Following a report earlier this week about Xbox's new RPG Avowed potentially being delayed until early 2025, it's now been officially confirmed by Microsoft.
In a new graphic shared on social media, Xbox confirmed Obsidian's next game will now be launching on 18th February 2025. The official account added how this would give the game "some breathing room" and "more time to cook". The title was previously scheduled to arrive in Fall 2024.
Xbox: "So many games coming! As such, we're moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room."
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer also mentioned how Xbox wants the Obsidian team to have the "best launch possible":
Phil Spencer: "We're proud of what the @Obsidian team have accomplished with @AvowedTheGame and want to make sure they have the best launch possible. We look forward to you enjoying it along with the rest of our lineup of games and updates coming this year and beyond."
As previously reported by The Verge, Microsoft wants to give Avowed "breathing room outside of a very busy period for Xbox Game Pass" this year. The same schedule confirms the remaining game lineup for 2024 includes Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (November), Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (TBA), Starfield Shattered Space (TBA) and Towerborne (TBA).
Avowed will now join South of Midnight, Doom: The Dark Ages, Fable "and more" games on Xbox & Game Pass in 2025.
How do you feel about this? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 37
Well thats a bummer. Guess this means fable will be toward the end of the year. Unless MS did not learn its lesson about spacing their games out.
@fizban3332 I suspect spacing games out is exactly what this is about; now that day-one games are a specifically stated premium feature of GPU they actually have to be able to provide them on a regular basis. Can't just lump them together in the last three months of the year as per gaming industry tradition, else folks won't subscribe for other months.
So this year is hellblade and indy. 2 exclusives with about 40 studios. I'm all about giving games time but this is another drought year for xbox. At some point you gotta question their ability to manage this many studios.
So they're going to start sitting on finished games just to have game pass fodder? I know Nintendo has been rumored (dunno if confirmed) to do the same thing, and it absolutely sucks regardless of the company doing it.
Call of Duty has now added to Xbox's lack of games. This little world is silly.
Honestly, there are enough games on GP right now that I want to play or am playing that I can't keep up. I can understand the angst over the delay but I ain't too mad.
That said I dunno if I agree the game wouldnt perform as well just because other big titles are in the mix.
I understand that this is disappointing for some folks, but with my ever growing games backlog (and inability to resist a sale) I'll have the time to play some of those 😃. And this with games I actually own, let alone add stuff from GP..
February is a better time for me anyway. Rest of the year is kinda booked up already man.
Well it just means that I'm barely going to be playing on Xbox for the rest of the year, Avowed was the one I was looking forward to playing along with Indy. Overall this is a very poor year for Xbox
It's probably for the best still doesn't look great from what I've seen of it tbh
Well I guess as long as Indy is 2024 it’s not that bad with Avowed now given a Feb date in 2025.
The very most, very important thing are the games and the AAA quality to me, that is what is missing from Xbox studios.
They need to be up there with the best AAA or very near to it and play like pure silk and gold with modern engine systems. Not average stand good ok like Starfield.
Because that is the difference between Xbox and Sony/Nintendo when Sony/Nintendo are on very good form with their big AAA games.
Xbox needs their GOWR, Uncharted 4, BOTW and Mario Odyssey and not good average games.
When Indy and Avowed release and if they are good average and even games like Astro Bot and Zelda echos is classed on average as scoring and seen above and better than Avowed and Indy then it’s not very good for Xbox.
Especially as Astro Bot and Zelda Echo are not massive Sony and Nintendo releases.
Hopefully the real story here is that it means Indy must be confirmed for 2024 - why would they sit on Avowed if Indy was behind schedule?
Delaying Avowed to February makes good business sense to give Vessel of Hate and Shattered Space expansions more chance to sell in good numbers pre-Christmas.
My series X was my first X Box. I actually bought one to play Alan Wake and Tunic.
A year later, the Wake remake came out. A few after that, Tunic went multi platform.
The first few years were great. Played all the Halo games. Played loads of brilliant indie games. Death's Door being my favourite.
However, I haven't played it since Persona 3 Remake.
It's been gathering dust. I loved it for a few years. I back to playing my Switch and PS5.
I've always felt that PS5 and Nintendo have better first part games. It felt like maybe Starfield and the purchase of Arkane might change their fortunes. Starfield didn't even slightly meet expectations. Redfall was an unmitigated disaster.
To me, it feels like Microsoft are, not necessarily giving up, but accepting they are dead last the this console war. A few years back, it felt like they were going to fight to be the best. Third party games are regularly doing better than their first party.
That said, I'm not an X-Box lifer - my opinion is likely wrong. Never the less, it's how I feel.
Fingers crossed Microsoft can bounce back. Currently, this Avowed delay feels like another nail in the coffin.
I do find myself wondering if they should become a developer. With some of their in-house games going multipplatform, it almost feels like the first step in that process
I wonder what people on here all think? I'm not sure that Fable and Indiana Jones will change their fortunes.
Hope you are well and having a brilliant weekend.
Apologies if this too negative!
If the game is not ready then take as much time as needed. Sony only have one First Party AAA exclusive game (not even a new IP) for this whole year and no one is complaining.
For me it’s not a great sign. It shows a lack of confidence in the game. Avowed is a completely different offering to Flight sim, Indy and Towerborne. A lot of fantasy RPG fans would have had this higher in their most wanted gamepass games this year. If it’s not ready and needs more time then fair enough but using your own first party game’s release schedule as an excuse just seems like really stupid planning.
@Feffster For the same reason Microsoft though Halo Infinite was ready for release, two years before it actually was.
Then went ahead and released when it still had another year minimum to be worked on.
Microsoft has shown time and time again they can't manage their studios. Why would this be any different?
@OldGamer999 I agree with almost everything you said except about Astro. That game looks to be shaping up to be as good as any Mario game from Nintendo. I think it could be a dark horse for GoTY.
It probably makes sense to move 'Avowed' out of the Busy window for gaming when it could be overlooked as people would rather play Star Wars, Assassins Creed or any of the other 'big' IP's releasing over the Holiday season.
It's not 'just' Microsoft and their other games that may have pushed this back a few months, its also about the industry as a whole and what games are releasing. Avowed is a brand new IP and for many, a complete unknown and will be too busy in the busiest time to check out an RPG with '100's' of hours worth of game time.
Its not necessarily going up against Flight Sim, Towerborne, CoD BO6, Indiana Jones and Starfield: Shattered Space, but games like Star Wars Outlaws and Assassins Creed Shadows too. Those two are well known IP's - that's like putting Titanfall up against Battlefield and CoD. Whilst those 2 might not be on Game Pass, they are still competing for your time.
It perhaps makes more sense to move it outside the Busy window into a quieter window when they can release it with less Competition. More maybe willing and able to spend more 'time' in the game.
Other games have been 'moved' to avoid other big releases, give them their own 'space' to succeed. It seems that whatever MS does, its doom & gloom. Games are extremely Complex to 'build' and can take longer than anticipated - Ghost of Tsushima released 6yrs after Infamous 2nd Son and yet can't give MS any time at all to make 'Quality' games...
Games are 'ready' when they are - Rush them and they aren't great at all, give them time and its a 'disaster' and in both cases, its 'poor management'. Arguably the latter of these, giving the Studio the time and 'best' release window for their game may well be a case of 'great' management instead of putting out a game to 'die' and/or get lost amongst the other 'big' IP's...
Now, that it’s confirmed, what a mess. Hopefully Indy isn’t delayed. Makes me glad I cancelled my Gamepass sub again. I’ve said it elsewhere, but if Indy gets delayed too, this is the worst year in the history of Xbox. That will mean that this is the year that the biggest news stories about Xbox will have been studio closures, price hikes, and CoD. After two years of barely releasing anything and the Activision merger being bigger news than the games, it looked like this was finally going to be the pivot year, but, no, this is the year they closed the studio for their most critically successful game in ages after they made it a multiplat release and then tossed Hellblade out to die without marketing it, likely knowing it was going to receive mixed reviews. Next year looks great, but it’s getting hard to forgive the wasteland this generation has been for Xbox.
This is a good delay and more publishers should adopt this strategy. Too many games, big and small, get sent out to die far too often. Better to give a game like Avowed some breathing room as this is the kind of game that demands a hefty chunk of players' time.
Xbox has been the biggest disappointment of the year.
It's not that I really mind Avowed being delayed, I don't even know if I'm all that interested in it.
But there hasn't been a single positive item regarding Xbox this year.
And when games get delayed without any other announcements to make up for it but prices still go up, it just not worth it to me as much anymore.
It's official, Microsoft is pathetic. Xbox is the joke of the industry. So many games in development, so few games being released. Lol.
glad I ditched GP ultimate. we are in august and hellblade 2 is it for 2024. truly lacklustre.
When I got my Series S last Christmas as part of a sale that also included 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate, my plan was always to let the subscription expire. My hope was to use the system as a cheap way to play Bioware and Bethesda titles that weren't on the Switch, as well as Baldur's Gate 3, Elden Ring, and eventually, Avowed. I feel more and more vindicated by the choice to not renew as the months go by. I will probably just buy Avowed because Obsidian is my favorite developer, and then just call it good after that.
@FatalBubbles
Very true Astro Bot could be GOTY
Will be interesting to see the reviews etc.
not long until release date now.
@Romans12
What gets me how over nearly 4 years now, how a company that size, money and power can be that bad.
Can’t begin to explain the from top to bottom how the strategy, management and transactions of this business can be so underwhelming when it comes to selling their gaming products.
From consoles, game pass, cloud gaming and games.
I don’t think I have ever seen a business like it for pure inadequacy in all departments.
@OldGamer999Yup, I honestly cannot see the Xbox lasting with their current strategy. They are the Kings when it comes to announcing games, but that's it. Taking a decade to complete a game is unacceptable.
@FatGuyInLilCoat
Though you skip what doesn’t fit your narrative. Hellblade 2, Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones for new releases…but you’re missing Fallout 76/Elder Scrolls online/Diablo 4/WOW and Starfield expansion, new content and seasons for Sea of thieves, halo, Minecraft, forza Motorsport and Horizon, COD modern warfare, warzone…and so on. The industry has changed, and it’s as important to be successful in GaaS then having new releases.
So much complaining, so little time.
@Burnfeeling I specifically said xbox exclusive. You added in a 3rd to fit your narrative. Sorry I dont celebrate dlc as new releases. You can keep making excuses for them. I expect a little better
Xbox learnt from redfall. My back log is brutal I’m happy for them to delay tilll studio is happy and it’s ready
@fizban3332 What?
This is exactly the thing Microsoft is doing - spacing games. They have 9 pieces of games/expansions for next 5 months. Without Avowed.
Also, I really doubt that Fable was even considered for early 2025. It always sound like "late 2025" game and we will be glad if it even make it for 2025.
What a dumb take.
@Godot25 do you even know what the take was? Wondering where your reading comprehension is at. You made the same point i made. Guess it was my fault for not spelling it out more with less nuance.
I remember when Phil Spencer said a few years back "with GamePass we will release a triple-A game every three months." That guy is full of s**t. I said it then and now. They can't even get games out yearly most of the time and 90% of the time end up delaying them. And we're supposed to expect a good Gamescom? Yeah, ok there's pretty much nothing on the horizon. Just the usual hot air from Microsoft.
And when Phil Said "we will be the market leader by 2030" 😆 good luck with that. The way you're constantly a blunder and a joke you won't even be here in 2030 let alone the market leader, Phil.
Welp, all they really got in the pipeline for me is indy then. But I can easily see that being 2025.
Was going to restart my gp sub for this. Ah well it can wait
Is anyone truly surprised? Really. Be honest.
It is just another example of developers not having enough sense to just follow the 6 Month Rule. Do that. You're golden.
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