It's been an interesting few years for Xbox, with many of its exclusives now available on different platforms and the company's approach to the concept waning.
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That said, there are still a few big games set to arrive only for the console, such as the new fantasy action RPG Avowed.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment – known for Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds – players will be able to jump into the new adventure incredibly soon.
In fact, if you're reading this, there's a chance you can jump in now. How? By paying for early access and getting days of game time ahead of its wider release.
With that in mind, we've broken down how Avowed's early access works, when you can start playing and what versions of the game are needed to jump in.
When is Avowed early access? Start date and UK time
Avowed. Obsidian
Avowed will be available to play via early access from 13th February. Those in the UK will be able to jump in at 6pm GMT, according to the game's store page on the Xbox app.
That's five days of extra game time ahead of its full release on 18th February 2025.
This works the same whether buying the game physically or picking it up via Xbox Game Pass – the latter requires an additional upgrade purchase if you want to play early.
Anyone wishing to play Avowed via early access can do so by picking up one of the premium editions of the game. This includes one of the following:
Avowed Premium Edition
Avowed Premium Steelbook
Avowed Premium Upgrade – Xbox Game Pass or for anyone wanting to upgrade from the standard edition
The upgrade, premium edition and premium steelbook are £20 more than the £69.99 standard cost, so bear that in mind before purchasing.
What else is included in the Avowed early access?
Avowed. Obsidian Entertainment
Alongside accessing Avowed five days early, players that pick up the Premium Edition will unlock two premium skin packs for their characters, a digital artbook as well as the game's soundtrack in digital form.
So, the decision is yours as to whether to invest £20 more to gain access to the Avowed early on top of the cosmetic perks.
It's worth noting that early access usually means there's a chance of bugs being more prevalent, with a day one patch typically not being available until a game's wider release.
That said, if you want to avoid spoilers and get in on the action ahead of everyone else, this is the way to do so.
Avowed is scheduled to launch across Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows on 18th February 2025.
Matt Poskitt is a freelance journalist who specialises in arts and culture – be that movies, TV, video games, tech or otherwise. Matt headed up the games and entertainment section at T3 (Future Publishing), alongside being found across The Guardian, CNET, PC Gamer Mag, GamesIndustry.biz, Insider, iNews, IGN, TechRadar, PC Gamer Mag, NME and many more.
