Obsidian Announces Avowed Anniversary Update: PS5 Launch and New Playable Races

• New Playable Races: Dwarves, Orlans, and Aumaua are now selectable.
• New Platform: Avowed officially launches on PlayStation 5 with all post-launch content included.
• New Game+: Carry over abilities, unique gear, and enchantments into a scaled-difficulty run.
• Attribute Cap Increase: Might, Constitution, and other stats now cap at 30 (up from 15) in NG+.
• The Magic Mirror: Change race, appearance, or godlike variants mid-journey at the Party Camp.
• New Weaponry: The Quarterstaff joins the arsenal for "archmage" playstyles.
• Custom Difficulty: Granular modifiers for enemy health, damage, speed, and player resources.

The Living Lands Gets the Overhaul It Deserved

One year after its debut, Obsidian is finally checking off the boxes we’ve been shouting about since launch. The "Anniversary Update" isn't just a victory lap; it’s a massive mechanical expansion that fundamentally changes the character-building meta. By adding the stout Dwarves, the two-toned Orlans, and the powerhouse Aumaua, Obsidian has finally brought the racial diversity of Eora into the first-person perspective. We believe the addition of the Magic Mirror at the Party Camp is the real MVP here—it saves you from the "restart-itis" trap by letting you swap races and presets mid-campaign.

Expanding the Frontier to PlayStation 5

In a major shift for the ecosystem, Avowed is no longer locked to the Xbox/PC circuit. The game is landing on PlayStation 5 today, bundled with a full year of QoL improvements and updates. Whether you're picking up the $49.99 Standard Edition or the $59.99 Premium Edition (which includes the digital artbook and skin packs), you're getting a significantly more polished experience than the day-one players did. For the Sony crowd, this is the definitive way to enter Eora.

NG+ and the Power-User Pivot

For the veterans who already conquered the plague, New Game+ provides a legitimate reason to head back to the frontier. This isn't just a simple stat-bump for enemies; it’s a rethink of the power ceiling. While enemies hit harder, your attribute cap for stats like Might and Dexterity has been doubled from 15 to 30. This allows for massive late-game scaling that simply wasn't possible before. Note: You’ll need a fresh "completion save" by finishing the game post-update to trigger this mode.

Combat Variety and QoL Wins

The addition of the Quarterstaff fills a noticeable gap in the melee-caster hybrid builds, allowing players to lean into those "archmage dreams" the team mentioned. Beyond the weapons, the custom difficulty modifiers are a godsend for min-maxers. You can now tweak everything from carry weight to resource regeneration, effectively tailoring the challenge to your specific build.

Our take? The "small" fixes actually carry the most weight. Improved lighting and the ability to skip conversations with a "certain god" address the friction points that bogged down the mid-game. Plus, the Photo Mode finally lets us capture the bizarre flora and fauna of the island in high fidelity.

Launch Details and Pricing

A Note on Legacy Updates

If you're jumping in for the first time on PS5 or returning after a long break, don't forget that this update sits on top of a year of previous tweaks. We’ve already seen the addition of Arachnophobia Mode, expanded Fighter and Ranger skill trees, and a rework that allows enemies to use player-style abilities against you. This is a much "meaner" and more complex game than it was 12 months ago.