Obsidian’s First-Person Fantasy RPG Avowed Gets First Gameplay, 2024 Window

Nearly three years ago, Obsidian Entertainment announced Avowed, a first-person roleplaying game set in the world of Eora, the setting of Pillars of Eternity.

Since then, the studio stayed largely silent. We knew the game suffered a soft reboot due to a change in direction, but other than that, no other information was shared until today.

That changed at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 when the first gameplay was shared with fans. Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart also revealed several tidbits of information in a post on the Xbox Wire blog.

In Avowed, players will explore the Living Lands, a plagued, wild island. This region is said to be full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choice and consequences. It is also home to bustling port towns and rolling hills adorned with weird and fantastical plant life. Around every corner, players will find creatures, sentient mushrooms, or tribes of lizard-like Xaurips.

Urquhart said that Avowed's companions will play a pivotal role in the players' adventures. The first companion they will find in the game is Kai, who also happens to be the narrator of the gameplay trailer. Kai is a Coastal Aumaua currently residing in the Living Lands and is one of the few friendly faces players will find here. He is a former soldier, and his idealistic and pragmatic temperament will help guide players as they venture into this wild frontier.

First-person combat is at the core of Avowed, according to the Obsidian CEO. The developers have incorporated a host of ways for players to fight the flora and fauna of the Living Lands, such as swords, shields, pistols, spells, and the ability to dual wield, creating a vast number of combinations to choose from.

Obsidian also promised that players will find an island full of unique enemies to encounter.  The game will be released next year on Xbox Series S|X and PC, and as with all first-party Microsoft titles, it'll launch on Game Pass from day one.

Written by Alessio Palumbo