Avowed Guide#
Avowed is a first-person fantasy action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It launched on PC and Xbox consoles on February 18, 2025, and arrived on PlayStation 5 on February 17, 2026 alongside the anniversary update. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 and is set in Eora, the world shared with the Pillars of Eternity series — specifically the Living Lands, an island where the ecosystem has run wild and ruins litter the landscape.
You play an Envoy dispatched by the Aedyr Empire to investigate the Dreamscourge, a soul plague that has twisted the entire island beyond recognition. You are a Godlike yourself: the strange voice in your head and the inhuman marks on your body are tangled up with the very same thread as the plague.
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Windows / Steam / Battle.net), PlayStation 5 | Launch date: February 18, 2025 | PS5 version: February 17, 2026 | Single-player
Basic Information#
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Obsidian Entertainment |
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Launch date | February 18, 2025 |
| PS5 version | February 17, 2026 (same day as the anniversary update) |
| Mode | Strictly single-player — no online or co-op play |
| Level cap | 30 |
| Main story length | Roughly 20-25 hours |
| Completionist length | Roughly 60-80 hours for all achievements |
| Difficulty options | Story, Normal, Hard, Path of the Damned |
| Perspective | Switchable between first person and third person |
| Chinese support | Simplified Chinese interface and subtitles |
Core Systems at a Glance#
| System | In one line |
|---|---|
| Six attributes | Might, Constitution, Dexterity, Perception, Intellect, Resolve; 8 points to allocate at character creation |
| Backgrounds | Backgrounds do not lock skill trees — they only affect starting attributes, starting gear, and some dialogue options |
| Four skill trees | Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard form the trunk; Godlike abilities unlock as the main story progresses |
| Two weapon sets | Swap between them instantly in combat; the design encourages pairing melee with ranged |
| Essence | The resource spent on active abilities; its cap is raised by Intellect |
| Stamina | Shared by light attacks, heavy attacks, blocking, and dodging; its cap is raised by Resolve |
| Stagger bar | The yellow bar under an enemy’s health; fill it and a single melee hit triggers a three-hit critical combo |
| Elemental buildup | Only repeatedly stacking the same element triggers freeze, burn, and other states |
| Camp | The hub for upgrading gear, enchanting, cooking, and talking with and training companions |
| Totems | One per region; assemble the core plus six fragments, place it at camp, and gain a passive bonus |
Key Terms#
The game shares its world — and much of its vocabulary — with the Pillars of Eternity series. The table below lists the proper nouns used throughout this site, with the English originals treated as authoritative.
| Term | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| Living Lands | The island where the game takes place |
| Eora | The world shared with the Pillars of Eternity series |
| Aedyr | The empire that sent you here |
| Dreamscourge | The soul plague spreading across the island |
| Dreamthralls | Creatures consumed by the Dreamscourge |
| Godlike | Rare beings whose souls have been touched by gods |
| Envoy | The player character’s standing within the empire |
| Animancy | The art of channeling soul essence into creations |
| Copper Skeyt | The common currency |
| Essence | The resource spent on casting abilities |
Frequently Asked Questions#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need to play Pillars of Eternity first? | No. The two share a world, but this game tells its own complete story |
| Is there multiplayer or co-op? | No — a strictly single-player experience |
| Can I respec? | Yes. Abilities, attributes, and companion points can all be reset for a gold cost |
| Do weapons have durability? | No. Equipment never breaks, so use it freely |
| How many companions can I bring at once? | Two at most; the rest stay at camp |
| Are there romances? | No full romance arcs — some dialogue can be flirtatious, but it never develops into a relationship |
| Can I keep playing after the credits? | Yes. Your cleared save can keep chasing collectibles, and the anniversary update adds a second playthrough |
| Was it in a subscription service at launch? | Yes — it joined Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on launch day |
Version History#
| Phase | Time | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | February 2025 | Version 1.0 with four regions and four companions |
| Intensive fix period | February to March 2025 | A run of small patches fixing crashes, quest blockers, and balance |
| Systems adjustment period | March to July 2025 | More ability point gains, Wizard and Fighter tree reworks, accessibility improvements |
| Anniversary update | February 2026 | Second playthrough, photo mode, new weapon types, five selectable races, mirror-based appearance editing, and a custom difficulty — with the PS5 version launching the same day |
| Ongoing maintenance | March 2026 onward | Continued fixes and balance tuning |
Reception and Scores#
| Source | Result |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC 77, Xbox Series 80, PS5 81 |
| OpenCritic | Recommended by more than 80% of critics, rated “Strong” |
| IGN | 7 / 10 |
| GameSpot | 6 / 10 |
| PC Gamer | 82 / 100 |
| Eurogamer | 4 / 5 |
| Main criticisms | Launch-period technical and performance issues, repetitive side quests, a thin roster of enemy types |
| Main praise | Worldbuilding and writing, choices and consequences, the feel of first-person combat |
Related Games#
- Skyrim — the benchmark first-person open-world fantasy RPG about playing the character you want
- The Witcher 3 — a story-heavy RPG built on choices, consequences, and quest writing
- Baldur’s Gate 3 — a companion-driven RPG where party composition and decisions shape the story
- Cyberpunk 2077 — a first-person RPG with deep build customization and strong worldbuilding
- Elden Ring — a dark fantasy action RPG built around exploration and demanding combat
Related Rankings#
Best RPGs · Best Open World Games
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, the combat system, skills and talents, classes and builds, build archetypes, equipment and items, the upgrade system, crafting, companions, quests, bosses, factions and choices, world exploration, map markers, enemies, collectibles, secrets, lore, endgame, and achievements — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Avowed section.
If you read Chinese, the achievements sub-guide there lists all 50 achievements with an efficient first-playthrough unlock order.