Avowed: release date rumours, Skyrim comparisons and latest news
We'll return to the Pillars of Eternity universe in Avowed, but when?
It's now been over a decade since Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While there is a lot of hype around Starfield, die hard fans of Bethesda's fantasy-oriented series must be praying for a new Elder Scrolls.
While these prayers don't seem to be getting answered any time soon, the next best thing might be around the corner. Obsidian's next RPG, Avowed, looks like it might scratch the open-world fantasy itch that many of us are afflicted with.
Obsidian have a good track record, too, with The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, under their belt.
Avowed was first announced back in 2020, but we got a lot more information in last night's Xbox Games Showcase. The lore looks deep, the world looks beautiful and the combat and magic look satisfying and varied. We'll share the latest trailer, as well as everything we know about Avowed, below.
Avowed release date rumours
What is the release date for Avowed? Is Avowed coming this year? Those are certainly valid questions to be asking yourself, and sadly there's no firm answer to them at the moment.
The Avowed release date looks to be sometime in 2024. While this might seem like a while away, it'll come around fast. We're somehow already halfway through 2023 right now...
Which consoles and platforms can play Avowed?
Is Avowed an Xbox exclusive or will it come to PS5 and PS4 as well? That's a very good question to be asking, considering that Obsidian was acquired by the Xbox owners at Microsoft in 2018.
When it comes to consoles, we can confirm that Avowed will be an Xbox exclusive. It won't be coming to any PlayStation consoles or the Nintendo Switch. In fact, it won't be coming to Xbox One either, with Obsidian designing Avowed specifically for next-gen consoles and powerful computers.
The game's official page on the Xbox website confirms that Avowed is being made for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC. So if you don't fancy owning an Xbox, you could play it on PC instead.
Is Avowed on Xbox Game Pass?
Also on the Xbox website, Microsoft has confirmed that Avowed will be coming to the Xbox Game Pass on day one. So as soon as the game comes out, you'll be able to play Avowed through your Xbox Game Pass membership without having to spend an extra penny.
Can I pre-order Avowed?
At the moment, there is no formal way to pre-order Avowed - it's still a long way off. And if you're wondering how much Avowed will cost, we don't know the answer to that yet either. We would predict around £60, though, if you wanted to buy the game on its own.
To save yourself having to pay the full price, though, you could become a member of the Xbox Game Pass membership club instead. If you want to try the service out, you can currently get a 14-day trial at CD Keys for just £5.99.
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Avowed story
Is Avowed a sequel to Pillars of Eternity? The answer to that question seems to be yes - or, at the very least, we know that Avowed takes place in the same universe as Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity games. The game has been described through formal channels as "An epic, first-person RPG set in the fantasy world of Eora". The world of Eora, of course, is where the Pillars of Eternity games are set.
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Some people have also been asking: is Avowed an Elder Scrolls game? The answer to that question is no. Although Bethesda's Elder Scrolls 6 is also part of the big Microsoft/Xbox family, there's nothing to suggest that game is connected to Obsidian's Avowed in any way. We don't know much more about the Avowed story at the moment, but we'll let you know when that changes.
Avowed gameplay rumours
Will Avowed be like The Outer Worlds? On a gameplay level, the answer to that question is yes. A seemingly well-informed report from Windows Central stated that Avowed "seems to be based on a similar, albeit enhanced engine from The Outer Worlds, complete with action-oriented first-person combat and deep RPG exploration and narrative systems."
If you were wondering if Avowed will be like Skyrim on a gameplay level, there does seem to be some similarities there too. Windows Central claims, "Avowed will feature multiple class play-styles and borrow from Skyrim's two-handed combat system. You could wield two daggers and be a stealthy rogue, or dive into archery with a two-handed bow. You could use a combination of swords and magic, or go full two-handed magic, which is required to wield some of the game's more potent spells and abilities."
Gameplay in Avowed will also bring back familiar elements from previous Pillars of Eternity games, with Windows Central reporting that "Wizard spells like Jolting Touch, which can fry enemies with forks of lightning, will be present." There is also talk of swimming-based exploration and destructible environments, but one thing isn't clear - we don't know yet if Avowed will have one big open-world environment or several smaller hubs worlds.
Avowed trailer
A brand new trailer was released for Avowed last night (11th June) at the Xbox Games Showcase event. A lot more lore and gameplay was revealed, and to be honest we're feeling pretty hyped. You can watch the new trailer below:
You can check out the earlier reveal trailer here.
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