Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios' highly anticipated follow-up toDivinity: Original Sin 2, now has an official release date for Early Access, as theDungeons & Dragonsgame is now scheduled to launch on September 30 with a substantial amount of content. With the release in sight, Larian has also confirmed thatBaldur’s Gate 3’s Early Access will launch with a price point of $60 on all platforms. Questions regarding the cost have also led Larian to offer an official explanation for the full retail pricing.
The issue has two root problems. First,Larian launchedDivinity: Original Sin 2on PC for $45, so this is the most that Larian has charged for a PC game in the developer’s history. Second,Baldur’s Gate 3is launching in Early Access, so a full $60 price point is viewed by some as high. The conversation hasn’t turned hostile so far, but Larian is a very communicative company and the studio’s director of publishing saw the topic as an opportunity to have a conversation.
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To start, Michael Douse said on Twitter that players shouldn’t “feel pressured” to purchaseBaldur’s Gate 3when it launches in Early Access. He goes on to describe thatBaldur’s Gate 3is constantly growing and that eventually “it’ll be a very large game.” Douse is basically justifying that $60 price tag for the game based on what the game will become. Later, Douse would speak with PC Gamer in more detail, saying it’s best to think of the Early Access release as a “playable pre-order.”
Douse also tries to justify the $60 initial price by comparingBaldur’s Gate 3’s development toOriginal Sin 2. He explains that Larian is now double the size of the studio whenOriginal Sin 2was released. He also describesBaldur’s Gate 3’s size, saying it’s “a bigger, deeper game with far higher production values.” In other words, the price is necessary. And, ultimately, players will still receive a full, massive game “when it’s ready.”
As for why Larian didn’t simply wait until the game was finished to release a full-priced $60 game, Douse talks about therelationship Larian has had with its communityfor so long and its role in development. Douse describes Larian’s “transparent, consistent, intelligent conversations with our players.” Larian will deliver awesome content from Early Access through well after launch and in turn, players will offer “feedback and testing ideas.” The goal is to “make the game better.”
Those who do buyBaldur’s Gate 3’s Early Access will receive upwards of 25 hours of in-game content. They’ll also be able to try out a variety of new features inBaldur’s Gate 3likeTwitch integration. Given how greatOriginal Sin 2was, that Early Access ofBaldur’s Gate 3alone may be worth $60 to many players, though there’s obviously much, much more to come in the months ahead.
Baldur’s Gate 3releases September 30 on PC in Early Access with a Stadia release to follow.
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