Avowed Makes Companions More Reliable with Update 1.2.3

Three days after releasing to the public, Xbox and Obsidian Entertainments’s Avowed has a new update for players to install. While it isn’t as big as the Day One patch that came prior, it fixes a lot of bugs and issues that plagued the game. Specifically, many quests like ‘A Path to the Garden’ and ‘Message from Afar’ now work as intended, which is good for those who may have missed out on them. Furthermore, balancing various skills like the Arcane Veil and better assists from companions like Kai and Yatzli have been added. The update is available to download now on PC and Xbox Series X|S.

Avowed, which takes place within Eora, the same world in the Pillars of Eternity universe, has been received quite well. Many, like us here at ComicBook, likened the title to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for its engaging combat, grand story, and excellent worldbuilding. In our review, we said “Avowed may not be the most advanced RPG in the world and there may be games that offer unparalleled levels of depth by comparison, but that doesn’t stop Obisidan’s new fantasy game from being great.”

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As mentioned before, Update 1.2.3 of Avowed fixes a lot of various glitches and bugs that were in the game. For example, enemies will spawn more reliably when in waves and the AI of companions will be more competent in battle. Outside of that, many issues with the UI and audio have been addressed to ensure a smooth experience for those venturing in the Living Lands.

The patch notes for Update 1.2.3 of Avowed can be found below:

Crashes & Major Issues

• Resolved a crash related to GameThread timing out.
• Fixed a crash when pressing ESC after climbing a ladder.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when playing on PC with an Xbox Account signed in and losing an internet connection.
• Addressed a rare rendering-related crash.

Quests & Area Design

• Yatzli now correctly advances “A Path to the Garden” quest even if “One Last Drink” was completed before meeting Temerti & Yatzli in Thirdborn.
• Ofryc will now appear as intended in Paradis near the end of “Dawntreader.”
• “Shadows of the Past” now progresses correctly if the player enters Naku Kubel immediately after it becomes accessible.
• Sanza now correctly rewards the player when turning in the first map.
• Wilfrith’s Map is now removed from the player’s inventory when given to Sanza.
• Removed a “Quest Available” icon from a quest giver in Shatterscarp if they have been killed.
• Fixed an issue where a conversation with Yatzli during “The Siege of Paradis” would start too early.
• Fixed an issue where a dream conversation in Dawnshore would end prematurely.
• Corrected conditionals preventing certain end slides from playing.
• The “Precious Light” quest marker now appears correctly if Adelgund was spoken to before the quest starts.
• Amadio in Emerald Stair no longer reacts as if the xaurips have been killed when only damaged by an elemental interaction.
• Sargamis’ dialogue after choosing to sacrifice himself is no longer cut off.
• Fixed an issue where dreamthralls outside of Naku Kubel would drop dead unexpectedly.
• Xaurips in the Deadfall Highlands (Shatterscarp) will no longer follow the player outside their intended area.
• Barrier collision is now correctly removed after a conversation in front of Naku Kubel and fast traveling to Party Camp.
• The Belderreno bounty encounter now spawns more reliably.
• Players can no longer skip talking to Darle after burning the nests in “Fires in the Mine.”
• Fixed an issue where four of the same Great Sword could be picked up outside of Paradis.
• Players can now properly give illicit goods to Daiko under certain conditions in “The Wasteland Courier.”
• Players can now properly exit the conversation with Forgemaster Dela in Solace Keep when unsure about which weapon to upgrade.
• Players can no longer use parkour on the rocks to bypass part of “Boundaries of Antiquity.”
• The Pyromancer in Dawnshore no longer clips into and out of the ground.
• The “Message From Afar” quest now properly completes if the player exited The Strangleroot in an unintended way.
• Added a proper quest marker for “Mapping the Living Lands: Galawain’s Tusks.”

Systems, Gameplay, and Balance Updates

• Corrected the requirements for the achievement “The Outer Worlds.”
• Arcane Veil Balance Adjustments:
  • Damage Reduction: 50% → 25%
  • Cooldown: 10s → 15s
• Environmental Fixes:
  • Characters are no longer affected by electrified water when standing above it, jumping over it, or standing on an ice platform.
• Companion Behavior:
  • Companions will now assist in combat more reliably.
  • Companions will no longer rarely disappear after skipping a cutscene.
• Combat & Encounters:
  • Combat Encounters.
  • Encounters with waves of enemies now spawn more reliably.
  • Fixed rare cases where NPCs would teleport under the map.
  • Improved behavior for water-borne electrical damage.
  • Melee weapons (except one-handed swords) now properly trigger camera shakes when hitting enemies.
  • Newly spawned enemies during combat now detect the player correctly.
• Player Movement & Camera Fixes:
  • Fixed an issue where the Steel Garotte guard’s weapon would enlarge when taking damage before a conversation.
  • The player camera no longer lurches when opening a small lockbox.
• The player will no longer:
  • Levitate briefly after opening a sarcophagus.
  • Momentarily uncrouch when opening a small lockbox.
  • Be unable to move after loading a save where Arcane Veil was active.
  • Get stuck aiming down sights after a cutscene.

Audio Improvements

• Adjusted music mix volumes based on story moments and vistas in:
  • Emerald Stair
  • Galawain’s Tusks
  • Shatterscarp
  • The Garden

• Sound Fixes:
  • “Arduous Delay of Motion” ability now plays an audio effect upon enemy impact.
  • “Barbaric Shout” now correctly plays the shout sound every time it is used.
• Visual & Art Fixes
  • Camera Framing Adjustments:
    • Before dispelling the barrier to Naku Kubel.
    • In conversations with gossiping Fiorian Citizens in Emerald Stair.
    • During “The Siege of Paradis” quest.
    • In Naku Kubel.
    • With Cinzia in Thirdborn
  • Improved fog appearance in the opening area of The Garden.
  • Adjusted lighting near the Shrine to Skaen in Emerald Stair.
  • NPCs now correctly look at the player rather than at the camera during the debate with Giatta, Vidarro, and Quillici in Fior mes Iverno.
  • Removed graphical artifacts from the dreamscourge effect in Emerald Stair near the Farmer’s Market.
• User Interface (UI) & Controls
  • Fixed “Insufficient Funds” and strikethrough text incorrectly appearing in store screens.
  • Cloud Syncing:
    • When saving fails, a more descriptive error message now appears.
    • If save sync fails after logging in, a dialog will now display listing the failed save syncs.
  • HUD & Indicators:
    • Adjusted directional damage indicators to not display during damage-over-time effects.
    • Fixed an issue where damage numbers were previously failing to appear.
    • Clarified text for Cross Save pop-ups.
    • Loot windows now show correct values for stacked coins.
  • Controller & Inventory Fixes:
    • Steam & Xbox icons now appear in the Main Menu to indicate the logged-in account.
    • Settings now correctly apply saved controller layouts after restarting the game.
    • Upon crafting the maximum amount of an item, focus now returns to that item’s recipe entry.
    • Inventory values are now hidden for items that cannot be sold (e.g., quest items and upgrade materials).
  • Miscellaneous
    • Credits: Various corrections were made.
    • Localization: French tutorials now display properly localized images.