Baldur’s Gate 3, the highly anticipated RPG set in theDungeons & Dragonsuniverse, will launch in early access later this year, developer Larian Studios confirmed.
The announcement was made by Hasbro in an investor event at the New York Toy Fair. The company’s presentationrevealedthat there were sevenDungeons & Dragons-based RPGs in development, which includesBaldur’s Gate 3andDark Alliance. Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast, which opened a new studio of its own named Archetype Entertainment, tapped Larian Studios for the development of the third game in theBaldur’s Gateseries.
It isuncommonfor an expansive RPG to launch in early access, but Larian Studios has had experience in such a setup.Divinity: Original Sin 2was first rolled out in early access in September 2016, with the full launch not taking place until exactly a year later in September 2017.
In the first stage ofDivinity: Original Sin 2, Larian Studios only included the prologue, the first chapter, and a transition into the second act. After the game’s full release, there were continuous updates that culminated in a Definitive Edition in August 2018. It is unclear if the early access and eventual full release ofBaldur’s Gate 3willfollowa similar pattern and timeline.
Larian Studios’ confirmation of the upcoming early access release ofBaldur’s Gate 3follows a recent Google Stadia blog post that named the RPG as one of the games coming to the streaming service this year. The developerexplainedthatBaldur’s Gate 3was included in the blog post as an error, but it did not clearly deny that the game will arrive within 2020.
It appears that Google Stadia spoiled the announcement, though that is likely not a problem for fans of the series who have been waiting for the third installment since the original project was canceled in 2003.
Larian Studios will show footage ofBaldur’s Gate 3at PAX East on February 27, with a presentation that will feature the RPG’s gameplay and story details, followed by a Q&A session. The developer may also use its time at the annual event to reveal a more specific release date for the game’s early access.
