Avowed reportedly delayed to early 2025 as Xbox moves the Obsidian RPG out of the way of Stalker 2

Xbox and Obsidian may delay the RPG "Avowed" to avoid competition with "Stalker 2" and provide more time for polishing and addressing feedback.

A new report suggests that Xbox and Obsidian are preparing to announce a delay for Avowed in an effort to move the upcoming RPG out of the way of Stalker 2.

That's according to Tom Warren of The Verge (paywalled), who writes that with Stalker 2 delayed to November, Xbox feels that its holiday offerings for Game Pass are looking pretty stacked. Avowed is "in good shape," according to Warren, so the delay is more about giving the game "breathing room" outside of a busy release season for Game Pass.

Avowed does not yet have an official release date, though the developers had previously announced that the game is set to release in 2024. An official blog published during the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year briefly mentioned plans for a November 12 launch, but it seems the devs weren't yet ready to commit to a date, as that bit was hastily scrubbed from the announcement.

Obsidian is following up on its excellent throwback CRPG series Pillars of Eternity with Avowed, but responses to the early gameplay showcases have been a bit tepid. Obsidian seems to have taken that feedback to heart, noting that combat improvements went way up the to-do list when feedback made clear that they were "a big deal." Whatever the case, it's looking likely that we're going to have a bit longer to wait before we find out how Avowed turns out.

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