Obsidian's upcoming RPG Avowed was supposed to be out at this point, but the game was eventually delayed to February 2025 earlier this year. While delays in this industry often happen due to evolving development timelines, Xbox insists this isn't the case with Avowed.
Speaking in a new interview with Game File, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked a little bit about Avowed and its upcoming launch. Basically, Phil says that the team's hectic Xbox Game Pass schedule this fall meant that Microsoft could afford to delay the title to next year.
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"Matt Booty and I, we plan it out, we talk with the Game Pass team. We say, 'Okay, what are the big launches coming in?' We also have STALKER, which isn’t even on that list, but obviously for us is a very meaningful launch.
We said, 'Okay, let's make sure we pace this out a little better.'"
Of course, this reasoning doesn't mean the dev team won't make use of the extra breathing room that this delay affords them. Phil says that Obsidian will "use the time" as they continue to polish up Avowed for its Xbox Game Pass launch on Feb. 18th.
As for the Xbox Game Pass lineup that Avowed is now avoiding - we've got Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Stalker 2 coming this month, with Bethesda's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to follow in early December. Delaying Avowed probably was the right call in the end!
Are you happy to see Avowed moved out of this busy period? Tell us your thoughts down in the comments below.
[source gamefile.news]
Comments 30
Whilst I am most certainly interested in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, I only have a passing interest in Indiana Jones because I don't have much faith in it. I think it'll be a 6 or 7 and disappointing to a lot of people. I really hope I'm wrong though, and good reviews would sway me to play it.
What I would say though, is that if you haven't play CoD, and have no interest in Flight Simulator, like myself, and given the lacklustre and meagre offerings that Game Pass has had recently, then Xbox most certainly does not feel stacked right now at all.
Whilst I understand the desire to pace the games out, and I totally get that, moving Avowed to the 18th of February means it is arriving just a week after Civilisation VII and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and about a week before Monster Hunter Wilds. It may not be clashing with any big Xbox and Game Pass titles, but it still may find it difficult to take any limelight. That's always going to be the case, of course, but it does make you wonder, will any games dare release in the same month as GTA6...?
@Fiendish-Beaver
Have the same vibe about Indy as you being honest.
As for Stalker 2 it’s either gonna be a big hit or miss that one, hoping for a hit of course.
As for Avowed, we can talk when they bring me 60fps.
That's a good problem to have. Hopefully this is a sign of what's to come. Games are waiting for an opening to release instead of games rushing to fill a long void of no releases.
It sure seems like xbox studios are starting to get to that sweet spot we thought was going to eventually happen.
@Fiendish-Beaver out of stalker avowed and Indy it was avowed I was most looking forward to.
But as you say the week they have dropped it in is brutal. You have even missed out like a dragon that drops a week before wilds. - and look at the engagement for the wilds beta.
I hope avowed releases good and doesn’t get lost in those other titles
Seems a very bad way of doing it because it assumes that every subscriber is interested in checking out every title regardless of genre. Obviously this is better for the shareholders as it keeps subs up via engagement, but as a gamer I think they should drop when ready which would be better for the players.
I'm fine with the delay. Even if it was ready to go, more time with an RPG is never a bad thing because they all seem to have bugs that are hard to catch.
Even Starfield with it's most "polished Bethesda launch ever" didn't give me the tools to complete the Ryujin quest line until 9 months later 🫢
Anyway, Avowed looks like a belter for WRPG fans like me
I was excited about avowed I have no interest whatsoever now since its a ridiculous 30 fps in 2024 I reckon it will be good but unless they add a performance mode I'll give it a wide berth I don't play games at 30 fps anymore
Makes sense, there’s a lot coming out at this time and there are or were big releases on Game Pass in October (CoD), November (Flight Sim, Stalker 2) and December (Indiana Jones) already. We’re getting a bit spoiled at the moment!
And this is why it baffles me that Xbox decided to change Thier strategy now ...after years and years they finally get to a place where they can release exclusives on the regular ...and they start going third party ..
Well I am pretty sure I know why .. none gaming people above Phil got involved
I'm really rooting for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, @OldGamer999, and will be buying their game to show support.
As for Avowed and 30FPS, 30FPS has never bothered me in the slightest and I honestly believe that the whole thing is totally overblown. Indeed, the sheer number of games that we would not have played during the 360 and One era had we refused to play any game that was not 60FPS is completely mind-boggling!
A good game always shines through. Not sure how I feel about Avowed for other reasons than the 30FPS (non)issue...
I knew there was another big one, @PsBoxSwitchOwner, but for the life of me couldn't recall what it was. I suppose the upshot is that there is never a good time to release what is probably a AA game as there always bigger games that'll dwarf it...
@Dan1283 you might enjoy it. It’ll be 30fps in 25
That's sensible... however they have now moved it into a SUPER busy period between some massive games: Assassin's Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds, Like a Dragon: Pirate, Civilisation 7, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Lost Records, Tomb Raider IV-VI all come out within 1-2 weeks of Avowed in February.
I was hoping the extra 3 month delay might allow them to optimise and push for 60fps.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner I was really looking forward to it to be honest now a few years ago it wouldn't of made any difference but I can't back to 30 fps now if it does get a performance mode I'll be all over that game
They basically didn't want people to buy 3 months of game pass and play cod , Indiana Jones, stalker 2 and avowed.
@Fiendish-Beaver I think Indy looks decent. Not a masterpiece but I am sure it will get a 8-8.5/10 score. 6/7 is now score for very mediocre games. Hype for game is pretty high based on youtube views of all trailers and gameplay.
I think avowed is cool and is different from other feb releases but 30fps is a joke. most likely i will delay it until it gets 60fps patch.
Honestly, I’m not sure I fully believe that. You’d think they’d have pushed the game up then since Game Pass was sort of barren this year. Makes me feel this one may not be GotY tier and Xbox knows perhaps. I can see them not wanting to pit Dragon Age against Avowed because similar demographics are interested in them both.
I really have no idea on how to feel about Avowed since I thought it looked best in the initial Series X announcement showcase and have sort of lost a little interest along the way, mostly for the same reason as my skepticism for Dragon Age, which is just that I’m not particularly fond of the art. I hope to like it more in action though, as I trust Obsidian. I felt like Outer Worlds looked like Borderlands at first, which I dislike, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was my favorite Bethesda-like game since… well… Skyrim…
Yeah, except it wasn't. I would much rather play Avowed than Indiana Jones, considering the morons at Xbox are also holding up Outer Worlds 2 by putting a game ahead of it by a company they got way after acquiring and announcing Obsidian and it's games. Had they said, it's been shelved for a minute and they are hard at work on OW2 then it would be better but still annoying, because as I said, IDGAF about indie. I have no faith now that Todd has been running the show on that game. I also find it funny the upgrade is 34.99 when Starfield wasn't even close to that much. 34.99 + 20 for the sub = just buy the game, and Gamepass will now be useless.
So for the love of whatever floats you're boat don't buy that crap. Xbox is testing the waters if it does well, it'll become the norm for every game. Use some sense, you're only taking value away from yourself in the long run. Before the rebuttals of, well you get access to lots of games, that's not the point at all. One, most people will have already played those games as Gamepass only has one selling point, day one releases. PS+ consistently has better 3rd party games on its service (earlier and free) and it's cheaper. I'm a Xbox main by the way, I'm just trying to keep it that way.
Honestly, I think this game is going to be better than anything we're currently getting. Just a hunch. No offense to Call of Duty or Indiana Jones, just calling it the way I see it.
@Fiendish-Beaver
30fps was ok ish until we got 60fps in more games especially adventure and action adventure games.
Soon as I switch from 60fps to 30fps and pan around the environment it’s an awful blurred mess and not so smooth.
I then just laugh and switch back to 60fps.
After huge gaps in the schedule over last few years it’s a bit cheeky to say “no you are getting too many games” 😂 but it was always gonna happen. Xbox have limited the amount of games they can put out a year. Whilst stacking IPs.
I know some will never be happy, but I see MS's point of view - they want at least 1 'big' thing a month and with Stalker 2 having been delayed for 'years' and already have CoD and Indy but nothing for February with Atomfall in March, its bringing something 'new' on a regular cadence and taking pressure off another team to maybe have something ready for that slot.
And those who maybe wouldn't check it out because of Stalker, Indy, CoD and/or Flight Sim, maybe will because their library isn't so full.
As I said, you can't please 'everyone', but at least I'd prefer to hear they had too many to release the end of this year than not have 'enough' or any...
MS Flight Sim 2024 will be Microsoft's best rated game of this generation since MS Flight Sim 2020.
They could have used the time to create a 60fps mode.
Perfectly sensible to do this. Nintendo clearly hold stuff over pace out their releases over the year.
It makes sense to give your games as much room to stretch their legs as possible.
Gotta keep those subscribers subbed. Just be honest next time though.
It also gets a 5 day early access version too. No doubt just in time, for the 1 minute before reviews go live, like with Starfield.
And it will probably get get the slimy Phil special of 50 carefully selected reviews that can only be published for the first 2 weeks of launch, again, EXACTLY like with Starfield.
Somebody, please give this man another gaming award.
@Fiendish-Beaver Then you are missing the entire problem with Avowed and and Xbox's studio development this gen.
Avowed is 100% getting a 60fps update after launch. But it won't be advertised and it won't be on series s right away either. It CAN'T be 60fps before launch because then series s has to get that option too.
But if a 60fps mode was on both consoles right away, what would be the first thing that would be plastered all over the Internet day one? The series s version's 60fps mode and what it looks like running at that, and it will be horrendous. It will be the detriment of the game.
The series x version at 60fps will probably be decent, it'll be compromised like most 60fps modes are..... but again, it can't happen right way because series s exists.
You can't be okay with this. Any playing on Avowed you are going to do when it launches, you aren't going to go back and spend even half of what you did when the 60fps update drops like a fart in the wind, and it's only an update so it just counts as an "extra" at this point.... that's why they can do it then. Like with Starfield, NOBODY CARES 6 months later.
And all of this wouldn't happen, if series s wasn't a thing. Don't sit there and pretend there isn't a 60fps mode coming for this cartoony Unreal Engine game. And stop pretending you're okay with this too. You're okay with it because Xbox gave you no choice, and 4 years into the gen, conditioned you to accept it by now.
It's not a question of 'being okay with this', @andrewsqual, I just don't let it bother me. I won't be playing Avowed day one because I'm yet to be sold on the game (just as with Indiana Jones). Avowed just looks a bit... naff! A bit shonky! It's not it being 30FPS that stops me from wanting to play it, it's the game itself.
Truthfully, I have played loads and loads of 30FPS games, and loads and loads of 60FPS games. I couldn't, for one moment, tell you which is which and have never had any issues whatsoever. It just doesn't bother me. Now, is it a case that my television sorts it out for me, or is it that, where I have a choice, I like to go for quality mode as I like things to look nice, or is it that I have shocking eyesight! Who knows!?! I just cannot get myself worked up about it. A good game is a good game, and that is all that matters to me.
Lastly, just to be clear, I have an X and believe the S was a mistake that has affected games on the X. Microsoft should have taken the path followed by Sony with exactly the same innards, just one digital, and one not...
More polish for a performance mode would be helpful to get more players (engagement) as too many people are done with 30fps (unless it's an old game non remade or remastered).
Doesn't matter how many games are coming this month or next not every game is for everyone. But a little space for marketing is a good idea.
@Fiendish-Beaver yeah Indiana Jones looked like it was already suffering frame rate, performance and graphics issues. The cutscenes look great but it's really going to be dependent on how well they handle the whip and gunplay. Stealth probably won't work very well. Think those are issues for any studio to handle but fingers crossed it's at least an 8
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