Avowed is currently in development by Obsidian Entertainment and is expected to be a major release for Xbox. Since its initial teaser trailer during E3 2020, the developer has been quiet about the status of the RPG. Fans who have been hoping to hear more about the game were excited about the recent Xbox and Bethesda games showcase, expecting it to make an appearance. Unfortunately, Avowed wasn't mentioned during the showcase, and there are several likely reasons for its absence.
Avowed is a first-person action RPG set in the world of Eora. It's a spin-off of the Pillars of Eternity games and fans are eager to see this fresh take on the world of Eora. The initial trailer drew heavy comparisons to The Elder Scrolls series due to its first-person perspective and the main character dual-wielding a sword and magic spell. The silence surrounding the game has been concerning for fans, and if the rumors are true, Avowed's development could be going through a rough patch.
According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Avowed's development has been rebooted several times since its initial reveal in 2020. He also mentioned that the game received a leadership change last year. While he said that Avowed isn't in development hell as such, he did mention that fans shouldn't expect to see the game for a while. If this is true, it would explain why Avowed wasn't shown at the recent Xbox showcase.
This is bound to be disappointing news for gamers who were looking forward to their next adventure in the world of Eora. It's difficult to tell when Avowed might be shown off to the public again, but it seems safe to say that it won't be any time soon. Considering that the game's development might have been rebooted more than once, it's hard to know if it even resembles the reveal trailer from E3 2020 anymore.
Rebooted development isn't necessarily a bad thing. DOOM (2016), Resident Evil 4 and Fallout 3 all had their development rebooted and were met with overwhelmingly positive critical and fan reactions when they were finally released. While Avowed could potentially look and play different from what many expected when it does launch, it doesn't mean that the game will be worse because of its developmental changes.
Despite the negative connotations of Avowed's rumored current state, there are some positive aspects to consider. Even if Avowed did get its highly-anticipated gameplay reveal during the Xbox showcase, it could have been overshadowed by Starfield's lengthy gameplay debut. Bethesda fans have been clamoring to see the new sci-fi RPG in action, and it arguably deserved the main event spot in the Xbox showcase.
A title of the reported scale of Avowed could be deserving of its own headline slot at a future games showcase. The games shown off at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase were confirmed to be launching within the next 12 months or so. Avowed's absence could just be a result of the title's more distant release, which might be a good thing.
There were many Xbox games shown during the presentation that could be enough to tide gamers over for the next year or so. Starfield and Arkane Studios' Redfall are some highlights from the show, and while Avowed wouldn't exactly get lost in the shuffle, attention could be taken away from it during this long string of releases. Even though Avowed didn't get its share of the spotlight, Obsidian was still represented with the announcement of Grounded's full release and Josh Sawyers' Pentiment.
Avowed could have a long road ahead of it before its release. While the information about the game's rebooted development and change in leadership are believable, it's important to note that nothing has been officially confirmed by Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox about the current state of the game. Regardless of its development status, it seems as though it will be some time before players will be able to get their hands on Obsidian's RPG.