Obsidian’s fantasy RPG Avowed recently received its 1.5 update, and it’s one of the biggest patches so far. The update adds new abilities, fixes bugs, and one of the highlights is that Avowed is now officially Steam Deck Verified, which means the game should run smoothly right out of the box on Valve’s handheld. This was something many players had been waiting for, and on paper, it’s a huge win.

With all these changes, the update looked like a huge step forward. But the reality has been a lot different. Instead of improving the experience, many players are reporting serious performance problems. On social media, players like Sebastian Catellanos shared that after installing the patch, the game now suffers from random freezing and heavy stuttering. The game’s review section on Steam is also full of similar complaints, with users mentioning FPS drops, crashes, and gameplay lag that weren’t as bad before the update.

Avowed is stuttering after patch 1.5

This is especially frustrating because the game just got verified for the Steam Deck. Normally, that means the game runs smoothly without players needing to change settings. But now, based on what we’re seeing so far, Steam Deck owners might start facing performance issues instead. Obsidian has asked players to report bugs through their support page, so there’s hope that another hotfix will arrive soon. Still, it’s clear that while the 1.5 patch added exciting new content and long-requested features, it also introduced unexpected technical issues.

The patch introduced a lot of new content. Fighters and Rangers now have several new abilities and passives, giving them more variety and making them feel more balanced compared to the Wizard tree. Players also got their Envoy’s abilities refunded for free so they can try out the new skills.

Unique items were added across regions like Dawnshore, Emerald Stair, and Galawain’s Tusks, allowing for new builds earlier in the game. The update also included improvements to cooking and crafting, UI and accessibility upgrades, and more quest fixes. On top of that, Japanese and Korean language support was added, making the game more accessible to new players worldwide.

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Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.