Avowed vs Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Choose Avowed for spell-slinging freedom, or Veilguard for action combat — but pick Veilguard if you insist on reactive companions.
Updated 24d ago
Dual-wielding a wand and a flintlock is genuinely great — but the open world is empty and the choices never branch, so it misses the Obsidian reactivity you came for.
Better than its 40 player score, weaker than its 80 from critics — the combat nails it, but no companion ever disagrees with you.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 12; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 12.
| Measure | Avowed | Dragon Age: The Veilguard |
|---|---|---|
| Value Dragon Age: The Veilguard wins on value | ||
| Price now | $44.99 −10% · PlayerLand | $20.99 −65% · EA Store |
| All-time low | $29.99 | $17.99 |
| Cost / hour | $2.23/hr $44.99 · 20 h main story | $0.74/hr $20.99 · 28 h main story |
| Off its low | +50% low was Jun 2026 | +17% low was Jun 2026 |
| Main story | 20 h | 28 h |
| Health Avowed wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 77% 13k reviews | 68% 45k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 77% 141 votes · vs 77% lifetime | 60% 222 votes · vs 68% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 1,289 Aug 2026 · ↑ 28% MoM | 1,017 Aug 2026 · ↓ 18% MoM |
| Launch peak | 7% of Feb 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 19,161 Feb 2025 | 60,656 Nov 2024 · now at 2% |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 6 months ago | 20 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Avowed
The combat's magic toolkit — dual-wielding wands, guns, and swords with flashy spells — keeps long-haul players coming back.
The open world feels big for no reason, and choices don't matter, leaving progression gated and exploration unrewarding for many 100-hour vets.
from our August 2026 verdict
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Players who stuck with it credit the prime-and-detonate combat and the romances, and several say they enjoyed it far more than they expected to.
Series veterans say the writing lost its moral weight and that Thedas here feels generic next to Origins.
from our July 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Avowed if
- You played Pillars of Eternity and want a first-person tour
- You prefer a 20-hour main story over a longer commitment
- You like casting spells for pure power, not systemic simulation
Pick Dragon Age: The Veilguard if
- You enjoy action combat where you parry and detonate combos
- You're new to Dragon Age and don't need to import a save
- You want a 28-hour campaign that looks polished and modern
Bottom line
Choose Avowed for its quicker, cheaper spell-play at $1-2 per hour, but Veilguard wins if you need companions who challenge you — even with its $2-plus hourly cost.