Avowed just hit the scene yesterday through early access, and folks are generally giving it the thumbs up. Coming from the talented crew at Obsidian, who brought us gems like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity, this RPG made its debut exclusively on Xbox and Steam. There’s a bit of a twist this time around, though; we’re in 2025, and the game’s early access comes with a little premium price tag. For those eager to dive in before its grand Xbox Game Pass introduction next week, you’ll need to cough up an extra $10. This approach gives Microsoft a handy way to balance out the sales dip prompted by their Netflix-like gaming subscription. But for those equipped with pricey Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions hoping to snag early access perks, Microsoft, unfortunately, has a different message: “Thanks for your interest, but not this time.”
This engaging action RPG immerses players in the Pillars of Eternity universe, experienced through a first-person lens. True to Obsidian’s style, the game is packed with choice-driven narratives, allowing players to carve out their own playstyle within a vast and tantalizingly explorable world. Ideal for something like Xbox Cloud Gaming, you’d think Microsoft would have thought the same.
Interestingly, I got several messages yesterday from folks on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) wondering why Avowed’s early access wasn’t up on Xbox Cloud Gaming yet. Strangely enough, it seems that even if you purchase the premium access, Avowed won’t be joining Xbox Cloud Gaming until next week.
Microsoft might have a reasonable-sounding business explanation as to why this is the case. Still, it seems pretty flimsy when you realize you can enjoy early access through NVIDIA GeForce Now, a rival cloud gaming service.
I’m not implying there’s anything sneaky going on with Microsoft preferring NVIDIA GeForce Now over its own cloud service for Avowed. However, I am noting that this sort of oversight is a classic frustration many of us encounter with Microsoft’s gaming services. Their “This is an Xbox” campaign was a painful reminder of this, as it attempted to highlight features like Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming — neither of which I’d say are quite flawless.
Recently, Microsoft enabled playing “buy to own” games on Xbox Cloud Gaming, which seemed like the perfect opportunity to launch Avowed there as well. The platform supports DLC entitlements for deluxe versions, so it’s challenging to believe this is a technical issue. Some speculate regulatory hurdles might be at play, considering the UK CMA once forced Microsoft to relinquish Activision Blizzard’s cloud rights to Ubisoft. Still, I’m not aware of any similar restrictions for Obsidian titles, though I’m looking into it further.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for clarity on Avowed being available on NVIDIA GeForce Now but not Xbox Cloud Gaming as of yet. We’re also seeking more information on how Microsoft plans to handle the growing trend of “advanced access” premium games in the realm of cloud gaming.
There’s massive potential in what Microsoft could achieve across its platforms. Buying Avowed across these platforms, carrying your save anywhere, and gaming on just about any device out there is an exciting taste of Xbox’s promising future. But, Microsoft needs to focus on these finer details.
At the end of the day, it’s disheartening to see loyal customers — those who invest in early access and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — end up disappointed. Microsoft really must step up their game here. Rest assured, if any fixes come down the pipe, we’ll keep you updated pronto.
