Instead of wasting time on release day, preload Avowed now on this platform

The wait for Avowed is almost over. Obsidian’s highly anticipated first-person RPG is dropping soon, and if you’re eager to dive into its rich fantasy world the moment it goes live, there’s some good news—you don’t have to spend launch day stuck watching a download bar crawl across your screen.

Preloads are officially live, meaning you can install the game ahead of time and be ready to go the second it unlocks. With Avowed arriving on Feb. 18, it’s the first big Xbox first-party release of 2025, kicking off the year with a massive fantasy adventure set in the world of Pillars of Eternity.

You play as an envoy sent to investigate a mysterious plague, only to uncover an ancient secret that could destroy everything. If you’ve been itching for an epic RPG filled with magic, dangerous factions, and deep lore, this is one you won’t want to miss. The game isn’t open-world, but it does have large “defined zones,” ensuring players can benefit from the feeling of a big story world while providing you with “highly detailed options” within each zone (according to an Xbox Wire news piece).

Now that preloads are live, you can get the full game downloaded before release—no placeholder file, no waiting around for your game to download on release day. On Xbox Series X, Avowed comes in at 74.8GB, while the PC version is slightly smaller at 72GB (though the Steam version is 75GB). It’s a hefty download file, so if you want to avoid launch-day slowdowns, getting it installed early is the way to go.

If you’re on Xbox and you’ve either bought the game or are a Game Pass subscriber, all you need to do is search for Avowed on your console, find the standard edition, and hit install. Prefer handling things from your phone? Just open the Xbox mobile app, search for Avowed, and download it straight to your linked console.

Obsidian has also shared details about how Avowed will run on Xbox Series X, offering three performance modes:

• Quality Mode: 30FPS with the highest visual settings
• Performance Mode: Up to 60FPS for smoother gameplay
• Balanced Mode: A 40FPS option for players with 120Hz displays

If you’re looking to jump in even earlier than Feb. 18, there’s also an early access option available. Avowed’s Premium Upgrade or Premium Edition gets you playing as early as Feb. 13. If you’re a Game Pass subscriber, the Premium Upgrade is the cheaper way to go, priced at $22.49—just keep in mind that you’ll still need an active subscription post-launch to keep playing.

Nobody likes spending the first few hours of a game’s release stuck waiting for a massive download, especially when all you want to do is start exploring. Preloading Avowed now ensures you can hit the ground running the moment it unlocks. However, game director Carrie Patel has warned that players will need to “accept a little jank” when it comes to playing in the game—which is something that many great titles have given us to humorous results in the past, so I’m not worried about NPC clipping, horses on roofs, or anything else that might happen.

With a world as rich and immersive as Eora, and with Obsidian’s track record of incredible RPG storytelling, this could easily be one of the biggest highlights of the year. Whether you’re jumping in on launch day or getting a head start with early access, make sure you’re ready—there’s a whole world waiting for you to uncover its secrets.