Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming fantasy RPG Avowed has been delayed several months, with 18 February 2025 now locked in as its future launch date. The game had been scheduled to debut in November 2024 (per a hastily removed listing), but it will seemingly need extra time.
In a social media post, Xbox simply said: “So many games coming! As such, we’re moving Avowed … to give players’ backlogs some breathing room.”
An accompanying chart revealed Xbox’s full slate of upcoming games, which currently includes titles like Age of Mythology: Retold (September 2024), Ara: History Untold (September 2024), Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (October 2024), Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (October 2024), Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (November 2024), and three undated 2024 releases – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Starfield: Shattered Space, and Towerborne.
Realistically, there will be some crossover interest between Xbox’s biggest games. Age of Mythology: Retold treads similar ground, from a “monsters and mythos” perspective, as does Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. But given many of these upcoming games chart different genres and gameplay styles, it’s fair to say there’s no direct competitors to Avowed in the upcoming games from Xbox.
Read: How Avowed builds on Obsidian Entertainment’s legacy – Interview
For a firmer reason for this delay, we must look towards other studios. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows will likely dominate November 2024, and there’ll also be competition from Star Wars Outlaws (releasing in August), and other titles like Funko Fusion, Astro Bot, and Sonic x Shadow Generations.
But the biggest competitor is more likely Dragon Age: The Veilguard. While this epic RPG doesn’t have a release date yet, it is set for the later half of 2024 – and with a passionate fanbase and high enthusiasm, it may steal attention away from Avowed. Any new franchise will have a tough time making a mark when going against established franchises in the same genre, so it may be that Obsidian has chosen to move out of the way of this potential smash hit.
Regardless of the reason, Avowed has now been officially pushed back, with keen players set for a much longer wait than anticipated. While the announcement lacks detail, we can assume the brief delay isn’t only tied to player backlogs – Avowed has frequently been described as a sweeping RPG where choice is key, and adventures chart a massive open world.
The ambitious scope of the game is reflected in its long development, which reportedly started way back in 2018. Over the last several years, Obsidian has worked to refine the scope of this adventure, building on its legacy as a studio of epic storytelling. There’s multiple pressures that come with creating a whole new franchise and world, and that more than likely explains part of the game’s announced delay.
Over the coming months, we expect to hear much more about Avowed, as work continues behind the scenes. In the meantime, according to Xbox, there’s now plenty of time to get through your gaming backlogs.
