Avowed won't be an open-world game after all, developer confirms

Open worlds are often associated with fantasy RPG games, however, as we’ve learned today, we shouldn't always presume.

Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind the likes of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds and Pillars of Eternity, Avowed certainly has a lot to live up to.

Avowed was first announced during an Xbox Showcase in 2020. Since that time, fans of the famed RPG developer have been waiting patiently for an update, not to mention wanting to see some gameplay footage. Thankfully, we were finally treated to some gameplay at this month's Xbox Showcase event and it didn't disappoint.

Take a look at Avowed in action below.

“Explore the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. As an envoy of Aedyr, you are sent to investigate rumours of a spreading plague with a secret that threatens to destroy everything,” reads the game’s official synopsis. “Can you save the island and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them apart?”

However, being compared to the likes of The Elder Scrolls, it would be safe to assume that Avowed would be an open-world adventure, right? Well, that appears not to be the case. As reported by TheGamer, Avowed’s game director Carrie Patel revealed during the Xbox Extended Showcase that instead of being an open world, it will have open zones, similar to that of The Outer Worlds. So in other words, you have multiple sandbox maps that you can travel to and from.

“It is set up as a series of interconnected open zones that players can explore at their own pace,” explained Patel. “You can invest in discovering every nook and cranny in the world, discovering every secret, finding every side quest, meeting every character - or you can have a much more focused experience.”

She continued: “It's really up to players and how much time they want to spend in The Living Lands, but I'm hopeful they're going to spend a lot of time with us once Avowed releases.”

Avowed will be released sometime in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X|S. What’s more, with Obsidian Entertainment being a Microsoft first-party studio, it will also launch day one on Xbox Game Pass.