Avowed's Delay Logic Is a Double-Edged Sword

After waiting for more than half of 2024 for the release of Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios' Avowed, fans will need to wait a bit longer now, as the highly anticipated fantasy RPG has officially been delayed to February 2025. Originally, it was estimated that Avowed would be launching in November 2024, so the fact that initial estimations are just around the corner and the game's official release date is now February 18, 2025 is a significant disappointment to those who have been awaiting its arrival. However, sometimes, delays such as these can be a blessing in disguise, and that may remain true of Avowed.

The Pros and Cons of Avowed's Delay

Avowed's Delay Will Allow it to Dodge the Competition

Microsoft's stated reason for Avowed's delay makes perfect sense considering the stellar lineup of games coming in the latter half of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. Specifically, Microsoft chose to delay Avowed to "give players' backlogs some breathing room," as major titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred expansion, and Starfield's Shattered Space DLC all have late 2024 release windows. While Avowed is set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, a franchise that is already firmly established, it is still a new IP and therefore could use some distance from other highly anticipated titles. As such, its delay is for the best — at least, from one point of view.

Avowed's Delay Only Heightens Expectations for a Polished Experience at Launch

Avowed's delay may help it dodge competition with other games, but it simultaneously creates some unnecessary competition within itself. With Avowed now essentially getting a minimum of another three months in the oven, expectations will be raised even higher for it to be a polished experience at launch, so it can't afford to come out half-baked and uninspired. This rings particularly true of Avowed's combat, as initial impressions were lackluster and Obsidian has been committed to refining it ever since. In other words, should Avowed's combat turn out to be anything less than spectacular after being given a potential few additional months of development, it could take an even harder fall than it might have if it had retained its original projected release window.

At the very least, Avowed will need to ensure it has a smooth, bug-free launch in February, with proper PC optimization on day one to boot. Other games that experienced delays in the past have been known to be riddled with technical issues on their release day. Many of those same games were then met with much harsher criticism, simply due to their extended development times and therefore heightened expectations from fans and critics. As such, along with a polished and worthwhile combat system, Avowed needs to be refined in every other way as well.

Fortunately, Obsidian and Microsoft seem to know how special Avowed will be, and they want to ensure it receives the best treatment possible, hence the delay. That, as well as Obsidian's commitment to make Avowed the experience that players hope it will be, is a good omen for the game's launch state. Even so, perhaps it might be best for those currently awaiting its release to bridle their expectations just to be safe.