Earlier in the year, Xbox Game Studios developer Obsidian Entertainment confirmed that it would be revisiting Pillars of Eternity, a role-playing game (RPG) the studio first released all the way back in 2015.
To celebrate the game's 10th anniversary, the team confirmed that a turn-based mode was in development for Pillars of Eternity, letting players enjoy it in the same way as the turn-based mode for its sequel and other RPGs, but with some extra tweaks.
On Monday, Obsidian announced that the turn-based mode for Pillars of Eternity will launch first as a beta for players on Steam and Xbox on PC. This is meant to allow the studio to gather feedback as players report any bugs before the mode rolls out for everyone.
Additionally, Obsidian design director and Pentiment game director Josh Sawyer shared some insights into how the mode has been developed and what the team is trying to accomplish, which you can check out in the video below:
- Unbound Turns: All turns are now influenced by a character’s overall speed, improving the value of Real-Time with Pause attributes and mechanics.
- Smarter Free Actions: Actions like swapping weapons, drinking potions, or enabling modals are now free actions. Each free action is limited to one per turn per type for balance.
- Faster Pacing: Combat lethality has been significantly increased for both enemies and players to keep battles tense and impactful.
- Mode Flexibility: You can choose Turn-Based Mode alongside difficulty when starting a new game — or swap freely between Real-Time with Pause and Turn-Based Mode in the game options. We’re also investigating a direct HUD toggle for even more convenience.
Personally, this is quite cool to see, and I'm happy to see Obsidian still updating one of its games a decade on in a major way. I'm definitely going to check this mode out at some point soon, especially since I've really become interested in the world of Eora since playing Avowed, one of multiple games released by Obsidian Entertainment earlier this year.
At the time I'm writing this, it's possible to grab a Steam copy of Pillars of Eternity Definitive Edition for under $5 from Loaded (formerly CDKeys), making it the perfect way to get in and start checking out the turn-based beta if you don't already own the game on Steam.
You can also check out the beta through the Xbox on PC version, which is included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
FAQ
What platforms is the turn-based beta for Pillars of Eternity available on?
The turn-based beta for Pillars of Eternity is available on Steam, as well as through Xbox on PC.
When does the turn-based beta for Pillars of Eternity begin?
The public beta for the turn-based beta is set to begin on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
What’s new in this mode?
Key changes include unbound turns (based on character speed), smarter free actions (like swapping weapons or drinking potions), faster pacing with higher lethality, and the ability to swap between real‑time and turn‑based in the options menu.
Why add turn‑based now?
Obsidian says the success of Deadfire’s turn‑based mode inspired them to revisit the original, with improvements based on community feedback.
Is this only on PC?
For now, yes — the beta is available on Steam and Xbox PC. No console release has been confirmed.
Does Pillars of Eternity share a setting with Avowed?
Yes, Obsidian's 2025 role-playing game Avowed is set in the world of Eora, the same fantasy setting as Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire.
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