Avowedis the first AAA release from famed developer Obsidian Entertainment, following its acquisition by Microsoft in 2018. This game is set in the world ofPillars of Eternity, the franchise kickstarted by the acclaimed 2015 CRPG of the same name. However, unlikePoE,Avowedemploys a primarily first-person perspective in gameplay instead of an isometric one, making it more reminiscent of titles likeThe Outer WorldsandFallout: New Vegas. The upcoming game was initially slated to launch sometime in 2024, but following a recent delay, it will now release on Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC on July 11, 2025. As such, the title will be one of Microsoft’s biggest exclusives in the coming months.
Unfortunately,Avowed’s delay to 2025places it in a rather precarious situation. February is going to be a stacked month for video game releases, so when Obsidian’s upcoming RPG does come out, it’s going to face a lot of competition from the likes of Capcom, Sega, Take-Two, and Ubisoft.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2,Civilization 7,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii,Assassin’s Creed Shadows, andMonster Hunter Wildsare some of the biggest releases slated for 2025 and, surprisingly, they’re all scheduled to make their debuts in February. There’s no doubt thatAvowedwill have to fight to garner the attention of gamers when it is released next year, but the game does have one major advantage over the other titles launching in February that may give it a competitive edge.
Avowed’s Xbox Game Pass Launch Could Give It a Competitive Edge Over Other February 2025 Titles
Avowed Will Be on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day-One
Unlike Most AAA Games, Avowed’s Barrier to Entry Will Be Low
Most major releases nowadays, including games likeMonster Hunter WildsandKingdom Come Deliverance 2, cost upwards of $70. This daunting price tag may be a tough pill to swallow for financially-conscious gamers, because many of them likely can’t justify spending $70 on more than 3 to 4 AAA titles in the same month. This is whyAvowed’s availability on Xbox Game Passis significant, as it makes the upcoming RPG more accessible to a wider audience of people than the other AAA games launching in February, none of which are coming to a subscription service on day-one.
Avowed’s Exclusivity Does Hinder Its Accessibility, But It May Come to Other Platforms At Some Point
WhileAvowed’s barrier to entry is fairly low, the one thing hindering its overall accessibility compared to the aforementioned titles likeMH WildsandAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis itsexclusivity to Xbox consolesand PCs. Most of the games announced for February 2025 so far are multiplatform and are therefore receiving a day-one release on PlayStation 5 and/or Nintendo Switch. Because of this, the Obsidian-developed RPG may not have the reach of those titles in this regard.
Even still, it is entirely possible that the game could come to other platforms down the line. After all,several Microsoft-published titles have been ported to rival consolesin recent months, including Obsidian’s ownPentimentandGrounded. However, ifAvoweddoes come to PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2, it likely won’t be available on a subscription service on those platforms, so the upfront cost for the game will be the same as with any other AAA title.
Avowed
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands - an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
