Answer
Hourglass icons show a quest action’s time cost before the player commits.
Context
The hands-on preview states that actions consuming time display one or several hourglass icons in the interface. This makes time a visible resource rather than a hidden penalty.
This distinction matters because pre-release summaries often merge confirmed facts with expected genre conventions.
Use in planning
Check the icons before accepting a step, continuing a conversation, or learning a time-costing ability.
Verification status
The complete icon legend, accessibility options, and every cost value need launch-build verification.
Planning rule
Apply the hourglass time icons explained answer together with three checks: which form Coen currently has, how many hourglass units the next action shows, and which other thread would be delayed. Free exploration and charged quest actions are different categories, so route advice should never deduct time merely because a player walked, searched, or opened the map.
Source
Xbox Wire hands-on preview. Checked 2026-07-25. This guide separates published facts from details that still require the release build.
FAQ
- Hourglass Time Icons Explained
- Hourglass icons show a quest action’s time cost before the player commits.
- What is still unconfirmed?
- The complete icon legend, accessibility options, and every cost value need launch-build verification.