Avowed 1.4 Patch Adds Arachnophobia Mode, Unveils 2025 Roadmap

Obsidian Entertainment has unveiled an exciting 2025 roadmap for Avowed along with detailed patch notes for its 1.4 update, both of which were shared on the Obsidian website. The update 1.4 brings significant enhancements, including an Arachnophobia mode that transforms giant spiders into less intimidating blobs, alongside improvements to map exploration. However, it's the roadmap that promises a bright future for the game.

Avowed 2025 Roadmap. Image courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment.

Obsidian has scheduled three major updates for Avowed throughout 2025. The first update, already live with version 1.4, introduces mouse and keyboard support on Xbox, increases in-game currency and crafting materials, gear adjustments, and a new party camp feature. For those yet to explore Eora, the summer update will enhance cooking and crafting, introduce new NPC interactions, additional weapons and armor, and allow for custom map markers.

The fall update, set to be Obsidian's most substantial yet, will include highly anticipated features such as new game plus and a photo mode. Alongside these, players can look forward to a new weapon type, the ability to change appearance in-game, more character presets, and expanded language support.

Obsidian acknowledges the importance of accessibility for players in Korea, Japan, and French-speaking regions, stating, “We also want to acknowledge our players in Korea, Japan, and French-speaking regions. We know how important it is to experience a game in your preferred language, and we are actively working on localized versions for Korean and Japanese, along with ongoing improvements for French. We’re committed to delivering these updates as soon as they are ready, and we deeply appreciate your patience and support as we make sure they meet the quality you deserve.”

Avowed launched on February 18, 2025, and is currently available on PC, Xbox Series X | S, and Game Pass. Obsidian teases fans with promises of more to come, saying, “We can’t wait to show you what’s next.” For a comprehensive look at all the new features and bug fixes in update 1.4, the full patch notes are provided below. Additionally, you can click here to discover one of its secret and crucial side quests.

Note: Potential spoilers have been highlighted in bold.

Avowed Update 1.4 Patch Notes

Greetings Envoys,

We want to express our gratitude for your continued reports, feedback, suggestions, and patience. Your insights are invaluable to us, and we appreciate the effort you put into sharing your experiences.

Now, without further ado, here are the patch notes for update 1.4, ready for your enjoyment!

Thank you for being a part of our community—we value your support and look forward to sharing more with you in the future!

— The Avowed Team

Features and Improvements!
Arachnophobia Safe Mode
The much-requested Arachnophobia Mode is now available in Avowed! You can activate this option in the Accessibility menu, turning all spiders into harmless spheres wielding swords. Be aware, though, they're still just as deadly in combat!

Community Highlights

Once you've explored nearly all areas on a map, the fog of war will clear automatically. Entering a city on an overland map, like Northern Paradis in Dawnshore, will now reveal the corresponding section. The radius for clearing fog has been significantly increased, allowing for more thorough map exploration. Critters can now be killed and drop loot. Players can wait to pass time at the Party Camp, and Soul Pod throwables now dispel illusions, except for Ryngrim’s entrance, which still requires Yatzli’s interaction. New settings options include displaying chests on the minimap and canceling power attacks with the Bow and Arquebus.

World Reactivity Improvements

Arrows will now fall naturally and hit the ground, while water reacts with splashes and ripples when players enter or shoot it.

Economy & Loot Adjustments

Critters now drop loot when killed. More weapons, including pre-upgraded versions, have been added to the game's loot pools. Monetary rewards for main quests and exploration have been increased. Small loot containers can now hold larger items like body armor and weapons, leading to more balanced drops. The drop rate of Creature Parts, which can be used for upgrading grimoires, has been significantly increased, along with higher-tier weapons in later regions.

UI/UX Improvements

A visual effect and UI indicator help locate Downed Companions during combat. The "Talk" interaction prompt for Companions has been enabled. Mouse and Keyboard input is now supported on Xbox. Loading screen art for Dawnshore and Fort Northreach maps has been updated. An 'Auto Detect' option in the Graphics menu helps find and set recommended settings for your hardware. Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation support has been added for RTX 40 and 50 series GPUs. A "Read All" button in the Journal allows for quicker navigation through Quests, Documents, and Tutorials.

Combat Updates

Enemies now become shocked faster when standing in water. Creature Parts can now be used to upgrade Grimoires.

Companion Improvements

Companions gain Ability Points every 3 levels instead of every 4, increasing their maximum from 8 to 11. Players will receive the additional points upon updating.

Enemy Behavior

Enemy awareness speed adjusts dynamically based on their distance from the player — closer enemies detect players faster, while distant enemies react more slowly.

Unique Item Updates

Stats on many Unique Items have been updated, including increased regeneration rates and damage reductions against specific enemy types.

Enchantments Rework

Obsolete Carry Capacity enchantments on certain Unique Items have been replaced with new stat buffs, such as increased Might, Dexterity, and Constitution.

Key Bug Fixes

CPU utilization during the "Compiling Shaders" screen has been limited to improve stability. Issues with waypoints, totem pieces, and certain abilities have been resolved. Enemy vitals UI now stays properly positioned above enemies. Quests like Untimely End and Armor Fit for the Wilds now progress correctly. FidelityFX 3 option has been re-added to Graphics Settings for AMD graphics card users. Scroll wheel and Ability Slot bindings now work as intended.

Additional Bug Fixes

Crashes and Stability

Rare hangs, crashes, and freezes have been addressed to improve overall game stability.

Performance and Optimizations

Wand power attacks, 'Meteor Shower' ability, and the volcano eruption cutscene have been optimized for better performance.

Animation

Corrections to dwarf animations at the Emergency Camp, improved gestures and lip-sync in conversations, and resolved clipping issues have been implemented.

Quests & Conversations

Numerous quest and conversation issues have been fixed to ensure smooth progression and prevent players from getting stuck.

UI/UX

Various UI/UX improvements have been made, including adjustments to the Map Legend, Dream Touch status effect icon, and HUD opacities.

Art

Visual issues such as floating roots, character clipping, and incorrect water splashes have been fixed.

Combat/Systems Fixes

Arrow drop, stamina drain effects, and grimoire upgrade costs have been adjusted for better gameplay balance.

Programming Fixes

Issues with weapon enchantments, companion combat states, and HUD fading have been resolved.

Localization Fixes

Translation errors in Polish and other languages have been corrected for a more immersive experience.