CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR PILLARS OF ETERNITY, AND PoE 2: DEADFIRE
Summary
Avowedis Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming action-RPG. The studio is widely known for its library of well-regarded RPGs, particularly its work on theFalloutseries with 2010’sNew Vegas, often cited as an outstanding entry in both the series and genre overall. Obsidian then pivoted and announced a new epic fantasy IP,Pillars of Eternity,a CRPG that was, at the time, the most highly backed Kickstarter game, and released in 2015. A direct sequel,Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, followed in 2018.Avowedwill be set in thePoEworld, rooted in its lore and history, which will naturally inform much of what players might expect to experience in it in that regard.
Avowedalso marks a return to an open-world first person design, although Obsidian has taken care to point outAvowed’s smaller scale compared to similar titles likeSkyrimto temper expectations. Still, the studio’s extremely detailed and crafted worlds, characters, and plotlines are famous, something that arguably does rivalThe Elder Scrolls, et al. Recently, on January 18 at the Xbox Developer Direct showcase, more was shown off aboutAvowed’s mechanics and quest design, but little elaboration on where it actually fits within the greaterPoEtale, specifically its time frame, leaving space for speculation in this area.
Avowedis currently planned for launch this Fall, likely in November based on previous patterns, and is a confirmed day-one Game Pass inclusion.
Avowed’s Possible Place in the Pillars of Eternity Timeline
Pillars of Eternity and Avowed’s Shared Setting of Eora
BothPillars of Eternitytitles take place in Eora, an expansive land composed of various kingdoms and free states, with all the colorful backstory, machinations, and political maneuvering that usually goes along with Obsidian’s narratives and setup. The narrative also looks more deeply into the ramifications of a magic and soul-powered fantasy world, and the morality thereof. The originalPoEwas in the former colonial outreaches of the powerful and influential Aedyr Empire, whileDeadfiresaw fans exploring an archipelago consisting of a variety of local societies and foreign governmental interests occupying it and overseeing their respective ambitions.
Where Avowed Might Fall on the Pillars of Eternity Timeline
Pillars of Eternity’s Aedyr Empireis one of the most advanced and long-ruling monarchies in its world.Avowedis stated to be set in the region of the Living Lands that’s under the Empire’s control, but which players have not directly visited previously. It still remains unclear when in Eora’s time this will be, and this factor is perhaps more important than usual due toPoE’s established events.
After therevelations discovered inDeadfire’sjaw-dropping ending, the stakes were left quite high to continue on from, and its implications are not localized, but instead likely to affect the entirety of Eora. Given that,Avowedhas a bigger task than most in balancing this out while being accommodating to newcomers who might be unfamiliar withPillars of Eternity. A possibly safe but reasonable choice might be to placeAvowedin the middle ofPoE’s events. This would allow it to feature some already seen incidents and consequences, while still leaving plenty of room for its story taking place prior toDeadfire’s massive cliffhanger.
Alternatively,Avowedbeing far in the past or centuries into the future, while keeping the Aedyr Empire present in some manner, would also provide a number of interesting and plausible avenues. In that case, it might show the rise of the Empire and how it attained its prominent position, or in the latter, how it dealt with the wake ofDeadfire’s outcome. While itsexact timeline remains clouded at the moment, fans can likely expectmore details aboutAvowedleading up to its release later this year, which may eventually shed more light on the question.
