Obsidian Entertainment may have shocked its biggest fans when it had not one, not two, but three projects at the Xbox Series X showcase. Proving it is apowerhouse for Microsoft, Obsidianrevealed upcoming DLC for theOuter Worlds, a new launch trailer forGrounded, and its next big Obsidian RPG,Avowed. However, one look atAvowedpractically echoesThe Elder Scrolls, and given Obsidian and Bethesda’s history, this is not surprising.
Many may know Obsidian for its work onFallout New Vegas, Knights of the Old Republic 2, andThe Outer Worlds, but its history goes much deeper than that. Obsidian’s strength also falls in the same area as Bethesda, but the relationship between the two eventually went south. This has turned into a rivalry of sorts if only in the eyes of fans, as many seeThe Outer Worldsas a response to Bethesda’sFallout, and now it seemsAvowedis just that toThe Elder Scrolls 6. Of course, this begs the question: when Obsidian and Bethesda go head to head, who wins? (besides fans of RPGs)
RELATED:What Every Xbox Games Studios Team is Working On
Avowed vs. The Elder Scrolls 6 Location
There’s not much to go on for either game, but there is context. For example, while the exactsetting ofThe Elder Scrolls 6remains to be revealed, it will be taking place in the world of Tamriel. This means players can expect to see races like Khajit, Orcs, Bretons, and more intermingling throughout the world. Certain factions like the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood can be expected to some degree, while mysteries of the Dwemer likely stay afloat. There’s so much to Tamriel that at least a sampling of its finest can be expected within theElder Scrolls 6’s location, and at first glance, this puts it overAvowed.
However, it has been confirmed thatAvowedis not a brand new setting, starting from scratch. It’s actually taking place in Eora, the setting of thePillars of Eternity, but in an entirely new way. Eora may not have the name recognition of Tamriel, but it does mean Obsidian is building on a fantasy world that is already established. It could still go in any number of ways, but Humans, Aumaua, Dwarves, Elves, Orlans, and Godlikes are races that will likely populate the world (and be playable?). The Old Empires seem prominent givenAvowed’s trailer, but there’s plenty more countries to explore as well. Basically,The Elder Scrolls 6has a more well-known location, but both settings are pretty similar in terms of world-building.
Avowed vs. The Elder Scrolls 6 Release Date
One big question that should be addressed is simple: which will be played first? One common determiner when it comes to a fan-favorite video game, especially those that are similar, is which was played first. Many who playedFallout 3first will argue that it’s better thanFallout New Vegas, while many who played the latter first will argue that it’s better thanFallout 3. There’s a lot of psychology behind that, and it’s not a blanket statement—it’s not true of everyone. But when it comes toAvowedandThe Elder Scrolls 6, there may be a lasting impression if one of them manages to get out there and truly impress first.
In this case, as strange as it seems,Avowedmay very well be the first to launch.The Elder Scrolls 6was first announced 2 years ago, but it was in the absoluteearlieststages of development. It’s not releasing until well afterStarfield,which itself still does not have a release date. Many expect that it won’t actually launch until2024-2025, which are good conservative predictions, and it wouldn’t have likely been announced at all if it weren’t meant to offset the reaction toFallout 76. Many games are not announced 7 years ahead of time, which is a point forAvowed.
RELATED:The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon DLC Adding a Level Cap Increase and More
Now,Avowedis probably a good couple of years out. Obsidian Entertainment still has one more DLC in the works forThe Outer Worldsafter the Peril on Gorgonreleases, and the launch ofGroundedto facilitate. However, it seems likely that both of those will reduce over the next few months, maybe even a year, to where small crews are working on those whileAvowedbecomes Obsidian’s focus. In other words, it seems to be aiming for a release date a lot sooner thanThe Elder Scrolls 6.
To top it off, there’s availability to consider. While anyone and everyone will likely purchaseThe Elder Scrolls 6day one,Avowedwill be available on Xbox Game Pass. That means more are likely to try it out, especially if it can truly deliver anElder Scrolls-like experience on the subscription platform.
Avowed is Obsidian’s Answer to The Elder Scrolls
In all the context that can be considered, the biggest is that Obsidian is likely shooting for the stars. It is known for RPGs, this is its forte, and now it has the backing to live up to its full potential. Obsidian is the hungry upstart and the underdog, and Bethesda is the big name fallen on hard times. Thelaunch ofFallout 76soured much of the fanbase and especially those who invested in the game,Rage 2failed to make an impression, and evenDoom Eternal—the best game its launched in recent memory—wasn’t without the controversy of its anti-cheat software.
Bethesda has name recognition that will go a long way in determining how goodThe Elder Scrolls 6actually performs and how well it is received, but Obsidian Entertainment isn’t that far behind. It’s hard to say which will be better,AvowedorTES 6, but there’s one thing for sure: Obsidian is catching up in this race, and it may only take one slip-up to set upAvowedas the nextSkyrim.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X.The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.
