time. Ranged weapons include pistols and rifles for quick shots or sustained fire, as well as bows for precise, arrow-based attacks that can exploit enemy weaknesses. Magic, derived from Soul Essence—an invisible energy permeating the world of Eora—enables spellcasting through wands for elemental projectiles or grimoires for more complex incantations, blending offensive bursts like fireballs with defensive wards.[20][21][22] Central to the system's fluidity is the ability radial wheel, accessible via a hotkey that pauses combat for selection, enabling quick swaps between up to four active abilities or weapon sets with single-button activation. This wheel supports on-the-fly customization, such as assigning a melee combo to one slot and a spell to another, promoting adaptive playstyles without menu interruptions. Stamina management is crucial, as it fuels not only attacks but also defensive maneuvers: dodges for evasion (reducing cost via abilities like Evasive from the Ranger tree) and parries for countering strikes, where precise timing negates damage and stuns foes if executed perfectly. Parry efficiency varies by weapon, with shields and two-handed options offering broader windows, while failed attempts drain health or stamina.[23][24][25] Enemies in Avowed demand tactical variety, ranging from human adversaries like bandits employing group tactics to plague-afflicted creatures infected by the Dreamscourge, such as mutated bears or undead thralls that spread contagion and exhibit erratic, aggressive behaviors. These foes encourage strategic positioning, with human enemies using cover and ambushes, while infected wildlife leverages speed and environmental hazards like toxic pools. Combat integrates the Living Lands' terrain for interactions, such as luring groups into explosive barrels or using verticality—climbing ledges for elevated bow shots or drop ambushes—to gain advantages in battles.[17][26][27] Companions provide AI-driven support in combat, automatically engaging threats with their specialized abilities—such as a ranger's traps or a wizard's area spells—while following player leads without direct control, enhancing solo play through synergistic tactics like drawing aggro or healing. This assistance scales with companion progression but remains non-multiplayer, focusing on narrative integration rather than co-op control. Character progression unlocks new abilities that expand these mechanics, such as enhanced parry timings or soul-infused spells.[28][29]

Exploration and character progression

Avowed features an open-world structure divided into zoned areas, such as the expansive Dawnshore region, allowing players to navigate diverse biomes including lush forests, arid deserts, and coastal swamps through a combination of on-foot traversal, swimming across waterways, and climbing vertical surfaces to access hidden ledges and ruins.[30] Fast travel is facilitated by establishing campsites, which players can set up in safe locations to quickly return to key points, encouraging strategic placement to minimize backtracking during extended expeditions.[31] This design promotes thorough exploration, with environmental puzzles and multiple paths around obstacles, such as using frost magic to freeze water surfaces for makeshift platforms.[32] Subsequent patches in 2025 have introduced improvements to crafting, new abilities, weapons, and quest progression, enhancing exploration and character growth.[33][34] Character creation begins with customizable options for appearance, including race, gender, body type, and hairstyles. Players can also select pronouns (he/him, she/her, or they/them) in the Finalization tab's Identifier section using arrows. This is followed by selecting one of five backgrounds—such as Noble Scion, Arcane Scholar, or War Hero—that influence dialogue interactions and provide starting attribute bonuses tied to the player's history.[35][36][37] Players also allocate points across six core attributes: Might for physical power, Constitution for health and fortitude, Dexterity for agility and precision, Perception for detection and ranged accuracy, Intellect for magical potency, and Resolve for willpower and intimidation, which directly scale abilities in combat, stealth, and social encounters.[35] Godlike traits, inspired by the Pillars of Eternity series, can be chosen for cosmetic and minor mechanical effects, such as ethereal auras that enhance certain spells or intimidate NPCs.[38] Additionally, recruiting four companions—each with distinct backgrounds like the scholarly Kai or the warrior Marius, with up to two active in the party at a time—expands party dynamics, as their skills complement the player's build and contribute to exploration through unique abilities like lockpicking or lore insights.[32][39] Progression in Avowed is classless, emphasizing player agency through a flexible system where leveling up—capped at level 30—grants points to invest in four skill trees: Fighter for melee prowess, Ranger for ranged and survival tactics, Wizard for spellcasting, and Godlike for supernatural enhancements unlocked through story progression.[40][41] Respeccing is straightforward and inexpensive via in-game shrines, allowing experimentation without permanent commitment, while attribute points are distributed every few levels to refine builds focused on dialogue persuasion, stealth infiltration, or combat dominance.[30] Loot collection drives growth, with unique weapons and gear—such as enchanted blades or modular firearms—scattered across the world, often requiring exploration of optional ruins or defeating rare beasts to acquire items that provide passive buffs and encourage hybrid playstyles.[30] Quest design prioritizes discovery and moral complexity, with main and side quests emerging from environmental storytelling, NPC interactions, and uncovering ancient secrets in the Living Lands, where players map uncharted biomes to reveal hidden objectives like bounties on elusive creatures or treasure hunts guided by fragmented maps.[42] Choices in these activities build reputation with factions such as the indigenous tribes or Aedyran settlers, unlocking or barring access to specialized quests, alliances, and endings that reflect the player's cumulative decisions, thereby integrating exploration with narrative consequences.[32] Side activities, including resource gathering for crafting and optional delves into plague-infested zones, reward progression with experience, gear upgrades, and deeper lore, fostering a sense of persistent world reactivity.[43]

Weapons

Avowed features a variety of melee, ranged, and magical weapons, with unique variants offering special enchantments and effects that significantly impact combat. One-handed melee weapons (swords, axes, maces, spears, daggers) are popular for pairing with shields, grimoires, or dual-wielding, emphasizing status accumulation (Frost, Fire, Shock, Poison) and stun.

Notable unique one-handed melee weapons

  • Last Light of Day (One-handed sword, acquired early in Dawnshore via the Dawntreader sidequest by looting from the Oracle of Eothas/Sargamis): Deals +10% bonus Fire damage on hits and restores 3% of maximum health on killing an enemy. Widely regarded as one of the best weapons overall due to high damage, sustain, and fire utility for groups and exploration.
  • Drawn in Winter (One-handed axe, found in an ice block at Watcher's Mirror in The Rise, Dawnshore): Hits deal +10% bonus Frost damage, and power attacks apply moderate Frost accumulation to nearby enemies via Rising Chill. Strong for frost builds and crowd control, with axes offering balanced DPS/stun/speed.
  • The Emperor's Reach (One-handed short sword, found in Shatterscarp embedded in a corpse in a lake): Provides kill-based buffs including health restoration, movement speed, and damage increases. High raw damage and utility, especially against common Kith enemies; highly ranked in sword recommendations.
  • Star of Unbeing (One-handed mace, Shatterscarp during main quest Shadows of the Past, in Naku Kubel trial): High base damage and stun; special attacks cast Pull of Eora to pull and suspend enemies. Top for stun-focused builds and synergy with crowd control.
Axes generally provide the best damage/stun ratio among one-handed types, followed by maces for raw power, and swords for versatility. These uniques scale well across difficulties, with elemental effects enabling strong synergies in hybrid spellblade or pure melee builds.

Story

Plot summary

In Avowed, the player assumes the role of an envoy known as the Avowed, dispatched by the Aedyr Empire in the year 2831 AI to the remote Living Lands, a frontier region in the world of Eora, to probe reports of a catastrophic plague called the Dreamscourge.[15][17] This affliction, unlike conventional diseases, invades victims' souls, trapping them in dream-realms while their bodies waste away, fostering widespread fear and instability across the archipelago's diverse ecosystems and settlements.[44][45] The Avowed's journey begins in the port city of Paradis, where initial investigations reveal the plague's ties to the land's volatile magic and historical animosities.[46] As the narrative unfolds, the Avowed navigates a web of alliances and rivalries, forging partnerships with local factions amid Aedyr's expansionist agenda and indigenous pushback against imperial encroachment.[45] The central conflict escalates through expeditions into plague-ravaged heartlands, uncovering ancient secrets that blur the boundaries between the physical world and ethereal soul-realms, posing existential threats to both colonizers and natives.[44][17] These discoveries force confrontations with metaphysical forces rooted in Eora's cycle of souls, challenging the Avowed's loyalties and sense of identity.[45] The story culminates in pivotal decisions at the plague's epicenter, where player choices regarding faction allegiances and the Dreamscourge's containment shape the Living Lands' future and the Avowed's own spiritual fate, leading to multiple endings that reflect themes of colonialism, cultural clash, and the fluidity of the soul.[15][45]

Main characters

The protagonist of Avowed is the Envoy, a customizable representative of the Aedyr Empire dispatched to the Living Lands to address a spreading affliction. As a Godlike, the Envoy bears a divine mark—a ethereal halo or appendage signifying a soul touched by a god at birth, granting innate magical affinity and a distinctive appearance that influences social interactions throughout the game.[47] Players shape the Envoy's Aedyr heritage through options like race (human or wood elf), background (such as court augur, war hero, or arcane scholar), and starting attributes, which affect dialogue and initial abilities while allowing for extensive personalization of appearance, skills, and moral outlook.[48] The Envoy's personal philosophy evolves dynamically via player choices in conversations and quests, shifting between imperial loyalty, local empathy, or pragmatic neutrality, which in turn alters relationships with companions and factions.[49] The game's companion roster consists of four key allies, each recruited in specific regions and offering unique abilities, backstories, and dialogue options that deepen Eora's lore. Kai, a coastal aumaua and former Rauataian Navy soldier, joins early as the party's tank, wielding a blunderbuss for crowd control and taunts that draw enemy aggression; his recruitment occurs shortly after arriving in Paradis, where his outsider perspective on imperial politics provides branching dialogues exploring cultural clashes.[50] Giatta, an oceanfolk animancer from the Vailian community of Fior mes Ivèrno, specializes in support magic, healing allies and erecting soul-based barriers; she is recruited mid-story in a coastal settlement, with her expertise in soul manipulation unlocking dialogue trees that reveal animancy's historical ties to Eora's spiritual crises.[51][52] Marius, a mountain dwarf hunter from the remote Pargrun keep in Galawain's Tusks, serves as a ranger scout, using bows for ranged damage, traps, and a marking ability to highlight resources and foes; he joins during exploration of the interior wilds, and his companion quests delve into indigenous survival lore through choices affecting his trust in imperial motives.[53][54] Yatzli, a hearth orlan wizard studying the ancient Godless, acts as a glass-cannon damage dealer with explosive arcane spells; recruited last in the Shatterscarp region, her flirtatious and energetic personality drives dialogue branches that uncover pre-Engwithan Eora history, including the Godless' philosophical rejection of divinity.[55][56] Antagonists in Avowed include imperial figures like Inquisitor Lödwyn, leader of the Steel Garrote paladins, whose zealous enforcement of Aedyr's will embodies the empire's expansionist tensions against local independence movements.[57] Other foes, such as cult leaders exploiting the region's afflictions, pursue motives rooted in anti-imperial resistance or esoteric rituals, creating conflicts that highlight themes of sovereignty versus subjugation without direct plot involvement.[58] The characters' voice acting and writing emphasize depth, with Kai voiced by Brandon Keener, bringing a charismatic, world-weary tone to his lines, while Yatzli's portrayal by Anjali Bhimani infuses quirky energy into her lore-heavy exchanges.[59][60] Branching companion quests, such as those revealing Giatta's animancy heritage or Marius' ties to native guardians, integrate Eora's broader mythology, allowing player decisions to unlock personal arcs that interconnect with the world's gods, souls, and colonial history.[61]

Development

Announcement and pre-production

Avowed's development originated in 2018, shortly before Microsoft acquired Obsidian Entertainment on November 7 of that year.[62] The project began as an internal pitch for a new RPG set in the established universe of Eora, the world from the Pillars of Eternity series, with pre-production focusing on conceptualizing a spin-off that could expand on the lore while leveraging Obsidian's expertise in narrative-driven role-playing games.[63] Approximately one-third of the development team was assembled from veterans who had worked on Pillars of Eternity, bringing familiarity with Eora's metaphysical themes and faction dynamics to the early phases.[64] The game was publicly announced on July 23, 2020, during the Xbox Games Showcase, where Obsidian revealed it as a first-person RPG set in the uncharted Living Lands region of Eora.[63] This debut trailer emphasized immersive exploration and player choice, positioning Avowed as a departure from the isometric perspective of its Pillars predecessors while maintaining deep reactivity in storytelling and world-building.[65] Early pre-production involved significant iteration, including two major reboots to refine the core vision. The initial concept mirrored Pillars of Eternity's isometric style but shifted after internal feedback highlighted the potential for more immediate, personal engagement through a first-person viewpoint.[62] A subsequent reboot further emphasized player agency in choices and real-time combat mechanics, aligning the project with Obsidian's goal of blending philosophical depth with accessible action.[66] Game director Carrie Patel, who joined the team in 2013 as a narrative designer and took the lead role during pre-production, shaped Avowed's thematic core around intertwined political intrigue and metaphysical exploration.[67] Her vision drew on Eora's soul-based metaphysics to explore themes of identity and divinity, while grounding the narrative in factional conflicts within the frontier setting of the Living Lands.[67] Consulting closely with Patel, Pillars of Eternity director Josh Sawyer provided historical inspirations for the region's colonial dynamics, incorporating elements reminiscent of early modern trading empires like the Dutch East India Company to inform the cultural clashes and resource-driven expeditions in the game.[67] These early decisions under Microsoft's support allowed the team to solidify Avowed's identity as a bold evolution of Obsidian's RPG legacy by late 2021, prior to entering full production.[62]

Production process

Following the second reboot in 2021, Obsidian Entertainment entered full production on Avowed from 2022 to 2024, culminating in a six-year development cycle marked by delays to accommodate an expanded scope that included diverse biomes across the Living Lands and advanced AI for companions.[62][68] The team's efforts focused on realizing a first-person RPG that integrated the rich lore of the Pillars of Eternity universe without relying on direct sequels, ensuring narrative depth while adapting to the shift from multiplayer origins to a single-player experience.[69] This phase involved iterative refinements to handle the game's ambitious environmental variety, from coastal regions to plague-ridden interiors, which required extensive asset creation and testing to maintain immersion.[70] Technically, the production leveraged Unreal Engine 5, transitioning to version 5.3 in 2024 to enable dynamic environments with features like Nanite for detailed geometry and Lumen for real-time global illumination, enhancing the visual fidelity of the Living Lands' biomes.[71][72] Optimization efforts ensured smooth performance across Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the engine's tools used to balance high-fidelity assets against frame rate stability, particularly in open-world traversal and combat scenarios.[73] Animations for character interactions and companion behaviors were developed iteratively, starting in Unreal Engine 4 before the full upgrade, to support fluid first-person melee and magic systems.[70] Creatively, the team balanced deep RPG elements—such as branching quests and player-driven choices—with faster-paced action combat, iterating on ability systems to make spellcasting and melee feel responsive in first-person perspective.[70] Feedback from public demos, including the 2024 gamescom showcase and Xbox Developer Direct, influenced adjustments to quest density and companion integration, ensuring AI behaviors allowed for tactical support without overshadowing player agency.[74][75] These iterations emphasized reactive storytelling tied to the Pillars lore, with companions like Kai and Giatta providing contextual depth through their backgrounds and dynamic interactions.[21] The production faced significant challenges from the 2021 reboot's ripple effects, which extended timelines and necessitated realignment of creative goals amid growing complexity in biome transitions and companion AI pathfinding.[76] The development team expanded from around 80 members in 2021, supplemented by co-development support, to handle the increased workload of lore integration and technical polishing.[77] Despite these hurdles, Obsidian maintained a focus on mid-sized ambition, prioritizing quality in Eora's world-building over expansive scale.[78] Following the game's release, game director Carrie Patel departed Obsidian in May 2025 to become game director at Night School Studio.[79]

Release

Marketing and promotion

Obsidian Entertainment first revealed Avowed with a cinematic trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020, introducing the game's setting in the world of Eora and its protagonist as an envoy investigating a mysterious plague known as the Dreamscourge. This initial teaser emphasized the narrative ties to the Pillars of Eternity series without showing gameplay, building anticipation for Obsidian's return to first-person RPGs. The project received its first gameplay reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11, 2023, featuring a trailer that showcased exploration in the Living Lands, combat mechanics, and companion interactions, confirming a 2024 release window. This footage highlighted the game's blend of magic, melee, and ranged abilities, drawing direct connections to Eora's lore from prior Obsidian titles. Further promotional efforts intensified in 2024 with a deep-dive presentation at the Xbox Developer Direct on January 18, offering extended looks at character creation, skill systems, and environmental storytelling in the Living Lands.[80] In June, at the Xbox Games Showcase, Obsidian released a story trailer and hosted a podcast episode with game director Carrie Patel, delving into quests, party dynamics, and combat depth, including spellcasting and weapon variety.[81] These trailers collectively emphasized the game's themes of choice, faction conflicts, and the Dreamscourge's impact on Eora's inhabitants. Avowed was playable via hands-on demos at Gamescom 2024, where attendees explored early quests involving companion Kai and combat against afflicted creatures, with previews underscoring the game's roots in Eora's established mythology.[82] These sessions allowed media and influencers to experience melee, ranged, and magic builds, reinforcing Obsidian's focus on reactive world-building and player agency.[83] Partnerships with platforms like Steam and Xbox Game Pass ensured day-one availability, promoted through official announcements highlighting cross-save support and accessibility for subscribers.[84][15] Promotional campaigns included targeted social media efforts, such as lore videos released by Obsidian in late 2024 and early 2025, providing backstory on Eora's factions like the Aedyran Empire and the Dreamscourge's origins to deepen fan engagement.[85] Influencer previews in November 2024 featured extended play sessions focusing on narrative branches and companion loyalty, shared via outlets like Wccftech and CNET to generate buzz ahead of launch.[86][87] Themed merchandise, including premium t-shirts and posters featuring key art of the Living Lands and faction symbols, became available through the Xbox Gear Shop in mid-2024, tying into the game's explorable groups like the Steel Garrote and Paradisian settlers.[88] The game's marketing was affected by multiple delays, initially targeted for late 2024 but shifted to February 18, 2025, as announced on August 2, 2024, to avoid clashing with other Xbox releases like STALKER 2.[89] Obsidian and Microsoft maintained transparency through developer updates, such as Phil Spencer's comments emphasizing scheduling over quality issues, to temper expectations and sustain interest during the postponement.[90] This approach included reaffirming the 2025 date in official podcasts and social channels, framing the extra time as an opportunity to refine polish without overhauling core systems.[91]

Platforms and launch

Avowed was released on February 18, 2025, initially as a console exclusive for the Xbox Series X/S, with simultaneous availability on Windows PC through the Steam, Microsoft Store, and Battle.net platforms. The game launched day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, allowing subscribers immediate access without additional purchase. A PlayStation 5 version was announced on January 8, 2026, during the New Game Plus Showcase, for release on February 17, 2026, with pre-orders available on the PlayStation Store for the Standard Edition at $49.99 and Premium Edition at $59.99.[92] Premium Edition owners gained up to five days of early access starting February 13, 2025.[93][94][95] The Standard Edition includes the base game for $69.99, while the Premium Edition, priced at $89.99, adds early access along with two cosmetic skin packs—the Eora Collection Set and the Obsidian Collection Set—each featuring five skins for companions and the player character, plus access to a digital artbook and the original soundtrack. An upgrade path from Standard to Premium is available for $24.99 post-purchase. A day-one patch, version 1.2.2, addressed initial stability issues, including various crashes, quest progression blockers, and minor gameplay glitches to ensure smoother launch-day play.[96][94][97] Following launch, Obsidian Entertainment committed to free post-release updates focused on balance adjustments, bug fixes, and quality-of-life improvements, with several patches deployed in the first few months. In May 2025, alongside update 1.4—which introduced features like Arachnophobia Mode replacing spider enemies with floating orbs—Obsidian revealed a 2025 roadmap outlining ongoing content for the Living Lands setting, including new abilities and weapons, New Game Plus mode, Photo Mode, unique gear upgrades, and enhanced crafting systems.[33][98][99] Subsequent updates included version 1.5 in July 2025, featuring improvements to crafting systems and new abilities. The planned Fall 2025 update was delayed to coincide with the game's first anniversary. On January 8, 2026, Obsidian announced an Anniversary Update releasing February 17, 2026, across all platforms alongside the PlayStation 5 version, adding New Game Plus mode, Photo Mode, new playable races including dwarves, orlan, and aumaua, a new weapon type, unique gear upgrades, enhanced crafting, and further enhancements.[5][100] Accessibility options in Avowed include fully remappable controls for both keyboard/mouse and controllers, adjustable field-of-view sliders, the ability to disable camera shake, and customizable subtitle settings with options for text size, positioning, and speaker names to support dialogue-heavy RPG interactions. High-contrast UI modes and sensitivity adjustments for controllers further enhance inclusivity, though dedicated color-blind filters are not available. These features were highlighted in pre-launch announcements and refined via early patches.[101][102][97]

Reception

Critical reviews

Avowed received generally positive reviews from critics, with aggregate scores reflecting praise for its narrative and world-building while noting some execution flaws. On Metacritic, the Xbox Series X version holds a score of 80 out of 100 based on 80 reviews as of November 2025, while the PC version scores 77 out of 100 based on 78 reviews. OpenCritic reports an average of 80 out of 100 from 185 critics, classifying it as "Strong" and ranking it in the top 17% of reviewed games.[103][104][105] Critics widely praised the game's narrative depth, meaningful choice and consequence systems, and the immersive atmosphere of the Living Lands setting. Reviewers highlighted Obsidian's signature writing, particularly in exploring themes of colonialism, identity, and moral ambiguity through player decisions that significantly alter the world and story outcomes. The combat system was lauded for its fluidity and first-person responsiveness, blending melee, magic, and environmental interactions in a way that felt engaging and tactical. Many compared Avowed favorably to classics like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for its open-ended exploration and sense of discovery in a richly detailed fantasy realm.[106][107][108][109][110] However, common criticisms focused on technical issues at launch, including bugs, crashes, and performance inconsistencies that disrupted immersion, particularly on PC. Some reviewers pointed to uneven RPG depth, with repetitive side quests and a gameplay loop that felt formulaic despite strong core mechanics. The combat, while fluid, was occasionally described as simplistic or unbalanced in difficulty scaling, and the overall experience was seen by some as solid but not revolutionary in the genre.[111][109][112][45][113] Notable reviews included The Guardian, which called it a "vast, intricate fantasy" blending influences like Annihilation with Oblivion, praising its intelligent handling of player choice and world reactivity. Kotaku offered a mixed take, appreciating the grounded world-building and political depth of the Living Lands but noting some narrative pacing issues in quest design. RPGFan awarded it an 8 out of 10, commending the story's depth and continuation of the Pillars of Eternity lore while critiquing algorithmic loot systems and uneven pacing.[106][107][113]

Commercial performance

Avowed launched on February 18, 2025, as a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass for PC and console, which significantly boosted its accessibility and player base. According to data from analytics firm mindGAME, the game reached an estimated 6 million players across Xbox and PC platforms in its first month, combining Game Pass subscriptions and direct sales. This figure marked a strong debut for Obsidian Entertainment's RPG, surpassing expectations for a mid-tier title in a competitive 2025 release slate.[114] On Steam, Avowed achieved "Very Positive" user reviews, with 82% positive ratings from over 8,000 reviews shortly after launch, reflecting solid community approval despite some criticism of technical issues. As of November 2025, it holds a "Mostly Positive" rating with 75% positive reviews from over 10,000 users. The game quickly climbed to become the top-selling title in the United States and a global bestseller on the platform, even while available via Game Pass. Peak concurrent players on Steam reached approximately 17,000 on launch day, demonstrating robust initial engagement among PC buyers opting for direct purchase. By the end of February 2025, Avowed ranked 20th among the month's top-earning game releases worldwide by revenue, according to Newzoo estimates, aided by Microsoft's marketing push following the 2018 acquisition of Obsidian.[115][116][117][118][119] In comparison to Obsidian's previous RPG, The Outer Worlds (2019), Avowed outperformed its launch in overall player reach, benefiting from Game Pass's subscription model that The Outer Worlds lacked at release. While The Outer Worlds peaked at around 20,000 concurrent Steam players and achieved long-term sales of several million units, Avowed's first-month total exceeded that benchmark early, though it trailed blockbuster 2025 titles like major open-world releases in raw revenue. Sustained engagement has been supported by post-launch updates, including a 2025 roadmap from Obsidian featuring New Game Plus mode, new weapons, armor, and crafting improvements, which have encouraged replayability. The community has further extended the game's longevity through mods on platforms like Nexus Mods, adding depth to character customization and exploration in the Eora universe.[120][121][122]

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