Pillars of Eternity and Deadfire: Controller Support Public Test is Now Live!

Greetings Watchers,

The Controller Support Public Test for Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is now live on XBOX on PC, Steam, and GOG.

You can now play the whole of either game with a controller, from character creation to the end credits (and, in Deadfire, all the way out to naval combat), in both Real-Time with Pause and Turn-Based Mode. Deadfire’s support builds on the controller scheme from the console editions. Prefer to switch things up? Pick up your mouse and keyboard at any time, and the game follows right along.

Deadfire’s Turn-Based Mode has also been reworked with the improvements we made for Pillars of Eternity’s Turn-Based Mode: turns now follow each character’s speed, combat is more lethal, and swapping weapons or drinking potions no longer costs your action. You can now switch Turn-Based Mode on or off during a playthrough, and the update brings a long list of fixes across combat, quests, audio, and the interface.

As a reminder:

• This is a public test, so please expect bugs.

• The public test will run for some time as we continue to update it in preparation for a full release.

We’ll be collecting your reports, issues, and suggestions throughout the test and doing our best to integrate that feedback into the final version.

How to access the Public Test:

Steam

1. In your Steam Library, right-click Pillars of Eternity or Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and select “Properties.”

2. Select the “Betas” tab, click the drop-down labeled “None,” and select “public_beta.”

3. Close the window, and you should have a download ready. Launching the game should automatically trigger the download. If you don’t see the update, please restart your Steam client.

GOG

1. In your game Library, Right click on Pillars of Eternity and go to "Manage Installation" -> Configure

2. In "Beta Channels" select Public Beta

3. Select "OK" and you should have a download ready.

XBOX on PC

1. Sign-in on your Windows PC and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)

2. Navigate to Previews > Pillars of Eternity – Hero Edition

3. Select Join

4. Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install Pillars of Eternity – Hero Edition

If you have an issue or want to share feedback, please contact us at support.obsidian.net or join our official Discord Server and help us shape the update together.

As always, thank you for your continued support and for being part of these adventures in Eora with us. We’re thrilled to bring controller support to both games and can’t wait to see what you think.

Pillars of Eternity – Patch 1.3.10.0

Major Features

• Controller support has been added to Pillars of Eternity!

  • The whole game can be played with a controller, including character creation, exploration, combat in Real-Time with Pause and Turn-Based Mode, conversations, the inventory, crafting and enchanting, the Stronghold, and the world map.

  • Radial menus give quick access to abilities, spells, and party commands, and button prompts are shown throughout the interface.

  • Switch between a controller and mouse and keyboard at any time; the interface and button prompts follow the input you’re using.

  • Xbox and PlayStation controllers are supported, as are Steam Deck and Steam Big Picture mode, including the on-screen keyboard for naming characters and writing notes.

Steam Deck

Players on Steam Deck will need to enable the controller configuration by following the steps below. 

1. Open your Steam Library on your Steam Deck.

2. Navigate to the Pillars of Eternity.

3. Select the Controller icon (gamepad icon) on the game's library page.

4. Select your Current Layout to open the layout selection screen.

5. Navigate to Templates.

6. Select Gamepad with Joystick Trackpad or Gamepad if the first option isn't available.

7. Select Apply Layout to save the configuration.

8. Launch game and verify that the controller inputs are working correctly.

Combat and Mechanics – Turn-Based Mode

• Spells that enter the turn order now tick correctly before the caster’s first turn after casting.

• DR Bypass is now applied to the attack that starts a battle in Turn-Based Mode.

• Barbarians no longer get stuck in an attack state that prevents ending the turn when Blood Thirst and Carnage trigger at the same time.

• The camera no longer stays focused on the space between the active character and their last target.

Combat and Mechanics – General

• Concelhaut’s Parasitic Staff can no longer be looted from enemies who died after using the spell.

User Interface and Interaction

• The Stronghold’s Party Management window can no longer be opened repeatedly while the party is away from the Stronghold.

• Descriptions on the Stronghold – Upgrades screen no longer overlap the upgrade requirements.

• Character names can now be entered with the on-screen keyboard on Steam Deck.

• The description of Fulvano’s Boots is no longer fragmented.

• The description of Measured Restraint no longer contains a redundant line break.