Pillars of Eternity Launches Turn-Based Mode Beta Tomorrow
Obsidian Entertainment has officially announced that the beloved classic cRPG Pillars of Eternity will receive a fan-requested turn-based mode, entering public beta tomorrow on Steam and the Xbox PC app. This update arrives nearly a decade after the game’s original release and represents a major shift for one of the most acclaimed modern isometric RPGs.
Until now, Pillars of Eternity has only featured the traditional real-time with pause (RTwP) combat system, while its sequel, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, later introduced an optional turn-based mode. Fans have long requested this gameplay option for the first installment, and Obsidian is finally answering that call.
The announcement came directly from Josh Sawyer, project director of Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas, and the recent hit Pentiment. Sawyer explained that the new mode builds upon lessons learned from Deadfire’s implementation. “There were a number of very reasonable criticisms of how the turn-based mode was implemented in Deadfire. Nick Carver and Jesse Bureno are trying to address those as well as they can,” Sawyer said.
He elaborated that one of the key improvements is a refined action economy: “The number of turns you get to take per round is no longer tied to the round, but to your speed and recovery. That feels like it has much greater parity with the real time with pause mode.” The update also limits the use of free actions, which many players previously found abusable.
Another major improvement targets pacing, one of the biggest criticisms of Deadfire’s turn-based mode. To make combat feel more dynamic and less drawn out, Obsidian has increased overall lethality. Additionally, players will now be able to switch freely between real-time with pause and turn-based modes from combat to combat, allowing for flexible experimentation.
Since this is a public beta, Obsidian encourages players to provide feedback and report issues to help refine the final version before its official release.
Even though Pillars of Eternity first launched ten years ago, this update could reignite interest in the game, particularly following the success of Avowed, which shares the same world of Eora.
Josh Sawyer has previously stated that he would love to develop Pillars of Eternity 3 with a Baldur’s Gate 3-sized budget and would make it fully turn-based. This new mode feels like a natural step toward that ambition, potentially setting the groundwork for the series’ future evolution.
Would you return to Pillars of Eternity to experience it in turn-based combat, or do you still prefer the classic real-time with pause system?
