Avowed in 2026: A Regular Player’s Take on Skill Trees and Scale

I’ll be honest: when I first heard Obsidian’s Avowed described as a fantasy Outer Worlds, I rolled my eyes. Another comparison, another hype train. But in 2026, after the launch dust has settled, I finally get why that comparison matters. Avowed isn’t Skyrim 2.0, and it never tried to be. It’s a tighter Obsidian RPG with Pillars of Eternity flavor and The Outer Worlds’ sense of scale. For a regular player like me, that’s mostly good news—but it puts the skill trees under a microscope.

Here’s the setup. Avowed has no traditional classes. You don’t pick rogue or wizard at character creation and get locked in. Instead, you invest in abilities rather than stat points, and the skill trees are open to any playstyle. On paper, that’s my jam. I bounced between a sword-and-board bruiser and a spell-slinging weirdo like a kid in a candy store. Obsidian’s system clearly nods to Skyrim’s pick-your-own-adventure skill trees, but the game’s scope is closer to The Outer Worlds. That’s the real kicker.

What I expected	What Avowed gives	Why it matters
A Skyrim-sized skill playground	A tighter, Avowed-sized RPG	The trees need to fit the runtime
Classes with clear roles	No classes, freeform abilities	Great for experimentation
Tons of optional XP	Less room than Skyrim	Skills must not outgrow the game

Don’t get me wrong: a smaller RPG is not a bad thing. I don’t need every game to eat 200 hours of my life. But if Avowed’s skill trees are too broad for its scale, the whole system can feel like a buffet where you’re only allowed one plate. Long story short, Avowed-sized game, Avowed-sized skill trees. If the trees are Skyrim-sized, players either max out too fast or unlock the coolest toys right before the credits roll. Both feel like a letdown.

Larger RPGs like Skyrim give you tons of optional activities that award experience, so you can max out before the end. Avowed has less room to work with. That means the trees need to be tuned so I can actually enjoy the skills I unlock. I don’t want to get a sweet ability at hour 30 and then hit the final boss at hour 32. That’s not bang for my buck; that’s a tease.

One smart fix is keeping skills free from narrative progression. Some games lock key abilities behind major plot points, and by the time you get them, the credits are warming up. Avowed can avoid that by making side content meaningful. I need reasons to wander off the beaten path—bounties, treasure, oddball NPCs, lore—not just story quests. The world doesn’t have to be huge, but it needs enough hooks to keep me exploring and improving my character.

By 2026, I’ve played enough to say the system has promise. The no-class freedom is refreshing. Respecs and hybrid builds let me experiment. But the scale question is still the proof in the pudding. If Avowed’s skill trees are too broad for its runtime, the whole system can feel like a promise it can’t keep. If they’re tuned right, the tighter scope works in its favor: every upgrade feels earned, and the game doesn’t outstay its welcome.

Obsidian was upfront that Avowed wouldn’t be another Skyrim, even if its skill system is inspired by Bethesda’s hit. That’s fine by me. I don’t need a 200-hour map. I need a game that knows what it is. Fantasy Outer Worlds? Sure. But the skill trees have to be Avowed-sized, not Skyrim-sized. That’s the difference between a smart, focused RPG and a system that promises more than it can deliver. After a year of patches and player feedback, I’m still hopeful. Just give me enough time to enjoy the toys before the credits roll. 😄