Pillars of Eternity’s New Turn-Based Mode Lands in Public Beta

More Than a Decade Later, Pillars of Eternity Gets a New Way to Play

Obsidian has swung the lantern back over one of the defining CRPGs of the last decade. Pillars of Eternity, the studio’s isometric, party-based fantasy epic, is receiving an optional turn-based mode via a new public beta launching November 5 on Steam and Xbox PC. It’s a striking move from a developer that already had a banner year with fresh releases, yet still found time to revisit the game that rekindled love for Infinity Engine–style adventures.

The new mode isn’t a straight lift; it’s a careful evolution of the turn-based option that players experimented with in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Game director Josh Sawyer frames it as a response to the community’s long-running feedback: clearer tactical readability, more deliberate positioning, and the kind of pacing that lets you savor choices instead of pausing in a storm of particle effects. Expect bugs and ongoing tuning – the studio is clear this is a true beta and will run for “some time” while updates roll out – but it’s playable, public, and designed to gather data from a wide slice of the fanbase.

What’s actually changing – and what isn’t

Crucially, turn-based is a mode, not a mandate. Real-time with pause (RTwP) remains intact for purists who adore the original combat rhythm. The new option layers a gridless, round-structured cadence over the same encounters, emphasizing initiative, status interplay, and ability economy. If you enjoyed planning in Deadfire’s turn-based option but wished for better pacing and encounter clarity, Obsidian says those are exactly the areas it’s polished here.

Platform-wise, the beta is available on Steam and Xbox PC today; that has immediately sparked two practical questions from players: will controller support be fully addressed, and will the final update make its way to PlayStation? Obsidian hasn’t promised either within the beta notes, so consider those open items to watch as the test matures.

Community temperature check

If you’ve followed the series closely, this announcement might not knock you off your chair – some fans point out turn-based testing has been discussed for months. But the reaction captures the series in miniature: a mix of excitement to revisit the game, a little side-eye toward the third act’s pacing, and a lively skirmish between turn-based converts and RTwP loyalists. The latter insist they’re still here (dozens! they joke), while the former argue that the new mode makes Pillars far more approachable for players who bounced off the micromanagement of pausing combat every second.

There’s also the evergreen debate around Sawyer’s public commentary on budgets and ambition. In 2023 he mused he’d tackle a hypothetical Pillars 3 with a Baldur’s Gate 3–sized budget – and that he’d design it as turn-based. Some readers bristled at comparisons to Larian’s behemoth, noting that Deadfire’s closest yardstick was really Original Sin 2, not BG3. Whether you find that framing fair or not, it underscores a broader truth: resources shape systems, and turn-based tools can scale cleanly with cinematic presentation and reactive story beats.

Why this matters now

Turn-based combat doesn’t just change pacing; it reframes the whole on-ramp to Pillars. Suddenly, every encounter reads like a puzzle, every affliction a lever to pull, and every spell a commitment you feel. For returning players, it’s an excuse to replay with a new lens; for newcomers, it removes the anxiety of pausing at the perfect millisecond. And because it’s optional, the update doesn’t erase the identity that long-time fans backed on Kickstarter.

All of this lands atop a legacy that still holds up. Back in 2015, Pillars of Eternity earned a 9/10 and a reputation as the best heir to Baldur’s Gate’s throne. Obsidian followed with Deadfire in 2018, then joined Microsoft later that year and evolved into one of Xbox’s most prolific studios with releases like The Outer Worlds and Grounded. This patch is less a victory lap and more a statement of stewardship: classics can grow without being rewritten.

What to watch during the beta

• Stability & balance: Expect rapid-fire patches. Early tuning on initiative and crowd control usually shifts once thousands of people kick the tires.
• Controller support: A top community request; pay attention to navigation, radial menus, and tooltip readability.
• Platform scope: Steam and Xbox PC are in; whether PlayStation joins for the full release remains to be clarified.
• Encounter feel: Iconic fights will play differently; some will sing in turn-based, others may need tweaks.

As for the big question – will there be a Pillars of Eternity 3? – Obsidian has not announced a next game. Sawyer’s stance is unchanged: with the right budget, he’d love to try, and he’d go turn-based. For now, the studio is asking you to test a new way to journey through the Dyrwood. Whether you march in rounds or dance in pauses, it’s hard not to admire the audacity of adding a new combat paradigm to a modern classic this far into its life.