Phil Spencer Says Avowed Delay Was About Game Pass Pacing, Not Obsidian

Hey, fellow gamers! 🎮 If you were one of those folks who scratched their head when Avowed got pushed from Fall 2024 to February 18, 2025, you're not alone. I was right there with you, staring at my wishlist like, 'Wait, what?' But according to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, the delay wasn't because Obsidian Entertainment needed a breather to fix bugs or overhaul systems. Nope. It was all about pacing out Xbox Game Pass releases so subscribers wouldn't drown in a tidal wave of triple-A titles. And honestly? That's a very 'first-world gamer problems' kind of reason, but it makes a weird sort of sense.

The Real Reason Avowed Got Delayed

Avowed is Obsidian's next big action RPG after Pillars of Eternity, and it was originally supposed to launch in Fall 2024. Then August rolled around, and the official Xbox Twitter account confirmed the game was moving to 2025. At the time, the studio said the decision was to give players' backlogs some breathing room. And fair enough, because late 2024 was absolutely stacked. We're talking Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Starfield: Shattered Space, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. That's not a lineup; that's a whole buffet. 🍽️

But Phil Spencer later spilled the tea in an interview with Game File (via VGC). He explained that the studio can 'afford' to push Obsidian's highly anticipated ARPG into 2025 when titles like Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Diablo 4's massive expansion are all set to release in the same year. In his own words: 'We didn't move it because Obsidian needed the time. They'll use the time.' He also said he and Matt Booty, the head of Xbox Game Studios, sat down with the Game Pass team and planned out all of the massive releases, deciding to 'pace this out a little better.'

So there you have it. It wasn't a development disaster. It wasn't a delay because the game was broken. It was a scheduling chess move. Xbox looked at its Game Pass calendar and said, 'Whoa, hold your horses. We can't drop everything at once.' And I get it. Game Pass is like an all-you-can-eat buffet. If you put out ten main courses at the same time, even the biggest eaters get overwhelmed. You need to stagger the plates. 🍝

Game Pass Was Eating Too Much, Too Fast

Let's talk numbers and timing. Black Ops 6 became the first Call of Duty title to launch on Game Pass on day one. According to Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, the shooter was a huge success for the service, setting a new record for day-one players and for new Game Pass subscribers. That's massive. When you've got a juggernaut like that, plus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, plus a Diablo 4 expansion, you don't also want to toss Avowed into the mix. That's not pacing; that's a traffic jam. 🚗

Here's a quick look at the timeline:

Now that we're in 2026, looking back, it's kind of wild to see how much of a balancing act Game Pass has become. Microsoft isn't just selling consoles anymore; it's selling a subscription service. And subscription services live and die by engagement. You want people to keep coming back month after month. If you blow your load in one quarter, subscribers might binge and then bounce. So Spencer and Booty did what any good product manager would do: they spread the love. Or at least, they spread the games. 💚

Obsidian Got Extra Time, But Performance Concerns Lingered

Spencer said Obsidian will use the extra months to further polish and enhance Avowed before February 18. That's good news. More polish is never a bad thing. But fans were recently left concerned after two of the studio's developers said performance is 'one of the last things' that Obsidian will focus on. One developer even said the team is aiming for a 'bare minimum' of 30 FPS. Cue the internet panic. 😱

Many gamers immediately assumed Avowed wouldn't feature a 60 FPS mode. And in 2026, that's a touchy subject. We've been spoiled by smooth frame rates, and 30 FPS can feel like watching a slideshow if you're used to 120 Hz. But here's the thing: optimization often comes last in game development. You build the game, then you make it run well. So maybe the sky isn't falling. Maybe Obsidian just prioritized getting the content right before tweaking the performance. Still, I remember the discourse. It was spicy. 🌶️

So Was the Delay a Good Move?

Honestly? I think it was a smart business decision, even if it stung for fans who were hyped for Fall 2024. Here's why:

• Game Pass needed breathing room. Dropping Avowed alongside Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones would have cannibalized attention.

• Obsidian got more time to polish. Even if they didn't 'need' it, extra time rarely hurts.

• Subscribers got a steadier release schedule. Instead of a feast-or-famine cycle, Xbox spread out the big titles.

• The delay wasn't a red flag. Spencer explicitly said it wasn't because Obsidian needed the time. That's reassuring.

Of course, not everyone was happy. Delays always disappoint. But in the grand scheme of things, waiting a few extra months for a better-paced Game Pass and a more polished RPG? That's a trade I'll take. And now that we're in 2026, with Avowed out in the wild, we can finally judge for ourselves. Was it worth the wait? That's a question only you can answer. But at least we know the delay wasn't some catastrophic development hell. It was just Xbox playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. ♟️

Anyway, that's my take. If you need me, I'll be over here chipping away at my backlog, because Game Pass still has way too many games. Seriously, send help. 😂