D&D: Baldur’s Gate 3 Delayed, But A Release Date Is Coming Soon
Baldur’s Gate 3 will be missing their August deadline for their Early Access release–but it looks like the game is just around the corner.
2020 has been something of a lost year–cons have been canceled, games of all shapes and sizes have been delayed or canceled, studios have been hard hit by closures and economic turmoil. Indeed, nearly every industry has felt the impact of COVID, and unless you’re a billionaire, it’s been a hard year. As we slide into August, the hopes of an optimistic February are grist for the mill of an encroaching autumn, which brings us to the matter at hand today. Baldur’s Gate 3 has pushed back its release date, replacing their big August hopes and dreams with an online panel that’ll show off the new release date and “big news” coming in two weeks’ time.
Good news and bad news. BG3 won’t hit August, but it’s just around the corner. We’ll be announcing the release date, as well as big news on the Panel From Hell alongside @geoffkeighley, @LarAtLarian and the Larian crew. Tune in Aug 18th. https://t.co/S1RlVpJ8yw pic.twitter.com/NCkrnHHpH0
— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) August 4, 2020
There are a few things we can gleam from this. For one, August 18th was likely the original Early Access date. After all, the Panel from Hell was probably planned for a while before the actual announcement came. But two, the game is still far enough along that they’re willing to tell everyone “hey we’re delaying, but we’re still going to show it off.” And joining the panel will be Chris Perkins, DM extraordinaire, who is here to show off some of the “big news.”
I will be joining Larian Studios’ #BaldursGate3 Panel from Hell & Launch Date Reveal on August 18th at 10 a.m. PT! The countdown has begun at https://t.co/7CDwx1RnwL. #dnd #wotcstaff pic.twitter.com/6DnA6vNHxz
Advertisement— Christopher Pumpkins 🎃 (@ChrisPerkinsDnD) August 4, 2020
One thing to keep in mind, though, is what Larian Studios considers a “Launch Date.” Going by their previous works, Divinity Original Sin 1 & 2, the game will probably be in early access for a while (without the full workup of classes or content), the developers will take the feedback quite seriously, and as the game is improved to the point it’s ready to be called “done” everything will be consolidated into the “definitive” edition.
If the Original Sin early access period is anything to go by, though, fans will absolutely have an impact on the game. The way Original Sins 1 & 2 shaped up was entirely due to feedback gleaned during the early access period–so if you want a hand in where Baldur’s Gate 3 ends up, you’ll definitely want to check out the Panel from Hell.
As a reminder, we know that we’ll see Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3 (at the very least), as well as six different classes with select subclasses:
- Fighter – Battle Master, Eldritch Knight
- Wizard – Evocation, Abjuration
- Rogue – Arcane Trickster, Thief
- Ranger – Hunter, Beast Master
- Cleric – Life, Light, Trickery
- Warlock – Fiend, Great One
We’ll be keeping you up to date with all the latest BG 3 news, so be sure and check back for more details.
In the meantime, happy adventuring!
