The best of Xbox has yet to come. While it seems thatBethesda remains its biggest acquisitionto date, all the studios it has acquired in the past couple of years are hard at work on games that may very well define Xbox this generation.
There are big Bethesda titles likeStarfieldandThe Elder Scrolls 6fans want to see, butXbox has no shortage of high-profile games in development. There’sFable, Perfect Dark, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Contraband, Everwild, State of Decay 3, and more. Obsidian Entertainment seems to be one of Microsoft’s biggest workhorses, though, as it hasThe Outer Worlds 2,Avowed, and a secret project in development (alongside still supportingGrounded).
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Many immediately sawAvowedas Obsidian going for Bethesda’s RPG crown, just asThe Outer Worldsshares similarities withFallout.Now, with both under Microsoft’s umbrella, it’s less likely about competition and more likely about taking the gaming industry to the next level. However, with all of this in mind, it seemsAvowedandThe Elder Scrollsshare more than visual similarities, they share similar problems.
Avowed, The Elder Scrolls, and The Long Silence
Much of Xbox’s upcoming catalog is shrouded in secrecy, likely due at least in part to the acquisitions and when production/development could begin on so many projects. Still, of all of Microsoft’s upcoming games,Avowedmay still stand out. It was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in July 2020 with a trailer, but that’s been all of the solid information revealed so far.
Avowedis in a playable state, based on recent comments (though to what degree is uncertain), and of all things, fans also know that itscodename is Project Alabama. It shares a world withPillars of Eternity, that being Eora, and a few details cropped up around its announcement. Since then, there hasn’t been but a few peeps of small information and nothing solid.
This may sound familiar toThe Elder Scrollsfans, as they have been in this situation since its announcement in 2018. First, it was thatStarfieldwould release beforeThe Elder Scrolls 6news came about, andStarfieldreleases at the end of 2022. Now, Phil Spencer has saidFablewill release beforeThe Elder Scrolls 6(and its announcement was much more recent). But aside from scraps of information like this, nothing substantial has been given, much less shown.
Indeed, this pattern of an announcement followed by long periods of silence is not uncommon in the industry. Many of the aforementioned Xbox exclusive titles are guilty of it, and the same can be said of many other brands in the industry too. Of course, it’s likely worsened due to the impact of COVID on the industry, and as such, a lot of it should be forgiven. Still, it leaves many fans waiting for what is clearly too long.
Avowed vs. The Elder Scrolls 6
Nonetheless,The Elder Scrolls 6is arguably the worst of it, having been announced super early and not likely to see the light of day for a few more years.Avowed,while not on year 3 of perpetual silence likeThe Elder Scrolls 6, is a year into its run. It wasn’t atGamescom ONL, which basically just leaves The Game Awards. An appearance there is not impossible, but neither does it seem likely. 2022 will see the game enter the second year of silence since its announcement if does not appear somewhere else.
It doesn’t seem that the patterns of early announcements are going anywhere time soon, but hopefully,Avowedwon’t take as long asThe Elder Scrolls 6. Whereas fans knowStarfield’s release date is firstandTES6likely way behind, Avowed does seem to be the next brand new game out of Obsidian—at least, if the order of announcements is meant to be chronological.
It’s a situation where many would be happy to be wrong, and many hope that it’s at The Game Awards or just drops something randomly. History, however, suggests otherwise.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
