Report: Xbox to delay Obsidian’s Avowed into 2025 after STALKER 2’s release date change as Game Pass' holiday season gets crowded

Obsidian’s Avowed will reportedly launch onto Xbox and Game Pass in early 2025, with a delay imminent.

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What you need to know

What you need to know

Update, Aug. 2, 2024, 6:42 p.m:

This delay is now official, andAvowed is launching on Feb. 18, 2025.Original story:We all thought we’d be playing Obsidian Entertainment’s highly anticipated fantasy RPGAvowedat some point in November after the developeraccidentally leaked a planned release dateearlier this year, but now it’s looking like Xbox and PC gamers will have to wait until next year to dive into the Pillars of Eternity adventure.

That’s according to areportfrom Tom Warren at The Verge, in which he notes that Obsidian is likely about to announce a delay of the game into early 2025. Notably, Windows Central can corroborate this report, as we’ve recently heard similar information from sources in contact with our team.

The reasoning for the delay is not because of the current state of the game — Warren says he’s heard Avowed “is in good shape” — but rather a matter of scheduling. AfterSTALKER 2’s delay into Novemberin late July, Microsoft has decided to push Avowed back a bit in order to spread out its newXbox Game Passreleases in the holiday quarter. This will give the roleplaying title some more room to breathe, as opposed to launching it at the same time as other big-name Game Pass titles likeCall of Duty: Black Ops 6,Frostpunk 2, andIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.

The specifics on Avowed’s new release date are unknown right now, but I suspect we’ll have a concrete date to look forward to once Obsidian goes public with the news. In the meantime, though, just know that you’ll have to wait a little longer to begin your journey through Eora.

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If Microsoft or Obsidian don’t announce the delay in the coming days, than it will surely be confirmed officially duringGamescom 2024in a few weeks — perhaps alongside a new trailer or gameplay footage. Unsurprisingly,Xbox confirmed it would be at the showin June, and will have its “biggest booth ever.“Attendees have demos, live shows, guided previews, and moreto look forward to, and one of the titles Microsoft has committed to bringing to Gamescom is Avowed.

Overall, Xbox players (and PC gamers planning to play Avowed throughPC Game Pass) will naturally be disappointed by the delay, but it’s at least reassuring that it’s a small one, and that the game sounds like it’s in a good state. With any luck, we’ll be headed to the Living Lands very soon after the new year turns.

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Analysis: An understandable delay, but a bummer nonetheless

This delay is somewhat surprising, though it completely makes sense given the context of the wider Xbox Game Pass release schedule. Microsoft doesn’t want to overcrowd November and December with new games, and withSTALKER 2getting delayed multiple times in the last several years already — including the one from July — it’s understandable that it would move Avowed back a little instead.

With that said, itisdisappointing to see Avowed get pushed back to 2025, especially after the game was shown atXbox Developer_Direct 2024— a show that’s reserved for titles coming out within the year. The silver lining, though, is that it sounds like the delay will be a very short one, so fans hopefully won’t have to wait long to play what could be one of the newbest Xbox gamesandbest PC games.

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).