Avowedis the upcoming first-person fantasy RPG in development at Obsidian Entertainment, and based on its trailer, the game shares a lot in common with Bethesda’s flagship fantasy franchiseThe Elder Scrolls. After Obsidian’sThe Outer Worldsseemed to take aim atFallout’s spot in the satirical sci-fi RPG market, many fans of the genre have been left wondering whether Bethesda or Obsidian will be able to redefine open-world first-person RPGs as gaming settles into a new console generation.
Obsidian Entertainment has a huge advantage in this regard — time. Based on everything known about Bethesda’s current release schedule,Avowedis practically certain to get the drop on bothFallout 5, as well as a potentialFallout: New Vegas 2. This could give the studio a great shot to hit the ground running while Bethesda is forced to play catch-up. Here’s why, and when, each of these games are likely to release, if at all.
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Bethesda And Obsidian’s Release Schedules
Quite a lot is known about Bethesda’s release schedule, even though the specific release dates for both of its upcoming games have not been announced yet. Bethesda is currently working onStarfield, a space-set RPG and the studio’s first new IP in over two decades. Very little has been confirmed about the game, though someimages fromStarfield’s development reportedly leaked last year showing a character in a space suit, a ship, and a meter with CO2, Oxygen, and gravity on it.
The other project Bethesda has been confirmed to be working on isThe Elder Scrolls 6. The game was announced at E3 back in 2018, but since then Bethesda has not confirmed anything about its setting or story. Nonetheless, it has been reported thatThe Elder Scrolls 6will not release until afterStarfield. This makes it likely thatStarfieldwill be released at some point in the next three years, whileElder Scrollsfans may be waiting five or more years to return to Tamriel.
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Fallout’s Future And Obsidian’s Opportunity
This development timeline makes the creation of a Bethesda-madeFallout 5seem very unlikely during the early or mid-2020s. One leaker, however, has claimed thatFallout: New Vegas 2could be on the way soon. Like the originalFallout: New Vegas, the development of this game would be outsourced to a third-party studio. Whether or not it would actually directly follow the events of the firstNew Vegas, or would be a spiritual successor as aFalloutspin-off game, has yet to be confirmed.
In short, this timeline means that, if there is going to be a newFalloutgame sometime in the next five years, it’s far more likely to be a game developed by a third-party than Bethesda’sFallout 5. However, while it has been reported to be in development by leaks, the fact that Fallout: New Vegas 2has yet to be announced makes it likely to be in an earlier stage of development thanAvowed.
This makes it very likely thatAvowedwill release beforeFallout: New Vegas 2, and almost certain thatAvowedwill release beforeFallout 5. WhileAvowedis a fantasy game andFalloutis science-fiction, the opportunity to release one of the initial first-person open-world RPGs of the new console generation could giveObsidiana head-start. Obsidian Entertainment’sAvowedcould certainly define fan expectations for the western RPG genre for this coming console generation, assuming Bethesda’sFalloutandElder Scrollsdon’t have anything to say about it.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
