What you need to know
- A new report that Windows Central can corroborate suggests Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming RPG Avowed is getting a delay into early 2025 soon.
- Microsoft and Obsidian are delaying Avowed in response to STALKER 2's recent delay into November, as the Xbox Game Pass holiday release schedule was starting to get crowded between these two games, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Frostpunk 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
- Reportedly, the game itself "is in good shape," so it's unlikely that Avowed will be delayed any further due to technical reasons.
- The delay hasn't been confirmed officially yet, but it's likely Microsoft and Obsidian will detail it soon. It may be announced later in August during Gamescom 2024; Xbox will be at the show, and Microsoft has confirmed Avowed will be as well.
- Update: The delay has been confirmed.
Update, Aug. 2, 2024, 6:42 p.m:
This delay is now official, and Avowed is launching on Feb. 18, 2025.
Original story:
We all thought we'd be playing Obsidian Entertainment's highly anticipated fantasy RPG Avowed at some point in November after the developer accidentally leaked a planned release date earlier this year, but now it's looking like Xbox and PC gamers will have to wait until next year to dive into the Pillars of Eternity adventure.
That's according to a report from Tom Warren at The Verge, in which he notes that Obsidian is likely about to announce a delay of the game into early 2025. Notably, Windows Central can corroborate this report, as we've recently heard similar information from sources in contact with our team.
The reasoning for the delay is not because of the current state of the game — Warren says he's heard Avowed "is in good shape" — but rather a matter of scheduling. After STALKER 2's delay into November in late July, Microsoft has decided to push Avowed back a bit in order to spread out its new Xbox Game Pass releases in the holiday quarter. This will give the roleplaying title some more room to breathe, as opposed to launching it at the same time as other big-name Game Pass titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Frostpunk 2, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
The specifics on Avowed's new release date are unknown right now, but I suspect we'll have a concrete date to look forward to once Obsidian goes public with the news. In the meantime, though, just know that you'll have to wait a little longer to begin your journey through Eora.
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If Microsoft or Obsidian don't announce the delay in the coming days, than it will surely be confirmed officially during Gamescom 2024 in a few weeks — perhaps alongside a new trailer or gameplay footage. Unsurprisingly, Xbox confirmed it would be at the show in June, and will have its "biggest booth ever." Attendees have demos, live shows, guided previews, and more to look forward to, and one of the titles Microsoft has committed to bringing to Gamescom is Avowed.
Overall, Xbox players (and PC gamers planning to play Avowed through PC Game Pass) will naturally be disappointed by the delay, but it's at least reassuring that it's a small one, and that the game sounds like it's in a good state. With any luck, we'll be headed to the Living Lands very soon after the new year turns.
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Analysis: An understandable delay, but a bummer nonetheless
This delay is somewhat surprising, though it completely makes sense given the context of the wider Xbox Game Pass release schedule. Microsoft doesn't want to overcrowd November and December with new games, and with STALKER 2 getting delayed multiple times in the last several years already — including the one from July — it's understandable that it would move Avowed back a little instead.
With that said, it is disappointing to see Avowed get pushed back to 2025, especially after the game was shown at Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 — a show that's reserved for titles coming out within the year. The silver lining, though, is that it sounds like the delay will be a very short one, so fans hopefully won't have to wait long to play what could be one of the new best Xbox games and best PC games.
