Avowed is new fantasy RPG from The Outer Worlds Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment. Set to take us to the Pillars of Eternity universe in the world of Eora, we got another in-depth look at the upcoming first-person adventure back in June during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 with a story trailer setting up the factions vying for power.
First revealed back in 2020, we've since learned a lot about what's in store, with showcases of the magic-infused, dual-wielding combat, side quests, and more. And in an interview with GamesRadar+, we explored how Obsidian made Fallout: New Vegas in 18 months, but Avowed has taken the studio five years in what has been a long development cycle for the studio.
As one of the big upcoming Obsidian games on the way - alongside the sci-fi follow-up, The Outer Worlds 2 - the new RPG is currently slated to arrive this year and is quickly shaping up to be one of the most exciting new games for 2024.
For a full recap of everything we know so far about Avowed, read on below.
Avowed news
- "It's a very hard thing to do well": Obsidian tips its hat to Baldur's Gate 3 co-op, but says Avowed will focus on the single-player RPG experience you expect
- Avowed director says "We're working on" the RPG's combat after a lukewarm reception during the Xbox Direct
- Avowed was set to be multiplayer until Obsidian refocused on "the things it's best at"
- Avowed looks like an ace Skyrim successor
- Obsidian's Avowed is closer to KOTOR 2 than Fallout: New Vegas
- Avowed is yet to enter what's expected to be Obsidian's longest testing phase ever
- Avowed isn't aiming for an open world as big as Skyrim's
What is Avowed?
Avowed is a new IP from Obsidian, revealed during the July 2021 Xbox Games Showcase. It's a first-person RPG similar to Skyrim, with rune-based magic powers and sword combat confirmed by the short teaser trailer as well as the longer one seen during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. It's set in the land of Eora, the same setting Obsidian used for its RPG Pillars of Eternity, only this time we'll be exploring an entirely different part of it.
Job listings found in September of 2019 for Obsidian’s next AAA project talked about "combat actions utilising both first and third-person animations," with "branching dialogue" and "day/night cycles". This puts the game in league with Obsidian’s former RPGs such as The Outer Worlds and Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords.
Avowed release window confirmed
The Avowed release window has been set for Fall 2024. The news was confirmed at the Xbox Developer Direct on January 18, although Obsidian is yet to put a firm date on its release just yet. Avowed will launch on Xbox Series X, PC, and will be on Xbox Game Pass as a day-one release.
Avowed trailers - What can we learn?
The first official gameplay trailer for Avowed was unveiled at Xbox Games Showcase 2023, giving us a closer look at the magical world of the Living Lands.
"People don't like you very much, do they?" That much is apparent, as our playable character seems to be under attack for most of the trailer. It gave us a closer look at the magic-based combat systems we can expect, as well as using good old-fashioned guns as part of our battle arsenal.
It also tells us a little more about the story of the game, which seems to revolve around our playable character's investigations of the Living Lands in the wake of a "plague that seems to be corrupting our very souls".
The very first Avowed trailer showcased at the E3 2021 Xbox event introduced us to a varied medieval landscape, starting in a war-torn castle owned by an empire of queens and kings “that has always known war”. According to the narration, this empire has now fallen into a state of disrepair, losing its oaths and giving rise to an unseen antagonistic force.
The game’s villainous monsters (skeletons are confirmed!) were apparently born of the sins of this empire, and the player character will face them over the course of the game. The question left by the end of the trailer - “Is an oath worth the weight of a crown?” - suggests that the player’s destiny may be that of royalty, and they might have to confront and question their fate as they rebuild the fallen empire.
Avowed plot and setting
Avowed is set in a part of Eora called the Living Lands, the same universe as Pillars of Eternity. From the most recent trailer shown at this year's Xbox Games Showcase, we learn that our playable character is a powerful magic-wielder, sent to the Living Lands by an emperor to investigate a devastating plague that is "corrupting" the people of the Living Lands.
However, being such a powerful mage, the locals fear and distrust you on impulse. You'll have to prove your intentions if you want to get them on your side. It seems our playable character's magical combat capabilities are wholly uncommon here in the Living Lands, able to use a combination of regular hand-to-hand melee weapons and guns alongside spells to eliminate foes.
"So now that you have all this power, what are you going to do with it?" That question is what lingers as the trailer draws to a close, and with on-screen text reading "forge your destiny" interspersed between clips, we could even be looking at Avowed having choice-based branching pathways.
The latest Xbox Games Showcase deep dive gave a closer look at the story of Avowed, following the trailer at the 2024 showcase. Game director Carrie Patel outlines that we'll be meeting Emperor Adayar, who's "your boss essentially". Adayar sends you to the Living Lands in order to get to the bottom of the aforementioned plague - or more accurately, a "soul plague" called the "Dream Scourge" - to find out what's causing it and how to put a stop to it.
Interestingly, those you meet with have different perspectives on what's going on. Inquisitor Lodwyn - who also appeared in a side quest in Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire - believes the scourge to be symptomatic of larger issues in the Living Lands. Giatta, on the other hand, is one of your companions who believes the chaos happening is "part of who we are" and what makes the Living Lands special.
Avowed gameplay
Avowed is a first-person sword, magic, and weapons-based action game. With a "flexible combat system" that will put an emphasis on player freedom and choice, we'll be able to customize and choose what we wield. During the Xbox Developer Direct 2024 showcase, we got an extended overview of the upcoming fantasy RPG, including a closer look at the combat with gameplay director Gabriel Paramo. In it, we got to see how we can even dual-wield wands to be "gun-slinging mages".
Player choice is at the hear to the experience overall, not just in the freedom you have to fight your way. Game director Carrie Patel and gameplay director Paramo told us in an interview that the freedom is a big part of the RPG, from questing, to combat, and exploration. The focus on choice also speaks to the scope of the world, with many discoveries to make. In fact, Obsidian expects "most players won't discover 100%" of what's been created in the world of Avowed.
Avowed companions
The 2023 gameplay trailer introduced us to the first of Avowed's companions, Kai.
According to Xbox Wire, "Kai is a Coastal Aumaua currently residing in the Living Lands and is one of the only friendly faces you’ll find here. He is a former soldier, and his idealistic and pragmatic temperament will help guide you as you venture out into this wild frontier."
Patel also highlights another companion by the name of Giatta, who appears in the Avowed story trailer which debuted at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024. Giatta is said to believe that the Scourge we're investigating should be embraced, which present us with some interesting choices. We also hear about Yatzli in the story deep dive, a wizard who's described as being a "little risqué" and a "lightning bolt with a lot of personality."
It sounds like there will be more than one companion guiding us through the game, which Patel touches on in an interview with us here on GamesRadar+ . As we journey and fight alongside companions, we'll be able to help and influence them as they face their own particular struggles, and they'll try to "nudge" you a certain way when it comes to your own decisions.
While they're your allies who can become friends if put in the effort to get to know them, it has been confirmed that you can't romance your Avowed companions because Obsidian didn't want the RPG's platonic relationships to suffer.
Check out the best Xbox Series X games to play while we await more news on Avowed.
