Last summer, Microsoft unveiled a number of games in development for the Xbox Series X with the Xbox Games Showcase event. The Xbox Games Showcase featured the first in-depth look at Halo Infinite as well as the long-awaited confirmation of the Fable reboot's existence, but one of the most-talked about games from the show turned out to be something completely new. While technically part of the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed from Obsidian Entertainment may as well be a brand new IP, and yet it still had many Xbox fans buzzing.
Avowed is a first-person RPG that has drawn many similarities to The Elder Scrolls. In fact, it appears to wear its Elder Scrolls influences on its sleeve, yet seems to be going for a more well-rounded first-person combat system with a focus on spells. However, it's still far too early to make any big assumptions about Avowed, especially since little has been seen of the game since its reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase.
It's been nearly a year since Xbox fans saw anything about Avowed, and so many fans are growing impatient to see more of the game. There is some hope that Avowed will be one of the games featured at the joint Xbox/Bethesda E3 2021 press conference on Sunday, June 13, but nothing has been confirmed. And while some fans may be disappointed if they tune in to E3 2021 and don't see Avowed, that doesn't mean that they still won't get an update on the game at some point this year.
Avowed Rumors Leading Into E3 2021
When it comes to Avowed being at E3 2021, fans have been getting some mixed messages. Some industry insiders believe that Avowed is going to be at E3 2021, with it being just one of Obsidian's featured games, alongside the rumored Outer Worlds 2. Others think otherwise, believing that Avowed will in fact not be at E3 2021. Really fans won't know for sure until the Xbox/Bethesda E3 2021 press conference kicks off on June 13 at 10am PT.
Avowed's E3 2021 status is murky right now, but one other interesting rumor about the game does point to it still being showcased at some point later this year. Apparently, Avowed is further in development than one might think. If this rumor is accurate and Avowed is nearing the end of its development cycle, then it wouldn't be surprising at all to see it at some other gaming event later this year in the event of an E3 absence.
Other Shows Where Avowed Could Be Featured
E3 is typically the biggest gaming event of the year, but it's not the only big gaming event. There are numerous other gaming events scheduled to take place throughout the rest of 2021, though some particularly notable ones stand out as the most likely candidates for an Avowed showcase.
First and foremost is Gamescom. Gamescom 2021 is scheduled to take place from August 25 to August 29, with Geoff Keighley returning to host the special Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation on August 25. This Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation will be an E3-style event where numerous game reveals take place, and it's definitely not out of the question for Avowed to be one such reveal.
Xbox has been a consistent presence at Gamescom, using the show to feature a variety of its big games over the years. Even though the Xbox E3 2021 presentation is expected to be a whopping 90 minutes long, Xbox is sharing the stage with Bethesda this year, meaning it will have less time than usual to showcase its various games. It's possible that some non-Bethesda Xbox games that otherwise would've been shown at E3 may have been pushed out to make room for Bethesda products.
If that's the case, then it would make sense for Xbox to show its leftover games at Gamescom, and Avowed could certainly be one of those games. However, with Gamescom still a couple of months away and E3 having yet to even take place, fans should keep their expectations in check. It's possible Xbox won't even be at Gamescom 2021, though that seems unlikely. Ultimately, fans will just have to stay tuned to find out.
And if Gamescom comes and goes with no Avowed announcement, there is one other strong possibility for the game to make an appearance. In December, The Game Awards 2021 will take place, with the aforementioned Geoff Keighley once again presenting a number of major world premieres. And just like Xbox has had a consistent presence at Gamescom, the company has also made numerous appearances at The Game Awards.
In fact, Microsoft used The Game Awards to unveil the Xbox Series X console, so it definitely sees value in the big show. The Game Awards audience continues to grow from one year to the next, and so it would give Avowed a huge spotlight. If the highly anticipated RPG is missing from both E3 and Gamescom, then The Game Awards 2021 seems like the most likely candidate for it to be featured.
And if Avowed isn't at The Game Awards 2021, it seems those looking forward to the game will just have to wait until 2022 or later to learn more.
Avowed is in development for PC and Xbox Series X.