One of the most legendary studios in the world for top-notch Western role-playing games is Obsidian Entertainment, the creators behind Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and Pillars of Eternity.
The next major release from Obsidian is a brand-new IP called Avowed, and it's one of the most exciting new video game releases of 2025.
Most of the mysteries surrounding Avowed have been unveiled ahead of its release. Read on for everything you need to know about one of 2025's biggest releases from Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios, including when you can expect it, on which platforms it'll release, how it'll play, and even some clues as to whether or not Avowed may become one of the best Xbox games of the year.
Oh, and for two exclusive Windows Central interviews with various members of the Avowed team on gameplay, romance, performance, and more, as well as two hands-on previews that put Avowed at the top of my most anticipated games of the year.
Recent updates
Jan. 27, 2025 @ 7:25 p.m. ET — Updated now that Avowed is around the corner, ensuring that release date, launch platforms, and other information is up to date and correct.
What is Avowed?
Best answer: Avowed is a first-person fantasy role-playing game (RPG) set in the established Pillars of Eternity fictional universe. You'll explore The Living Lands while investigating a mysterious magical plague, and quickly become embroiled in an impending catastrophe that could destroy the world.
Avowed may be a brand-new IP, but it's not building a brand-new universe. Instead, Obsidian Entertainment is tapping into its existing fictional universe brimming with history, lore, unique cultures, and more. You guessed it: Pillars of Eternity. Where both Pillars of Eternity games are third-person isometric RPGs, however, Avowed is a full-blown first-person/third-person, semi open-world adventure. It also takes place in a new part of Eora — The Living Lands.
Players will step into the shoes of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire, sent to The Living Lands on a quest to investigate an enigmatic plague that is apparently ravishing the region. Upon arriving, you'll soon realize that this plague, known as Dreamscourge, is far more serious than you first imagined, and that the fate of the entire world may be at stake. You'll explore The Living Lands, meet a diverse cast of unique characters, embark on countless new adventures, and master multiple forms of combat during your journey to unravel the mystery at the heart of the magical plague afflicting people's souls.
Avowed will obviously draw heavily from the established lore of the Pillars of Eternity franchise, but gameplay-wise the titles could not be further apart. Many have compared Avowed to The Elder Scrolls franchise from Bethesda, in the same way many compare Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas to Bethesda's Fallout titles. Obsidian itself has stated that, while Avowed was originally pitched as the studio's take on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a shift in game direction has made Avowed a more focused RPG experience in a similar vein as The Outer Wilds.
Windows Central interviews, previews, and more
In a highlight of my career, I had the opportunity to talk about Avowed with Creative Director Carrie Patel and Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo at Obsidian Entertainment. We discussed the obvious combat and gameplay improvements revealed during Xbox Games Showcase 2024, for one. The Avowed team had always intended to revisit and polish those mechanics, but feedback from the community prompted Obsidian to look at every element of combat and improve it sooner.
We talked about how Avowed wants to give players freedom to truly roleplay, including diverse dialogue options with every interaction, multiple ways to deal with any new situation, the ability to mix and match skills from any tree without being restricted to a class, and more. We also went over how player choices will matter in Avowed, and how these decisions, big or small, will lead to real consequences in The Living Lands and for the player and their companions.
Finally, I chatted with Patel and Paramo about companions in Avowed, and how Obsidian is invested in making these characters the most involved, deeply written companions of any Obsidian RPG. Companions in Avowed won't be romanceable, unfortunately, but that was a deliberate decision by the Avowed team, so that more time could be spent fleshing out the companions in other areas.
If you want all the details, you can go read our exclusive interview with the Avowed team on gameplay, companions, choices, and more right now.
My exploits in The Living Lands didn't end there, though. During Gamescom 2024, I had an opportunity to go hands-on with Avowed for the very first time. I even had the exclusive chance to play with a unique build that was only otherwise shown to people, the blood mage. That first preview introduced me to the magic of Avowed, and it has been hard to contain my excitement since.
When I spoke to Production Director Ryan Warden and Art Director Matt Hansen, we discussed performance (especially on consoles), graphics, and why Avowed was delayed. If you're interested, you can read my interview and hands-on preview for all the new details on Avowed.
A few months down the line, and Obsidian Entertainment granted me a remote hands-on preview that gave me hours of unfettered access in Avowed's beginning area. I learned a lot about how Obsidian is preserving its classic RPG DNA while raising its standards on world building, gameplay, and visual fidelity. I was able to explore the character creator, combat, quests, and much more during my first full foray into The Living Lands. It'll be my final preview before I review the full game.
When does Avowed release?
Best answer: Avowed officially releases on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC on Feb. 18, 2025. If you preorder the Premium Edition, you can get up to five days of early access on Feb. 13, 2025.
We've known about Avowed since the Xbox Games Showcase 2020, but we had to wait years to finally start seeing more of the game and getting hints as to when we'll actually be able to play it. Finally, Avowed made a big showing during the Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 with a deep dive into Avowed's gameplay and combat, and the official march to launch began.
Avowed's original release window was in late 2024, but the game was delayed to give Obsidian more time for polish and refinement. Now, the wait is almost over. Avowed officially releases on Feb. 18, 2025 across Xbox, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass. Those who preorder the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade Add-on can access the game up to five days early, on Feb. 13.
Is Avowed coming to PlayStation or Switch?
Best answer: Avowed is only confirmed to be releasing on Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. While it's not impossible for Avowed to come to other platforms either at launch or in the future, it's not confirmed right now.
Avowed is a first-party Xbox game, meaning it's developed in-house by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. As such, the game has only been confirmed to be launching on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, as well as Windows PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. The game does not appear to be launching on the aging Xbox One platform, making it exclusive to current-gen hardware.
As for Avowed's arrival on other platforms, it's unconfirmed at this time. Xbox has begun releasing some of its exclusive titles on competing platforms, so the possibility is there. Pillars of Eternity can also be played beyond Xbox and PC, too. However, even if Avowed does eventually come to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, it likely won't happen for some time after release.
Is Avowed coming to Xbox or PC Game Pass?
Best answer: Avowed is launching day one into Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and should remain on all Game Pass services indefinitely.
This answer probably won't surprise you, but it's worth laying it out in simple terms: Avowed is absolutely coming to Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming parallel to its general release. As a first-party Xbox game, it's a write-in for all of Microsoft's subscription services, apart from Xbox Game Pass Core (which only offers a curated collection of older exclusives and third-party gems). Avowed will be there from day one, and it'll remain there indefinitely.
This also means Xbox Game Pass subscribers will get a 10-20% discount on buying Avowed to own, with that increased discount being courtesy of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If Avowed gets post-launch DLC or expansions, Game Pass subscribers will also get discounts on that DLC (although the DLC likely won't launch on Xbox Game Pass itself). Game Pass subscribers can save on the Premium Upgrade Add-on, for example, so they can still get early access without buying the full game.
Avowed's inclusion in Xbox Cloud Gaming means that, even if you don't own an Xbox Series X|S or modern Windows PC, you'll still be able to experience Obsidian's latest masterpiece via streaming on Xbox One, iOS and Android devices, and practically anything else with a browser.
Where can I watch Avowed's trailers?
Best answer: Right here! We'll include all of Avowed's biggest trailers below, from gameplay trailers to lore deep dives.
Is there character creation in Avowed?
Best answer: Yes, Avowed will let you customize your character and evolve them as you progress through the game, with lots of options for visual, gameplay, and background customization.
Like most other RPGs, Avowed will feature in-depth character customization to ensure that every adventure through The Living Lands is unique. I created an original character during my final hands-on preview, but I wasn't allowed to show the actual character creation. However, I can share my thoughts on it and some of the features we know of.
For one, players will choose background traits that help set up your character to excel in certain areas at the beginning of the game. However, you will not be locked into any classes or categories in Avowed. Players will be free to choose any skills or abilities as they evolve and level up their character, and there will even be easy ways to respec if you decide you want to go a different route. This is in stark comparison to many other RPGs, and aims to give players more freedom in how they play the game.
We also know that Avowed will only feature two selectable races (Human and Elf) when designing your original character, a stark departure from the Pillars of Eternity games and only a small selection from the diverse races that inhabit Eora. Apparently, this decision is twofold. For one, your character originates from the Aedyr Empire, which is predominantly populated by Humans and Elves. Secondly, Obsidian wanted to guarantee a consistency in Avowed's first-person gameplay that would be much more difficult to achieve (and require significantly more development resources) if players could explore The Living Lands as other races in Eora, which differ wildly in size and stature.
Finally, all players in Avowed will also be Godlike, which is a sub-race of humanoids in Eora that are blessed at birth by a patron deity. There are many kinds of Godlikes, but players won't get that choice — because the player's status as a Godlike and who their patron deity is contributes to the main story in some way.
What is the gameplay like in Avowed?
Best answer: Avowed will play similarly to other RPGs in the same category, but with Obsidian's new dynamic, dual-wielding combat system. The campaign and missions will also prominently feature dialogue options and branching paths.
We got our first in-depth look at Avowed's gameplay during the Xbox Developer_Direct 2024, and it appeared similar to many other first-person RPGs but with Obsidian Entertainment's iconic spin. This is also a brand-new combat system from Obsidian, which aims to be more flexible, dynamic, and interesting than Obsidian's previous games.
What we know is that Avowed will feature a vast arsenal of different weaponry between magical abilities and spells, melee weapons like swords and axes, and ranged weaponry like bows and even guns. Players will be able to fully customize their character's loadout and switch between multiple weapons and abilities on-the-fly, allowing for rapid adjustment to evolving combat scenarios. You'll also be able to dual-wield weapons and magic in Avowed, leading to unique ways to decimate your foes. Obsidian apparently wants combat in Avowed to feel 'visceral,' with a focus on the impact of spells and weapons.
The campaign will be structured similarly to The Outer Worlds and other RPGs, in that players will take on different quests and missions from a wide variety of sources involving investigative work, combat, exploration, and a whole lot of conversation. Yes, Avowed will prominently feature branching dialogue options, allowing players to change the course of quests and ultimately the game through their responses. This includes developing closer relationships with the companions you'll meet along the way.
It's worth mentioning that Obsidian has stated Avowed is very different from The Outer Worlds in many ways. Either way, we know that Avowed is being given plenty of time at Obsidian for development, testing, and polishing, a benefit of the studio's inclusion under the Xbox Game Studios banner.
Is Avowed open world?
Best answer: Avowed isn't truly one open world, and is similar to The Outer Worlds in that players will be able to travel between multiple open areas, with loading screens dividing those areas.
Avowed may be a full-blown fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, but it's not entirely open world like Skyrim, Dragon's Dogma, or other RPGs. Instead, Obsidian is taking a similar approach to The Outer Worlds, in that The Living Lands in Avowed will be split into several large, very distinct open areas that can individually be freely explored... But are divided by loading screens.
This may disappoint some players, but the Avowed team has stated that making a true open world RPG is an entirely different experience to what Obsidian wants to do with Avowed. This RPG will be more focused, while still giving players plenty of freedom to explore and decide what they want to do next.
This decision also plays into the story of Avowed. As players progress the campaign and are shepherded into new areas, previous areas will become unavailable. That means you need to complete everything you want to do as you go.
Will Avowed have multiplayer or co-op?
Best answer: Avowed will not feature any multiplayer or co-op features, although up to two NPC companions can join you on your journey through The Living Lands.
Avowed is a true single-player, first-person fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, focused entirely on its world building, narrative, and gameplay elements. As such, it'll feature no online multiplayer or co-op features at launch, and it's highly doubtful any will ever come to the game. This is a deliberate decision by Obsidian to focus on what the studio does best.
It was revealed that Avowed was originally planned to feature co-op, possibly to help attract the attention of publishers. Once Obsidian joined the Xbox family, though, that stopped being a consideration. Early on in development, the team behind Avowed realized co-op would take away from the game experience, so it was ultimately cut. Unlike other RPGs like the critically-acclaimed RPG Baldur's Gate 3, Avowed's design just doesn't quite meld with co-op play. We'll see when Avowed launches if Obsidian made the right decision.
