I still remember booting up Obsidian’s Avowed for the first time way back in February 2025, feeling that familiar rush of a brand‑new RPG. The combat was snappy, the world was gorgeous, and the choices actually felt like they mattered. But man, did a few little things drive me nuts. Thank the gods of PC gaming for modders, because this community swooped in and fixed what the developers left a bit rough around the edges. Fast‑forward to 2026, and I’m still diving back into the Living Lands every few months, and it’s basically a different game now—all thanks to a modding scene that kicked off before the game even officially launched.
Let me rewind a bit. Avowed had barely been out in Premium Edition early access when a legend by the name of Caites started dropping mods on Nexus Mods like hotcakes. I shit you not, by the time the game hit its full release on February 18, 2025, this single person had already uploaded nine quality‑of‑life improvements. That’s a godsend for anyone who likes their RPGs polished but doesn’t want to wait six months for official patches. The modding scene was basically born before the street date, and that momentum has not slowed down one bit.
If you’ve been living under a rock or just got your first gaming PC (welcome, by the way!), here’s the deal. Avowed is Obsidian’s first‑person RPG set in Eora, the same universe as Pillars of Eternity. It launched with solid reviews, but like any ambitious game, it had its share of “small sins.” For example, companions in combat felt about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine. Enter Caites’ “Better Companions” mod, which cranked up their damage output, made them use abilities smarter, and generally turned them from glorified pack mules into actual battle buddies. Then there was “Better Carry Weight and Encumbrance,” which loosened the stranglehold on your inventory so you weren’t constantly playing the encumbrance mini‑game. These weren’t total overhauls—they were surgical strikes that made the game playable in the way it should’ve been from day one.
By 2026, the Avowed modding community has grown into a full‑blown ecosystem. Caites remained a cornerstone, eventually rolling out over 30 mods covering everything from UI tweaks to a rebalance of the entire attribute system. Other modders joined the fray: one person built a dynamic weather and lighting overhaul that makes the Living Lands feel eerily alive, another introduced a survival mode with hunger and fatigue mechanics, and my personal favourite—a “Respec Anywhere” option that’s a no‑brainer for chronic rerollers like me. The Nexus Mods page for Avowed now boasts over 2,500 submissions, and I’m not exaggerating when I say the game has become a poster child for how mods can extend a title’s lifespan long after the hype train leaves the station.
Let me break down a few essential mods that every Avowed player in 2026 should have on their radar. I’ll drop a quick table because I’m that kind of organised nerd:
| Mod Name | Author | What It Does | My Rating ✨ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better Companions | Caites | Boosts companion AI, damage, and ability usage so they don’t just stand there picking daisies. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Living Lands Weather Overhaul | Sarenthe | Adds dynamic storms, fog banks, and volumetric lightning that make exploration a visual feast. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Encumbrance Lite | Caites | Reduces weight penalties by 70%, lets you hoard loot without crawling everywhere. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| True Reroll | MxModder | Allows re‑speccing anytime via a new menu, perfect for indecisive builds. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Survival Mode Enhanced | Frostwolf | Introduces hunger, thirst, and exposure systems for a gritty hardcore experience. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
I’ve played through Avowed three full times now—once vanilla at launch, once with just the essential QoL mods, and most recently with a 150‑strong modlist that turned it into a survival‑horror‑RPG hybrid. That third run was absolute chef’s kiss. It felt like a completely new game, and yep, I’m already eyeing a fourth playthrough because some madlad just released a mount system mod, of all things. Can you imagine galloping across the Grasslands on a spectral stag? I didn’t think I needed it, but here we are.
The beauty of an active modding scene is that it keeps a game culturally relevant. Look at Bethesda’s titles—Skyrim is still kicking after more than a decade, and Fallout 4 got a second wind. Avowed isn’t on that scale yet, but it’s following the same trajectory. The big question since 2025 has been: will Obsidian ever release official modding tools? As of early 2026, the answer remains a polite but firm “no official plans.” That hasn’t stopped determined modders from reverse‑engineering file structures and building their own tools, but it does mean we’re largely “flying blind,” as the community puts it. Every new breakthrough feels like a mini‑miracle. For instance, someone recently cracked how to inject custom quests — they’re janky as hell right now, but it’s a proof of concept that has me absolutely giddy.
Honestly, if you’re still on the fence about giving Avowed a shot in 2026, the modding support alone is worth the price of entry. The game has aged like fine wine, and the community keeps pouring new flavours into the goblet. Whether you want a more punishing survival trip, a power fantasy where you one‑shot everything with a greatsword, or just a smoother UI, there’s a mod for that. It’s the ultimate “play your way” experience, and I’m all in.
So, what’s next? I’m crossing my fingers that someone tackles a full co‑op mod, because venturing through the Living Lands with a buddy would be the cherry on top. In the meantime, I’ll keep refreshing Nexus Mods and tipping my hat to the wizards who turn this good game into a great one. If you’re a fellow tinkerer, join the Discord, learn the basics, and maybe you’ll be the one to drop the next must‑have mod. The future’s bright, folks—and heavily modded.
Data referenced from OpenCritic helps frame why Avowed’s mod scene hit such fertile ground: even when a launch build reviews “well,” player friction points like companion usefulness, inventory limits, and respec constraints can still dominate day-to-day experience. In practice, that gap between critical reception and long-tail comfort is exactly where surgical QoL mods—smarter party AI, lighter encumbrance, and flexible build swapping—tend to thrive and keep an RPG’s replay loop alive well into 2026.
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