The gaming industry has been buzzing with discussions about Avowed's commercial performance since its release. As we move through 2025, Obsidian Entertainment has expressed satisfaction with Avowed sales figures, despite mixed reactions from players and industry analysts. But what's the real story behind these numbers, and does the game's commercial performance match its creative ambitions?
Understanding Avowed's Market Performance
Recent reports from industry sources indicate that Obsidian is indeed happy with the current sales of Avowed. This might come as a surprise to some players who have been vocal about perceiving the game as underperforming. The disconnect between developer statements and public perception raises an interesting question: what constitutes success for a AAA RPG in today's gaming landscape?
When evaluating Avowed sales performance, we need to consider several factors beyond traditional retail purchases. With the game being available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, concurrent player counts on Steam alone don't tell the complete story. Microsoft's subscription service has fundamentally changed how success is measured for first-party titles.
A gaming industry analyst explained: "For Microsoft, Avowed's success isn't measured solely by direct sales. How many new Game Pass subscriptions it generated and how many existing subscribers engaged with the title are equally important metrics."
The Development Journey's Impact on Reception
Avowed's development wasn't without challenges. The game reportedly underwent significant changes during production, including two prototype phases before finding its final direction under the leadership of Carrie Patel. This development history has influenced both the final product and how its commercial performance is being evaluated.
Some industry observers have criticized this approach:
"When you're backed by Microsoft and working with AAA budgets, you don't learn on the job—you hire people who already know what they're doing. Big-budget games aren't science experiments."
Others defend the iterative process:
"Learning as you go and building tracks as you produce is not uncommon. I'm not certain I have ever, in my 30 years in the industry, worked on a product or game where figuring things out mid-development didn't happen to some extent."
Pricing Strategy and Value Proposition
One recurring theme in discussions about Avowed sales is its $70 price tag. Is the content offered worth this premium price point? Many players have expressed that while they enjoy the game, they're waiting for sales before purchasing:
"When it goes on sale for around $40 I will buy it on Steam. Until then, Game Pass it is."
This sentiment reflects a broader trend in how consumers approach AAA game purchases in 2025. With rising game prices and the availability of subscription services, the threshold for what justifies a full-price purchase has changed dramatically.
Beyond Steam: The Complete Picture
Steam concurrent player counts have become a common but potentially misleading metric for judging a game's performance. For Avowed, these numbers only represent a fraction of the total player base. The game is available across multiple platforms and services:
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Xbox Series X|S console sales
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Game Pass subscribers on both Xbox and PC
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Microsoft Store purchases
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Steam purchases
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Battle.net availability
As one industry insider noted: "We do not know the total number of sales on Steam. We only see concurrent players in a given hour. It does not tell us the total number of unique players during a week or in total since any game's release."
Comparing to the Competition
Some critics have attempted to compare Avowed's performance to genre stalwarts like The Elder Scrolls series:
"Skyrim Special Edition is what people play. It is CONSTANTLY between 20,000 - 30,000 players."
However, such comparisons often fail to account for Skyrim's decade-plus of market presence, multiple re-releases, and massive modding community. For a new IP in the RPG space, Avowed's performance metrics may represent a different kind of success.
What Does Success Look Like in 2025?
As we navigate the evolving gaming landscape of 2025, defining success for a title like Avowed requires nuance. Total revenue compared to development costs remains crucial, but engagement metrics, subscription impact, and long-term player retention have become equally important indicators.
For Microsoft and Obsidian, Avowed sales figures might be meeting their internal targets even if they don't match the blockbuster numbers of industry leaders. The game has carved out its niche in the RPG market while providing value to the Game Pass ecosystem.
The Verdict: Success on Its Own Terms
While debates about Avowed's commercial performance will likely continue, the available evidence suggests a solid if not spectacular commercial performance. Obsidian's satisfaction with sales indicates the game is meeting business objectives, even as player reception remains mixed.
The true measure of Avowed's success may ultimately be determined by its long-term impact on the RPG genre and whether it establishes itself as a franchise worthy of future installments. For now, both critics and supporters can agree that the game has found its audience, even if that audience isn't as massive as some might have expected.
What do you think? Has Avowed lived up to your expectations, and do you consider its commercial performance a success? The conversation around Avowed sales will certainly continue as more data becomes available throughout 2025.