Hi, my name is [not needed], and I have a backlog problem. Back in 2024, I was mentally preparing to ignore my family, my job, and basic hygiene for Obsidian's Avowed. Then Tom Warren from The Verge said, 'Actually, no.' Soon after, Xbox confirmed the fantasy action-RPG was delayed from its rumored November 2024 slot to February 18, 2025. Their reason? To give players' backlogs some breathing room. Which is a very polite way of saying, 'Please, we beg you, finish one game before we drop another 40-hour epic on you.'

I laughed. I cried. I opened my backlog spreadsheet and wept at the 47 unfinished RPGs staring back at me. But here is the thing: Xbox was not just being nice. The Verge's original report claimed the delay was meant to clear Avowed from STALKER 2's new November release window. STALKER 2 had just been delayed again. So, yes, maybe Xbox wanted to avoid two massive games tripping over each other. But STALKER 2 was far from the only first-party monster heading to Xbox Game Pass that fall. And honestly? Game Pass was going to be just fine without Avowed in 2024.

The Fall 2024 Game Pass Lineup Was A Monster

Let me take you back to 2024, a time when we thought four major delays for STALKER 2 was just a fun personality trait. Before Avowed got pushed, the Fall 2024 Game Pass schedule looked like someone emptied a toy chest full of long-awaited games.

Month	Game	Why it mattered
September 4	Age of Mythology: Retold	A remake of a real-time strategy classic. My childhood, but with better trees.
September	Frostpunk 2	Society survival, but somehow more stressful than my actual job.
September	Ara: History Untold	Grand strategy for people who say 'just one more turn' and then see the sun rise.
October 25	Call of Duty: Black Ops 6	First Call of Duty day-one on Game Pass. Also first Activision-Blizzard game day-one. Huge.
November	Flight Simulator 2024	For when you want to feel like a pilot without the TSA.
November	STALKER 2	Four delays later, it finally arrived. The Zone waited. We waited. Everyone waited.

And those were just the day-one titles with concrete dates. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was still slated for 2024. Towerborne, Stoic Studio's side-scrolling action-adventure, was also still slated for 2024. Even if those two slipped, the fall lineup was stacked like a Jenga tower made of energy drinks.

So when people said Avowed's delay left a hole in Game Pass, I tilted my head like a confused dog. What hole? September alone had three strategy games. October had Call of Duty. November had flight sims and radioactive anomalies. That is not a hole. That is a buffet.

Why The Delay Was Actually Genius

Here is the part where I put on my fake business glasses and pretend to understand scheduling. Avowed was never going to be The Witcher 3 or Skyrim. Obsidian's fantasy RPG was aiming for a tighter experience: a 20-25 hour main story, plus 20+ hours of side content. That is still a lot of game. But it is not a 200-hour life replacement. And that means it deserved its own spotlight.

If Avowed had launched in November 2024, it would have been one voice in a choir of very loud voices. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would have sucked up all the oxygen. STALKER 2 would have grabbed the hardcore crowd. Flight Simulator 2024 would have appealed to the 'I like clouds' demographic. Avowed would have been fine, but it would not have been the main character.

By moving to February 18, 2025, Avowed got a quieter month. It got room to breathe. It got to be the big RPG instead of the third big RPG in a row. That is not a failure. That is a strategic retreat.

And let us not forget the indie games. Xbox Game Pass has always been a wonderful place for smaller titles. Players can try something weird and wonderful without spending extra cash. When a giant game like Avowed takes up a release window, it casts a long shadow. When it moves, that shadow lifts. Suddenly, a tiny indie gem can get noticed. A weird little roguelike can find an audience. A narrative adventure about a sad robot can make someone cry on a Tuesday. That matters.

Looking Back From 2026

It is 2026 now. Avowed came out on February 18, 2025. I played it. I enjoyed it. I still have not finished all the side content, because I am a responsible adult with poor time management. The delay gave the game a better launch window, and it gave Fall 2024 space to be the chaotic content avalanche it was always meant to be.

Would I have loved Avowed in November 2024? Sure. But I also loved watching Age of Mythology: Retold, Frostpunk 2, Ara: History Untold, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Flight Simulator 2024, and STALKER 2 all land on Game Pass. My backlog did not need another 40-hour RPG. My backlog needed a therapist.

So here is my final verdict: Avowed's delay was not a tragedy. It was a scheduling judo move. Xbox looked at a crowded fall, looked at a hungry RPG, and said, 'Let us not do that.' Game Pass survived. Avowed thrived. And I still have 47 unfinished RPGs. Some things never change. 🎮