Does doing the codex story mission tick down the avatar project counter?

[Yoot Scute]

I finished the shadow chamber research of the codex brain, and I got the mission to investigate the coordinates. Will completing this mission remove avatar project progress? My avatar bar filled up and I need to know whether to do a facility raid or this.

[Amanoob105]

Most steps on the story help to lower the avatar counter. All missions are on that list of lowering it as are (if I'm remembering right) any times it tells you to go shiv something with the skulljack and you can kill the result.

https://xcom.fandom.com/wiki/Missions_(XCOM_2)
(Look about halfway down the page in the Key Missions section if you want to see how much it lowers it by.)

[KRON]

Yes, completing this mission will reduce Avatar progress. In general, completing any story objective will reduce it.

[Yoot Scute]

@Amanoob105 @KRON Thanks to the both of you! I've managed to get myself in a bit of a pickle, and the 3 pips it says on the page the mission will reduce should get me out of the big red countdown. Then I can go bash the facility after my soldiers heal a bit.