According to Kotaku, Obsidian Entertainment’s 2025 RPG Avowed is officially coming to PlayStation 5 on February 17, ending its status as a notable Xbox exclusive. The launch coincides with a major free “anniversary update” for the game across Xbox Series X/S, PC, and now PS5. This update is substantial, adding new playable character races like dwarves, an additional weapon type, a photo mode, and a New Game+ mode. The New Game+ will reset player level to one but let them keep all their gear while introducing new enemy modifiers. Obsidian’s creative director Dimitri Berman emphasized that adding the new races was a “heavy lift” due to the game’s first-person parkour and combat systems. This move follows Microsoft’s broader 2025 strategy of bringing former exclusives like Forza Horizon and Gears of War to PS5.
Why This Port Matters Now
Here’s the thing: Avowed sticking to Xbox for as long as it did was starting to feel a bit weird. Microsoft had already opened the floodgates. So this feels less like a shocking betrayal and more like the last domino to finally fall. It makes complete business sense. The game was critically well-received but, let’s be honest, the potential audience on Xbox and PC alone is limited. Throwing it to the massive PS5 install base is basically found money for Microsoft and Obsidian. And it means one of last year’s best RPGs gets a second life.
The Update Is The Real Headline
But honestly? The PS5 news is almost secondary to what’s in that anniversary update. New playable races in a first-person game like this isn’t just a cosmetic skin swap. As Berman said, different sizes and shapes fundamentally affect the gameplay feel—the camera height, the parkour animations, how hitboxes work. Adding dwarves is a huge fan-service win for Pillars of Eternity devotees and a serious technical undertaking. Couple that with a New Game+ that actually changes the rules (new enemy modifiers!) instead of just being a victory lap, and you’ve got a compelling reason for even players who finished it to jump back in. This is Obsidian doing what they do best: supporting and deepening a game well after launch.
What This Says About Obsidian’s Future
Look, the subtext here is impossible to ignore. Obsidian now has Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 on PlayStation. They’re updating the original Pillars of Eternity with a turn-based mode. It feels like they’re consolidating their entire RPG portfolio, cleaning house, and setting the stage for something new. The big question everyone’s asking: does this all lead to a Pillars of Eternity 3? And if so, what would that even be? A return to the classic CRPG style? A full-on first-person action RPG sequel to Avowed? This multiplatform push gives them more data, more players, and more financial security to potentially take that risk. I think we’re seeing the groundwork being laid for their next decade, and it’s probably going to be multiplatform from the start.
