Avowed is one of the most anticipated RPGs coming to the Xbox Series X. The studio behind the new title, Obsidian, has long been a favorite of many gaming fans, releasing games from acclaimed RPGs like Fallout: New Vegas to recent experiments in other genres like this year’s shrunken survival game Grounded.
Avowed was announced on July 23 during the Xbox Series X gaming showcase. Since then, however, fantasy fans hoping to glean more details about the game and when it may release have come up unlucky. While there’s plenty of lore to dive into from the setting, which is shared with Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity games, there hasn’t been much word from Obsidian since the announcement itself. Here’s every rumor and theory about when fans can expect Avowed to finally hit the shelves.
Avowed and The Elder Scrolls
Ever since Avowed's teaser trailer released, observers were quick to connect the game to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series. Not only are both first-person fantasy RPGs, but Obsidian and Bethesda have a long history together. Bethesda took on the Fallout franchise, which many Obsidian developers had worked on while employed by Black Isle Studios. Then, Obsidian developed Fallout: New Vegas which was published by Bethesda.
Since the release of The Outer Worlds there has been speculation that, following the disappointing release of Fallout 76, Obsidian is gunning for Bethesda’s top spot in the first-person RPG market. The Outer Worlds was seen by many as a response to the Fallout series, while Avowed picks up the back end of the double-punch by targeting The Elder Scrolls. With next to no announcements about The Elder Scrolls 6 since its trailer released in 2018, it makes sense that Obsidian would want to get in first.
This leads to the the main rumor about Avowed's release window, that a major part of Obsidian’s success plan involves releasing Avowed before The Elder Scrolls 6. Both games have only received trailers so far, but there’s evidence that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a long way away. At the very least, The Elder Scrolls 6 will not be releasing until after Starfield, Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years. This has led to speculation that Starfield will release around 2022, while The Elder Scrolls 6 will release around 2025.
Avowed's Trajectory
If Obsidian is trying to get the jump on The Elder Scrolls, this would make a release date for around 2022 to 2023 likely. However, it isn’t the only indication of Avowed’s release date. Some have speculated that Avowed could release earlier than expected. The PS5 has been projected to sell more than the Xbox Series X this holiday season, and while this will be reassessed by the end of the year, it’s possible that Microsoft may want to release the game on the earlier side in order to respond to the amount of PS5 exclusives currently luring gamers to Sony's new consoles, from Spider-Man: Miles Morales to the upcoming God of War sequel.
Avowed was announced at the Xbox Series X Gaming Showcase, which could mean fans will get an update on the game’s release date at The Game Awards 2020. The Xbox Series X was announced at the Game Awards in 2019, and the inclusion of Avowed in the console’s showcase makes it likely that Microsoft will want to feature the game again at its next major appearance. For now, however, fans will have to continue to speculate, and continue to wait for more details from Obsidian itself.
Avowed is in development for PC and Xbox Series X.