Avowed

Avowed is a 2025 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It launched on February 18, 2025, for Windows PCs and Xbox Series X|S. Rather than introducing a new universe, it returns to Eora, the setting of Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity games. Its story takes place in the Living Lands, a frontier whose varied cultures and environments differ from the Dyrwood and Deadfire locations explored in those earlier titles. The player is an envoy of the Aedyran Empire, sent to investigate the Dreamscourge, a spreading affliction that affects people and the land itself.

The envoy is also a godlike, a person marked by a divine connection. That identity makes the investigation more personal as the envoy encounters visions and questions the influence of gods on the Living Lands. Avowed tells its story through conversations, discoveries, and decisions rather than presenting the plague as a simple monster to defeat. Factions and individuals disagree over what should happen to the region, and the player's choices shape relationships and the conclusion. The setting draws on Eora's long established lore, including animancy, the study and manipulation of souls, while keeping this adventure centered on a new protagonist.

Exploration spans several large regions rather than one seamless open world. Dawnshore, the Emerald Stair, Shatterscarp, and Galawain's Tusks each offer quests, hidden routes, equipment, and distinct terrain. Players can approach combat in first-person or third-person view, mixing melee weapons, firearms, shields, wands, grimoires, and magic across two swappable loadouts. Character development uses attribute points and ability trees instead of locking the envoy into a conventional class. Dialogue options sometimes reflect the protagonist's background and attributes, making character building relevant outside combat. Crafting materials can improve weapons and armor, while camps provide a place to talk with companions.

Four companions can join the envoy: Kai, an aumaua fighter; Marius, a dwarven hunter; Giatta, an animancer; and Yatzli, an orlan wizard. Only two accompany the player at a time, and their abilities complement different fighting styles. Their conversations give the political and supernatural conflict a more personal dimension. Although Avowed shares Eora with Pillars of Eternity, it changes the presentation from those games' isometric, party-based combat to direct real-time action. Obsidian also made The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas, but Avowed is neither a science-fiction adventure nor a Fallout sequel: its identity is rooted in Eora's gods, souls, and contested histories.