Avowed becomes the top-selling game in the United States, despite controversy. What is this controversy regarding the game?

2024 was a year full of controversies in the gaming industry, and Avowed is no stranger to that. The game, made by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, faced a public outcry after it was announced back in July of 2020. While the announcement itself was met with good reception, a tweet from its art director would change the title’s entire trajectory.

This new fantasy RPG is the answer to Skyrim | Image Credits: Obsidian Entertainment

Although Avowed is getting major backlash from gamers and non-gamers alike, it is still doing better on Steam than its competitor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. But what is this controversy about, and how did it not affect the game in the way it was supposed to? Let’s find out.

Avowed faces massive controversy amidst development

The game faces massive backlash from players | Image Credits: Obsidian Entertainment

Avowed is a first-person action RPG that was initially pitched as Obisidian’s take on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was announced in Xbox Games Showcase, where the title was hyped as being the next Skyrim. While the game is heavily inspired by it, the studio later chose against replicating Skyrim’s style and instead opted to emphasize a more narrative and character-driven experience.

Everything was going fine for Avowed until, in November of 2024, the CEO of X, Elon Musk, tweeted out how the game features an option to select the character’s pronouns and how that is completely unacceptable. This led to the art director of the game, Matt Hansen, addressing the issue by posting on his BlueSky account about how happy he is to irritate Musk.

It’s honestly deeply surreal to have the world’s richest, sh**tiest boy whine about something I am making. I am quite frankly giddy. I cannot think of a single person in the world I would rather irritate.

This action started the whole controversy, and fans of the title were divided into two groups. A large amount of them claimed that the devs were trying to force a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) mindset in the games and forcing the players to adapt to a particular set of political views.

The reception from players was so negative that it led to Obsidian Entertainment removing the pronouns section from the character’s display screen completely and making it an option that players can activate based on their preference.

The game is doing surprisingly well despite the controversy

The title became the top-selling game on Steam | Image Credits: Obsidian Entertainment

Despite the controversy and many players even hating Hansen for imposing political agenda onto them. Avowed is doing better than most games in the RPG genre. The game currently has more than 10,000 players and has peaked at 17,000 players in the last 24 hours. The game is currently the best-selling title on Steam in the US, ranking above even heavyweights like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Although the controversy might have changed the perspectives of some players and may have even angered some, fans of the title are enjoying it to the fullest. According to Steam and Reddit comments, Avowed has some of the best combat and exploration in the RPG genre and some are even predicting that this will be Obsidian’s best-selling game ever.

Avowed has clearly resonated with its players through its gameplay and narrative, but whether it will become a massive success or get overshadowed by online backlash remains to be seen.