Role-playing games often treat crafting and gear upgrades as optional side quests—something players can dip into when they feel like it. But Avowed* flips that expectation on its head. The game’s upgrade system isn’t just a feature; it’s a core part of the experience, forcing players to engage with it to progress. For many, that rigidity became a barrier rather than a design choice.
At launch, Avowed’s gear progression system frustrated players who found themselves stuck mid-exploration, unable to upgrade their weapons and armor fast enough to tackle new challenges. The issue wasn’t that the content was too hard—it was that the system itself wasn’t keeping pace with curiosity. Players who wanted to dive into uncharted areas often hit a wall, not because they lacked skill, but because the upgrade mechanics demanded too much attention at the wrong moment.
The Problem: A System That Didn’t Bend
Developers at Obsidian recognized the disconnect early. The original design aimed to create a tight loop: complete content, upgrade gear, then face harder encounters. But in an open-world setting, that loop felt more like a bottleneck. Players who prioritized exploration over grinding ran into dead ends, with upgrade materials and resource scarcity creating unnecessary friction. Feedback highlighted a broader dissatisfaction: the economy felt too restrictive, gear variety was limited, and the cost of upgrades—both in materials and time—didn’t align with the game’s open-ended design.
The frustration was clear, and Obsidian acted on it. The anniversary update introduces significant changes to progression, making the system more adaptable to different playstyles. No longer is upgrading gear a rigid, all-or-nothing process. Instead, players now have tools to tailor the experience to their preferences.
Key Changes: More Flexibility, Less Friction
Three major adjustments stand out in the update
- Custom Difficulty Modifiers: Players can now adjust not just their character’s power but also broader world mechanics, including merchant prices and upgrade material costs. This means gear becomes more accessible, and the grind for upgrades feels less punishing.
- Workbenches Everywhere: Gone are the days of trekking back to camp to improve equipment. Scattered workbenches across the world let players upgrade on the fly, reducing downtime and keeping momentum high.
- A Gradual Progression Curve: The update smooths out the steps between gear tiers, eliminating abrupt jumps in difficulty or resource demands. Progression now feels organic rather than segmented.
These changes don’t just tweak the numbers—they rethink how players interact with the game’s core systems. The update also introduces new races, a quarterstaff weapon, and a Game+ mode, but the overhaul of gear progression is the most significant shift for long-term players.
Why This Matters for Avowed
Avowed*’s strength lies in its ambition to blend deep RPG mechanics with an open world. But when those mechanics create roadblocks instead of opportunities, the experience suffers. By addressing the upgrade system’s shortcomings, Obsidian has taken a step toward making the game feel less like a chore and more like a tool for player expression. The update doesn’t just fix a bug—it reimagines how progression should work in an open-world RPG.
For players who felt held back by the original design, these changes could mean the difference between frustration and immersion. And for newcomers, it sets a clearer path: explore, upgrade, and adapt—without the system getting in the way.
The anniversary update is now live, bringing these refinements to all platforms.
