Avowed in 2026: Revisiting Obsidian’s Side Quest and Combat Promises

I still remember the first time I heard Carrie Patel talk about Avowed's side content. It was one of those pre-release interviews that made my ears perk up, because most RPG studios say they care about side quests, and then you play the game and find ten copy-pasted bandit camps wearing different hats. Patel, the creative director at Obsidian Entertainment, promised something different for this fantastical action RPG set in Eora, the same world as Pillars of Eternity. Now, sitting here in 2026, with Avowed officially out since February 18, 2025, I can finally look back at those promises and ask: did Obsidian really make everything worth my time?

The Promise: Side Content That Isn't Filler

Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo spoke with Windows Central before launch, and their message was clear: Avowed would be packed with meaningful choices, not busywork. Patel said the player would make a series of choices on their path, in side quests, and even in smaller side moments that are completely up to them to discover. That line stuck with me because it directly contradicted the filler-heavy approach so many open-world RPGs take. Obsidian wanted to put the same focus into side content as main quests. They wanted everything to be worth the player's time. Some experiences would be larger, some shorter, but all of them distinct. None of them copy/paste. All of them would engage the player with the world and give them a chance to roleplay their character.

In 2026, after multiple playthroughs, I can say that promise mostly holds up. Side quests in Avowed aren't the decorative doorknobs of an RPG; they're the hidden hinges the whole house swings on. A small decision about a stranded caravan or a local dispute can echo into a later faction interaction, and I often found myself pausing to think about what my character would actually do rather than what would give the best loot. That's rare.

Combat: From Stiff to Satisfying

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. When Avowed's first gameplay trailer dropped, the response was mixed. A lot of people, including me, thought the combat looked stiff. Obsidian noticed. Paramo later said the team went, 'Okay, let's look at this, this is a big deal, people are noticing this, we should polish this sooner.' Even though Obsidian believed the combat was good enough to show as is, they accelerated development in that area. By the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 trailer, combat had significantly improved. The team analyzed the feeling and moment when the player swings their weapon and the moment of impact.

That work paid off. In 2026, Avowed's combat feels less like swinging a prop sword and more like conducting a small, violent orchestra. The improvements felt like replacing a metronome with a heartbeat—same rhythm, but suddenly alive. Whether I'm dual-wielding pistols, casting spells, or mixing a grimoire with a sword, the feedback is punchy enough to keep me engaged. It's not the deepest action combat on the market, but it's far from the stiff showcase that worried people in 2024.

Companions, Choices, and the Living Lands

Art director Matt Hansen previously said companions would be critical to Avowed's story, combat, and moral decision-making. I was skeptical. 'Critical' is one of those words that can mean anything from 'they open doors for you' to 'they actually argue with your decisions.' But in Avowed, companions feel like co-authors of my journey. They comment on my choices, they push back, and they make the Living Lands feel less like a solo power fantasy and more like a rolling conversation.

The Living Lands itself is less a map and more a murmuring shell you hold to your ear; every side path has a tide inside it. Patel described the evolving story as rife with meaningful choices within large and smaller-scale quests. That's exactly what I felt. The world doesn't just wait for you to finish the main quest. It reacts, sometimes in tiny ways, sometimes in ways that change how a whole settlement treats you.

Here's how I'd rate Obsidian's pre-release promises against my 2026 experience:

Promise from Obsidian	How it feels in 2026
Side content as engaging as main quests	✅ Mostly true. Many side quests have real moral weight.
Meaningful choices in large and small moments	✅ Strong. Small decisions can ripple surprisingly far.
Companions critical to story, combat, and morality	✅ They add flavor and friction, not just buffs.
Combat improved after feedback	✅ Much better than the first trailer suggested.
No copy/paste content	✅ Largely distinct, though a few activities repeat structure.

So, Is Avowed Worth Your Time in 2026?

Yes, especially if you're a fantasy RPG fan who likes roleplaying more than min-maxing. Avowed launched on February 18, 2025, and it's available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass. More than a year later, it's still one of the better examples of a studio actually listening to feedback and treating side content with respect. It's not a perfect game—some systems feel lighter than others, and the pacing can wobble—but Obsidian's core promise, that everything in front of the player should be worth their time, mostly survives contact with reality.

If you bounced off the early trailers like I almost did, give Avowed another look in 2026. The Living Lands has more to say than those first stiff sword swings suggested. And in a genre full of filler, that's a rare and welcome thing. 🎮⚔️🧭