Obsidian Entertainment may have accidentally given away the game when it comes to Avowed’s launch date. In a now-edited blog post accompanying its latest Xbox Games Showcase trailer, game director Carrie Patel reveals that the studio had marked a Tuesday, November 12, 2024 release in the calendar for the Xbox title. However, this is when Assassin’s Creed Shadows is also set to drop, perhaps sparking a change of plans internally.
“The last few months at Obsidian Entertainment have been fast-paced and exciting,” Patel begins. “Since we saw you at the Xbox Developer Direct this past January, we’ve been busy with Avowed getting it ready for release on November 12, 2024.” Now, if you check the blog copy for the RPG game, it simply stops at “we’ve been busy with Avowed” – uh-huh.
Now this could mean a few things. Firstly, Obsidian wasn’t ready to announce the date at the showcase, and the Avowed release date will be confirmed for November 12, alongside pre-orders going live, at a later date. There’s also the possibility that it won’t be ready in time for November 12, and the studio is looking to push it back later into the holiday season. Alternatively, the looming behemoth that is Assassin’s Creed Shadows has put a spanner in the works, necessitating a shift so Obsidian won’t have to compete with Ubisoft’s juggernaut at launch.
Whatever the reasoning for the blog post’s edit (as spotted by The Verge’s Tom Warren), we can at least speculate that Avowed’s release window will remain around the holidays. Right now, it’s just a matter of when specifically Obsidian’s going to let us loose in the Living Lands in the new Xbox game.
Though I’ve had my qualms with Avowed in the past, specifically after its less-than-stellar showing at January’s Xbox Developer Direct, it’s clear that Obsidian’s been putting the hours in to bring it up to snuff. Patel wasn’t kidding about the devs being busy, as the game’s new story trailer already looks considerably more appetizing than our last peek at it.
For more of the latest on the best Xbox games shown at the Xbox Showcase, peep the shock Gears of War E-Day reveal that hit me right in the feels. Additionally, check out the new Starfield Xbox mods you can get your mitts on right now.