Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, set in the Living Lands of Eora. You play an envoy investigating a spreading plague, with exploration, choices and flexible combat at the heart of the adventure. The game first launched on February 18, 2025; its February 2026 anniversary update added New Game Plus, more playable species, custom difficulty options, Photo Mode and other features.
What kind of game is Avowed?
Avowed is an action-focused role-playing game played primarily from a first-person perspective. Its story follows an envoy of Aedyr sent to the Living Lands to investigate reports of a spreading plague. The envoy discovers a personal connection to the region and an ancient secret.
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Expect a mix of combat, exploration and consequential choices rather than a purely linear action game. An official 2024 announcement also described an accessibility-menu option for third-person play; check the current in-game menus for its exact label and behavior.
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Yes. Both games take place in Eora, and the Living Lands were previously introduced in the Pillars of Eternity franchise. Avowed has its own protagonist and story, however; you do not need to have played Pillars of Eternity to understand its central premise. Obsidian’s game page outlines the setting and story.
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way
- Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.
What platforms can you play Avowed on?
Availability arrived in two stages. The initial launch was February 18, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Xbox Wire naming Xbox on Windows, Battle.net and Steam, as well as cloud play. It was also announced as a day-one Game Pass title. The PlayStation 5 version followed on February 17, 2026.
Game Pass catalogs and storefront availability can change, so check the live Xbox game page or your chosen store before buying or subscribing.
How does combat work?
Combat is built around mixing methods rather than committing to one weapon category. Official descriptions name swords, spells, guns, shields, bows and grimoire spells that can trap, freeze or burn enemies. The February 2026 anniversary update added a quarterstaff.
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Rank #2
- Requires base game, Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass Membership (Sold Separately)
- Premium Upgrade includes: Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
- 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.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
| Approach | What it offers | Consider if you prefer |
|---|---|---|
| Melee weapons, including swords and the quarterstaff | Close-range attacks; the quarterstaff was added in the anniversary update. | Fighting at close range and responding to enemy attacks directly. |
| Guns and bows | Ranged weapon options. | Keeping distance or attacking between close-range engagements. |
| Spells and grimoires | Magic, including grimoire spells described as able to trap, freeze or burn enemies. | Adding spell use and control effects to your combat approach. |
| Shields | A defensive option to pair with other combat choices. | Building defense into your approach. |
When choosing how to fight, consider the distance you enjoy, how much you want to rely on defensive timing or spell resources, and whether switching between weapon sets suits you. The official feature descriptions do not establish a single strongest setup or damage ranking; treat build choices as preferences, not a guaranteed best-in-slot formula.
What changed in the Avowed anniversary update?
Obsidian announced the anniversary update alongside the PS5 release on February 17, 2026. Its major additions include New Game Plus, three playable species, custom difficulty options, Photo Mode, the quarterstaff and quality-of-life improvements. See Obsidian’s update announcement for its full feature and carryover details.
New Game Plus
New Game Plus unlocks after completing the main story. Obsidian says it carries over unlocked abilities except godlike abilities, spent attribute points, unlocked enchantments, unique gloves and boots, and jewelry and trinkets. Unique weapons and armor carry over reset to level 1. Some items and resources do not carry over; enemies are strengthened and gain added modifiers.
Rank #3
- Premium Edition includes: Avowed base game, Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for each of your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
- 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.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
- Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.
If you finished the story before New Game Plus was introduced, an older completion save may not be enough to unlock it. Load a point-of-no-return save or a later save, complete the game again, and use the resulting completion save.
Playable species and appearance changes
Dwarves, Orlans and Aumaua joined Humans and Elves, bringing the roster to five playable Eoran species. Species and background have attribute bonuses; for exact values, consult current character creation or Obsidian’s update announcement, since balance details can change. A mirror in Party Camp lets you change your appearance, including species, during an existing adventure.
Custom difficulty and Photo Mode
Custom difficulty modifiers let players adjust options to shape the challenge. Be aware that using custom options invalidates the Path of the Damned achievement. The update also adds Photo Mode, additional presets and other quality-of-life changes.
Rank #4
- L'édition Premium SteelBook comprend: le jeu de base Avowed, jusqu'à 5 jours d'accès anticipé, le SteelBook Avowed, la carte des Terres Vivantes, deux packs de skins Premium et l'accès à l'Artbook numérique Avowed et à la bande-son originale
- Vous êtes l'envoyé d'Aedyr, une terre lointaine, missionné pour enquêter sur les rumeurs selon lesquelles une épidémie se propagerait dans les Terres Vivantes, une île pleine de mystères et de secrets, de dangers et d'aventures, de choix et de conséconsés. quences, et d'une nature sauvage
- Explorez une île qui abrite de nombreux environnements et paysages différents, chacun avec son propre écosystème unique
- Mélangez et associez des épées, des sorts, des armes et des boucliers pour vous frayer un chemin
- The compagnons d'un large éventail d'espèces se battront à vos côtés, avec leurs propres capacités uniques
Which edition of Avowed should you get?
Compare the current listings on the platform where you plan to play. Edition names, prices and bundle contents can vary by store and change over time, so historical announcement prices are not a reliable guide to today’s checkout price.
| Edition or offer | What official announcements said | What to check now |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Obsidian’s January 2026 PS5 announcement listed a US announcement price of $49.99. | Current price, platform and included content on your chosen storefront. |
| Premium | Obsidian’s January 2026 PS5 announcement listed a US announcement price of $59.99. Xbox’s launch announcement described the Premium Edition as including the game, up to five days of early access, two premium skin packs, and access to a digital artbook and soundtrack. | Current price and exact bundle contents for the platform and store you intend to use. |
| Game Pass | The 2025 launch announcement described the game as a day-one Game Pass title. | Whether the game is in the live catalog for your region and subscription tier. |
The PS5 figures above are US announcement prices from January 2026, not a statement of current prices. The early-access allowance and Premium contents are drawn from Xbox’s launch announcement; verify the listing on your selected store before purchase. See the PS5 announcement and Xbox launch announcement for those dated details.
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