To date, Avowed has only had one real trailer back when Obsidian Entertainment revealed it in July 2020. It was revealed to be set in the Pillars of Eternity setting of Eora, which has led to loads of speculation and discussion around the game, and many were immediately hyped. This one trailer makes Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed look like a take on Bethesda's Elder Scrolls, and an intense open-world fantasy RPG of that nature is certainly welcome. In fact, early rumors suggested that Avowed was even bigger than Skyrim—something that's not always praise but is certainly so here.
Those comparisons still hold, but if anything has been proven since July 2020, it's that Avowed might just be Xbox's Elden Ring. As many know, Elden Ring's marketing prior to release was as bare as they come. The last few months before its release finally saw some major reveals, but between its reveal at E3 2019 and release in early 2022, it was as scarce as they come. For example, after that first E3 trailer, it didn't receive another one until June 2021, two years later. Come July 2023, it will have been three years since Avowed was revealed, and there's no sign of it cropping up anywhere, anytime soon.
Avowed Hype and Silence
That's not to say there hasn't been any major Avowed developments, as there has been a leaked image that circulates, updates regarding its playability and development, and staff changes. But, as far as solid content goes, it's as bare as Elden Ring ever was. Over time, fans kept hoping to see Elden Ring at event after event to no avail. There was a time when the dedicated subreddit was an entirely different place due to the lack of information, and at some point, fans started inventing fake lore for Elden Ring. Avowed has yet to reach such a level, but there are plenty of signs there it could.
Whether it was the Xbox showcase last year, Summer Game Fest, The Game Awards, or even the upcoming Xbox Bethesda developer direct, there has been a small rumbling about Avowed being at each of these events. Fans don't really have to worry about fake lore, as plenty have dived into Pillars of Eternity's Eora to see what all could matter, what may not, and so on. In short, the pain of waiting for it seems far less widespread compared to Elden Ring, but there are certainly some feeling this.
In fact, Avowed isn't even the only game in a similar boat, as Hollow Knight: Silksong is perhaps the Elden Ring of indie games. It's perhaps the best example of a game where fans are constantly wanting to learn more, but Avowed isn't far behind. One more trailer could concretely settle it as Xbox's Elden Ring.
Previously, it has been suggested and speculated Avowed could see a 2024-2025 release. If that's the case, perhaps it could get another trailer sometime this year, but fans will no doubt want to see it at every event Microsoft/Obsidian attends. If it does, though, fans could probably expect it to be silent before and after until it gets closer to release. It's not a bad approach for most games, but something that's highly anticipated and announced years before release, it tends to leave fans begging for more. It worked for Elden Ring, but it remains to be seen how those strung along, for lack of a better term with Avowed, Hollow Knight, or even other games like The Elder Scrolls 6, react to any reveals moving forward.
Avowed is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.