Back in July 2020, Obsidian Entertainment gave an exciting first look at its upcoming RPG,Avowed. Not only did it give off majorSkyrimvibes, but it’s set in Eora—thePillars of Eternityuniverse. Fans have been eager to learn more about it for quite some time, as well as more about Obsidian’s other in-development games:The Outer Worlds 2and Project Pentinment. Many fans were hoping for a little something at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, and it seems Microsoft and Obsidian have delivered–but notAvowed.
During the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, the companies unveiled thatGroundedwas leaving Early Access in September and showcased theDisco Elysium-likePentinment(fromNew Vegas' Josh Sawyer), but unfortunately,AvowedandThe Outer Worlds 2were nowhere to be seen. That’s not to say fans were disappointed with the show, as it was definitely one of the best in other years, but it wasn’tAvowed’s time. The main reason it probably wasn’t there is also pretty clear.
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It Wasn’t Avowed’s Time
Early on in the showcase, it was confirmed that Microsoft would focus on games releasing over the next 12 months. Discounting potential delays, it stands to reason that a couple of games would be an exception to this rule, withHideo Kojima’s Xbox Cloud gameand potentiallyHollow Knight: Silksongbeing those said exceptions, but it clearly defined that faraway games likeThe Elder Scrolls 6, Fable, and evenAvowedwould not be there.
That’s not to say thatAvowedorFableare as far away asThe Elder Scrolls 6, but none of them are releasing in the next 12 months. This could mean thatAvowedis a fall 2023 game or later, but it’s a nice way to manage expectations.
Avowedwas already an exciting prospect before the show, and it’s still that way. Xbox really showed up to prove it was packing some great games for fans over the next 12 months. It was a stellar showcase with a ton of variety, and whileAvowedwould have certainly been welcomed, Xbox can’t just rely on a handful of titles like the aforementioned RPGs. It showed the full force of its capabilities with its current Xbox Game Studios, with the Bethesda studios up under it, and even a little glimpse intothe Xbox future of Activision-Blizzard withOverwatch 2andDiablo 4.
Avowedwasn’t at this showcase, but it will be one at one day. It simply wasn’t the time for it, and it’s a good thing that the higher-ups at Microsoft saw this. Phil Spencer said it was a gameplay showcase, and indeed it was.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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