‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ Gets Release Date, Xbox Release Uncertain
The highly anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 gets a proper release date–but Xbox fans will have to wait longer than everyone else.
Baldur’s Gate is one of the most beloved Dungeons & Dragons video games series of all time. Originally developed by BioWare and released in 1998, the game was a huge commercial hit surprising even the publishers of the game. Ever since then, the game has had expansions, spin-offs, a sequel, remakes, and even a novel based on the game.
It was a no-brainer to make another game. The direct sequel to Baldur’s Gate 2 was originally going to be developed by Black Isle Studios in 2002 and was called Baldur’s Gate 3: The Black Hound. Unfortunately, the game was canceled in 2003, and rumors of another sequel were being talked about for years afterward.
Luckily for fans, a new Baldur’s Gate 3 was eventually announced during a Google Stadia presentation ahead of E3 2019. The game was being developed by Larian Studios, who made the incredible Divinity: Original Sin games. It would be released on PC, Mac, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game was released on early access in October 2020 for people to play and help developers polish things.
Console gamers have been patiently waiting for an official release date and PC gamers for when the game leaves early access. Thanks to Sony, we now know just how long we have to wait. And the developers released even more info on the plot.
Release Date Revealed, Xbox Future Uncertain
PlayStation just had its first State of Play event of the year. There, it showed off some of the games coming to the platform with a trailer for the PS5 version of Baldur’s Gate 3. The game looks great so far and the trailer ends with the release date of August 31st for PS5, PC, and Mac.
The Xbox version was surprisingly absent from the announcement. Many speculated that it was an exclusivity deal with Sony. Turns out that couldn’t be further from the truth. The developers sent a statement to IGN blaming the Xbox Series S for the delay.
“Following yesterday’s PS5 and release date announcement, we’ve clarified that right now, we’re planning to release Baldur’s Gate 3 for PC, Mac, GeForce NOW and PS5. That said, we have no exclusivity for which platforms we can bring BG3 to, or when, and will announce support for additional platforms if and when we’re ready.
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We’re seeing a lot of varied interpretations of what that means, so we wanted to clarify further. We’ve had an Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 in development for some time now. We’ve run into some technical issues in developing the Xbox port that have stopped us feeling 100% confident in announcing it until we’re certain we’ve found the right solutions – specifically, we’ve been unable to get splitscreen co-op to work to the same standard on both Xbox Series X and S, which is a requirement for us to ship.
There’s no platform exclusivity preventing us from releasing BG3 on Xbox day and date, should that be a technical possibility. If and when we do announce further platforms, we want to make sure each version lives up to our standards & expectations.”
It’s wonderful that the game will have split-screen co-op. But it’s a shame the Xbox Series S is causing such a delay for Xbox fans. This isn’t the first time the Series S has been blamed for something involving a game. It was famously called a “potato” by a developer at Rocksteady and was blamed for Gotham Knights’ inability to get a 60 FPS mode.
JK Simmons Coming to Terrorize (and Possibly Demand Pictures of Spider-Man?)
The trailer also shows off the incredibly talented JK Simmons playing General Ketheric Thorm. Thanks to a blog post on Steam, we know a lot more than what the trailer gives. Thorm is an invincible necromancer leading an army of undead toward the city of Baldur’s Gate with only the protagonist and allies to stop him.
“Ketheric’s plans for the people of Faerûn are as complex as his motivations, and so we knew his role would benefit from the kind of depth and gravitas that renowned character actor J.K. Simmons could provide.”
The developers also stated that he is not the main antagonist of the story; he’s one of three that you’ll need to overcome throughout the game. The devs will be showing off the others when the game gets closer to release.
Cross-Platform Features & Special Editions
One of the most exciting things developers announced was the game’s cross-platform saves! This means if you’re an Xbox fan who can’t wait, you can buy it on PC to play for a while then move the save to the Xbox Series X once it’s released. Or you could take it on the go with the Steam Deck and transfer the save back to your PS5 to play on your giant TV.
This is a wonderful addition. Many players find themselves having to choose what they want to play based on platform availability. Monster Hunter Rise has had the issue since it was released on Nintendo Switch first and then on other platforms. It caused players to have to hack to save their data.
The game’s special edition was announced last year and has been on pre-order since January. The developers revealed that those who purchase the Collector’s Edition will have access to the game 3 days early. We also learned that if you want any of the special DLC items, a Digital Deluxe Edition will be available as well. The best part of this news is anyone who buys the Early Access edition before August 31st will be getting the Digital Deluxe Edition content all for free!
via Steam
They confirmed the Collector’s Edition and Digital Deluxe edition will come with all these DLC packs:
– Astound audiences by performing this special set of new songs from the Divinity series
– Discover a new collection of paintings across the Forgotten Realms
– Receive a collection of camp supplies and potions to help get your journey started
– Enjoy the music of Baldur’s Gate 3 from composer Borislav Slavov
– Explore the art and design of Baldur’s Gate 3 in this digital artbook, written by Larian
– Peruse a set of four-page D&D character sheets for each Baldur’s Gate 3 origin character
Bring a little bit of Rivellon to the Forgotten Realms with these Divinity-inspired artefacts:
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Mask of the Shapeshifter:
Allows you to change race and appearance on the fly, inspired by Fane
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Cape of the Red Prince:
Cloak inspired by the Red Prince
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Lute of the Merryweather Bard:
Playable instrument inspired by Lohse
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Needle of the Outlaw Rogue:
Dagger inspired by Sebille
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Bicorne of the Sea Beast:
Headgear inspired by Beast
If you’re on the fence about which version of the game to buy, the developers came up with a helpful chart.
via Steam
“You be Protagonist. Don’t try to deny it. You should not have come to Baldur’s Gate. You given many warnings before, but you ignore them. Now you must pay.” – Larze
