After seven years, the developer ofThe Outer Worlds, Grounded,andFallout: New Vegas, Obsidian Entertainment, is returning to the world of Eora, last seen in 2018’sPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. The studio’s newest game, a fantasy RPG titledAvowed, comes with high expectations after it was first announced in 2020 and more recently delayed by a couple of months into 2025. Fantasy is currently a hot genre in gaming, with fantasy RPGs specifically winning Game of the Year withElden Ringin 2022 andBaldur’s Gate 3in 2023 at The Game Awards.
Avowedwill take players to the Living Lands to investigate a mysterious plaguethat has swept through the area and its people. While not much is known about the plot of the game so far, the biggest draw is the combat system that allows players to smoothly swap between using magic and a huge range of weapons, including early firearms, for every situation. SinceAvowedis coming early in 2025, players won’t have to wait much longer for the newest big fantasy title.
When Avowed Releases On Xbox & PC
July 09, 2025
2025 is starting off with a huge flurry of releases and among the first batch is Obsidian’s major fantasy title.Avowedhas been a highly anticipated fantasy RPG, especially after an earlier delay by Microsoft to prevent too many games dropping on Xbox Game Pass at once. But finally,Avowedwill come out on February 18.
Avowedis coming to a select few platforms upon release:Xbox Series X/S and PC on the same day. It will be available through the Xbox store, the Xbox app on Windows, Battle.net, and Steam. Additionally,Avowedwill be available right away with Xbox Game Pass, which is giving the subscription a great lineup for the first quarter of 2025.
Avowed Preorders & Editions
Special Skins, Early Access, And Collectibles
Avowedhas a few preorders and special editions, despite its unique position as a day-one Xbox Game Pass release. The biggest reason to purchase the premium edition or the premium edition steelbook is the early access to the game. While the game comes out on February 18,early access players can start playing a full five days beforeon February 13.
Avowed’s premium edition upgradeis available to Game Pass users as well, entitling purchasers to early access.
The standard edition ofAvowedincludes only the base game and costs $69.99 USD, while the digital premium edition costs $89.99 and includes the base game, five days early access, two premium skin packs, and a digital artbook and game soundtrack.The only physical preorder version ofAvowedincludes all the same benefits as the digital premium edition, in addition to a steelbook, a physical recreation of the game’s map, and a letter from the developers.
It seems that the main draw for allAvowedpreorders is the early access, though the two skin packs, the Eora Collection Set and the Obsidian Collection Set, will lend some fantastic style to the fantasy game. Uniquely,Avowedwill allow players to upgrade their preorder if they decide later on that they want the premium edition, even forplayers on Xbox Game Pass. Any player can pay $24.99 to upgrade whenever they want, which will grant them access to all the digital bonuses and early access, if it still applies at the time.
Everything We Know About Avowed’s Story
Discover What Is Plaguing The Living Lands
So far, there aren’t too many details about the story ofAvowed.According to Obsidian Entertainment, players will go to the Living Lands as an envoy of Aedyr and its emperor to investigate a plague called the Dream Scourge where they find an unexpected personal connection. However,there may be more happening at the core of the Living Lands to cause this plagueand players will have to decide what course of action to take for good or ill.
The most solid information aboutAvowedis about its setting, Eora. Two of Obsidian Entertainment’s previous games,Pillars of Eternityand its sequel,Deadfire, also took place in Eora and explored the region, which consists of a handful of continents with vastly differing environments. Based on how one of the most important aspects of the plot ofPillars of Eternityand a core function of Eora is The Wheel, a cycle of rebirth where souls are continuously reincarnated,it’s likely that souls will be a very important part ofAvowed’s main story.
The Living Lands are something of an unexplored frontier in Eora.This northernmost continent has not been visited in eitherPillars of Eternitygame, and in-universe it is in the early stages of being explored and settled by various factions. The Living Lands is notoriously difficult to traverse, both because of its terrain, and because it has many undocumented beasts and dangerous weather phenomena. WhileAvowedwill benefit from the baked-in lore ofPillars, the Living Lands seem poised to bring plenty of new lore and worldbuilding to the franchise.
Avowed Gameplay Details
Fantasy Combat With Firearms, Magic, And Companions
Avowedwill have some significant departures fromPillars of Eternityin terms of gameplay, since the latter is a series of isometric CRPGs, andAvowedgives players first- and third-person perspectives.Players will still create a custom character with unique backgrounds and looks, but will be limited to choosing between playing as a human or an elf, due to the main character being from the Aedyr Empire, which is slightly disappointing when considering the huge range of exciting fantasy races found in Eora.
Excitingly, players will be able to customize their character with Godlike features, asthe protagonist is not only from Aedyr, but has also been blessed by one of the setting’s gods. Being Godlike typically results in unique physical characteristics, such as fungal appendages or bird-like eyes. Those who are Godlike are significant in Eora not only because of the condition’s rarity, though they are not always treated well, and the player character’s status as such is likely to be plot-relevant.
The combat system forAvowedis a mixture of classic fantasy with rudimentary technology.Players are able to utilize magic and weapons like swords, axes, and bows, as well as a range of guns in combat, which work in combination with each other for stunning outcomes. For example, the first official gameplay trailer forAvowedfeatured the player using ice magic to completely freeze their enemies and then shattering them to pieces with an axe. Players will be able to switch up their approach to combat on the fly, which will make for a uniquely varied combat experience.
To completely take advantage of the magic system,players will need to unlock their abilities through different skill trees while simultaneously upgrading their favorite weapons. Another major feature ofAvowed’s gameplay is that itsupports both first-person and third-person cameras,which players can switch between whenever they want. Alongside the personalized main character are various companion NPCs, up to two of which can join the player on their adventure at any given time to help out in combat and teach new skills. Unfortunately, players won’t be able to romance any of their companions, so there won’t be anyBaldur’s Gate 3love interests for the internet to swoon over.
Avowedis importantly not a seamless open-world game; instead, the Living Lands are comprised of openly explorable and connected zones. The intent is to focus on the setting’s depth, rather than giving players a wide but shallow experience. This should be comparable to past Obsidian games, particularlyThe Outer Worlds, and even roughly similar toStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords. Obsidian Entertainment is known for not only the narrative depth of its games, but also its intricate RPG systems, meaningAvowedis a game to keep an eye on for reputation alone.
Source:Xbox/YouTube
Avowed
Avowed is an upcoming RPG release from Obsidian Entertainment, the creative minds behind Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. Avowed will reportedly take place in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity.
