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A year later, Obsidian's fantasy RPG Avowed is coming to PS5, and it's finally going to let you play as a non-human character

January 08, 2026 5 min read views
A year later, Obsidian's fantasy RPG Avowed is coming to PS5, and it's finally going to let you play as a non-human character
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  2. RPGs
  3. Avowed
A year later, Obsidian's fantasy RPG Avowed is coming to PS5, and it's finally going to let you play as a non-human character News By Dustin Bailey published 8 January 2026

Avowed's coming to a whole new audience

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Avowed protagonist Kai standings looking directly out at the player (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios) Share Share by:
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Multiplatform does, indeed, seem to be the future for all of Xbox's first-party studios, and the RPG powerhouse of Obsidian is no exception. Today, the devs confirmed that Avowed is coming to PS5, and revealed a few details about the impending anniversary update – including the fact that we're finally going to be able to play as non-human characters.

Avowed hits PS5 on February 17. That date – almost exactly one year after the game's original launch – will also see the release of a big, free anniversary update including a host of new features across all platforms, including Xbox, PC, and PS5.

The news was announced as part of the New Game+ showcase, which also offered a look at the anniversary update. Here, the devs ran over some of the things we already knew were on the way – new game plus and photo mode, for example – but perhaps the biggest additions are non-human options for character creation. You'll now be able to play as an aumauan, orlan, or dwarf.

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Avowed Developer Interview | New Game+ Showcase 2026 - YouTube Avowed Developer Interview | New Game+ Showcase 2026 - YouTube Watch On

In the video above, lead character artist Dmitri Berman explains that multiple playable races were "discussed" early in Avowed's development, but "it's a lot of work and a difficult thing to really nail down, especially in Avowed with its parkour systems, its combat mechanics, all the weapon types, and stuff like that in the game. Our different races are different sizes. They're different shapes. They're a very unique game experience when you play as each one of them in a first-person game, specifically. So it was something new to wrangle for Avowed. We had no time to finish it as we were making Avowed, and now we can give it to the players."

Avowed seemed to go somewhat under the radar in 2025, but for my money it's worth checking out if you missed it. It doesn't offer quite the same storytelling depth as many of Obsidian's most beloved classics, but it makes up for that with some genuinely excellent first-person combat and a series of open-world maps that feel densely detailed with numerous opportunities for discovery. There's a reason we called it one of the best games of 2025.

"RPGs can be divisive": Obsidian chats all things Avowed – how it overcame the Skyrim comparisons, why there's no Baldur's Gate 3-style romance, and what's next for the 2025 gem.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ NewsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Obsidian Entertainment Xbox Game Studios Microsoft CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox Dustin BaileyDustin BaileySocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

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