Obsidian Entertainment has officially launched a turn-based combat mode for Pillars of Eternity, delivering a substantial free update to the classic RPG more than eleven years after its original release. The update, which went live on April 6, 2026, follows months of open beta testing that began in November of last year. Players can now choose between the original real-time-with-pause system and the new turn-based option, with the freedom to switch between the two at any point during gameplay.
The new combat system isn’t simply a pause-and-play reskin — it features a fully realized turn structure influenced by each character’s speed stat. Notably, particularly fast characters have the opportunity to act twice within a single round, adding a layer of tactical depth that rewards careful party building. The mode draws on lessons learned from Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, which received its own turn-based option back in 2019, with director Josh Sawyer having discussed the design evolution when the beta first launched.
Alongside the headline feature, the patch delivers a healthy list of bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. Combat exploits involving stacked status effects like stun, paralyze, and petrify have been addressed, and using quick items while spiritshifted no longer causes unintended problems. Obsidian also tweaked interface controls to make the transition to turn-based play smoother, and squashed a charming bug that left characters stuck in running animations during cutscenes. A Korean localization has also been added across all versions of the game.
The timing of the update feels significant in the wake of Baldur’s Gate 3’s enormous success. Pillars of Eternity was originally celebrated as a spiritual successor to the classic Baldur’s Gate formula, with Eurogamer once calling it “the Baldur’s Gate 3 we never got.” Now, with turn-based combat available, the game aligns even more closely with the style that Larian Studios popularized for a massive new audience. For players who fell in love with that deliberate, strategic approach to RPG battles, this update offers a compelling reason to revisit — or discover — the world of Eora.
Obsidian acknowledged in a Steam post that while the largest bugs were squashed during the beta period, additional issues may still surface, and the studio committed to releasing further patches in the near term. The update serves as a belated but generous tenth-anniversary gift for a game that helped reignite interest in classic isometric RPGs.
The Pillars of Eternity universe has continued to expand, most recently with 2025’s Avowed, a first-person action RPG set in the same world. Whether Obsidian will return to the series for a proper third installment remains uncertain, though director Josh Sawyer has previously expressed interest in making Pillars of Eternity 3 — ideally with a budget rivaling that of Baldur’s Gate 3. For now, this surprise update proves the studio hasn’t forgotten where the journey began.