The upcoming Game Awards for 2021 is sure to be a highlight for many gamers this holiday season. Geoff Keighley has remained committed to providing an event that celebrates all things gaming, and as production values and viewership has increased over the years, The Game Awards 2021 has the potential to be the biggest one yet. The event has recently hosted some of the biggest moments in the industry such as Kratos and Atreus' voice actors delivering iconic lines while presenting and Persona 5's Joker being invited to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate​​​​.
There are sure to be a number of world premieres, first looks, and gameplay trailers at 2021's event in addition to the awards. One such title to keep an eye on is Obsidian Entertainment's new RPG in the Pillars Of Eternity series, Avowed. The title was initially revealed during last summer's Xbox Games Showcase and draws clear inspiration from Skyrim's first-person hand-based combat. Since the reveal, information has been relatively slow, but the game seems to be on track for a 2022 release date. Given how packed the first quarter of next year is looking, it appears that Avowed likely won't release until late next year at the earliest, which could make The Game Awards a perfect opportunity to drum up hype. However, many more factors point towards the title skipping the awards show altogether.
Avowed At The Game Awards
Both Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks are now owned by Microsoft. Given that The Elder Scrolls VI still seems to be many years away, now would be a perfect time to reveal more information about a different medieval fantasy RPG. Furthermore, Microsoft has a penchant for participating in The Game Awards reveals as they seem to realize just how big this night can be in terms of advertising. The relative mystery associated with Avowed would also make it a very good choice to show off when compared to something as easily recognizable as the Fable series. Whether this kind of understated reveal is something that Xbox Game Studios is interested in remains to be seen, though Microsoft's previous announcements at The Game Awards seem to point towards larger, ground-shaking reveals.
With that said, the RPG landscape for 2022 is already pretty crowded. The highly anticipated Elden Ring is now set to release in February of next year, and Bethesda's new IP, Starfield, will be releasing in November. While Avowed is likely to be very different from these two other huge titles, it could be more appealing to Xbox Game Studios to wait on showing more of the title until it is closer to release.
It is also worth noting that the development of Avowed has undoubtedly been affected by the ongoing pandemic, just as every other game released in the past year and a half has. Recent developer insights claim that Avowed is deep into pre-production, which largely includes conceptual work. This is essentially the planning phase before production and development can fully begin, so although the game is reported to be in a playable state, it's unlikely Obsidian would want to show gameplay just yet.
The general saturation of big-name RPGs, Microsoft's preference for huge reveals, and pandemic delays seem to indicate that Avowed isn't likely to appear at the 2021 Game Awards. It would certainly be a welcome surprise if the title did appear and showcase some in-engine gameplay, but Xbox Game Studios is more likely to wait until a release date is both closer and more certain before showing off the anticipated RPG. Unlike other Xbox-exclusive RPGs like Fable, there hasn't been any credible leak or accidental social media post to indicate that Avowed will get any news or updates in 2021.
The Game Awards 2021 is scheduled to take place on December 9.