Summary
Avowedis Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming open-world RPG, set in the world of the studio’s previous two epic fantasy titles,Pillars of EternityandPillars of Eternity: Deadfire, and steeped in its lore. Unlike those, though,Avowedwill be a first-person real-time action RPG instead of an isometric top-down CRPG. As Obsidian is a much beloved and respected developer, known for its commitment to building rich worlds, engaging gameplay, and mature narratives, the anticipation for its next big game is understandably high.
One of Obsidian’s most renowned achievements is producingFallout: New Vegasbetween Bethesda’sFallout 3andFO4. Similarly, at first glance,Avowedseems like anElder Scrollsentry in many ways. However, though itdoes bear a resemblance to aSkyrimspiritual successor on the surface, fans should keep in mind that Obsidian has been upfront aboutAvowed’s smaller scope and scalecompared to it and other massive open-world RPGs. Thus, while it may not necessarily be aNew Vegasto the nextSkyrim,Avoweddoes have a lot going for it that fans of fantasy RPGs waiting for the next officialElder Scrollswill likely be interested in. Avowedcurrently has a confirmed 2024 release window, but further details and more information will hopefully be forthcoming in the near future.
Obsidian only had 18 months to developNew Vegas,whileAvowedhas been in the works since 2020.
What Avowed May Have in Store for 2024
Avowedwas initially announced back in 2020 at the Xbox Games Showcase. However, it wasn’t until thefirst trailer forAvowedpremiered this past summer at the 2023 Showcase that fans got their first look at its world of The Living Lands and a brief glimpse of gameplay. Since then, there have not been any additional reveals. The time might be right soon for Obsidian to provide another update and/or longer trailer highlighting more of whatAvowedwill offer.
Twomajor videogame industry eventsare scheduled at nearly the same time in the Spring of 2024: The Game Developers Conference (GDC) taking place March 18 through March 22, and PAX East, March 21 through March 24. Both are high-profile and would provide a good platform for Obsidian to show more ofAvowed,and if not at the conventions themselves, then perhaps concurrently via its official channels. Specifically, it might behoove the studio to show more in-depth aspects, like character creation and/or a companion system, although more gameplay and areas in general would certainly be welcome too.
Predicting Avowed’s Possible 2024 Release Date
Avowedhas a scheduled 2024 release window at present, and it is a confirmed Microsoft exclusive day-one Game Pass title. Obsidian is also known to be working onTheOuter Worlds 2, although its date is only TBA, indicating thatAvowedis likely much further along the line in terms of development. Obsidian’s most recent game,Pentiment, was released in November 2022. Based onObsidian’s past history of major releases, the studio has a penchant for launching titles in late May or November, often alternating between them. This could indicateAvowedwill follow suit by coming out in or around May 2024, with it being a traditionally popular time for big releases in the industry at large.
Recently, however, aninsider claimed thatAvowedwon’t release until Fall 2024, which would still fit Obsidian’s pattern as above but would mean players will have to wait until nearly the end of the year to get their hands onit.Still, there is the possibility that it will arrive sooner rather than later. Either way, hopefully, Obsidian will shortly be giving an update onAvowed’s status to satisfy fans eager to know more, and exactly when they’ll be able to dive into it.
Since no specific date was assigned to the game, and considering the gaming industry’s volatility, there is also the possibility that Avowed will be delayed if deemed necessary.
