It has now been revealed that Baldur’s Gate 3, the upcoming continuation of the classic RPG series which is currently in development at Larian Studios, will actually be releasing in Early Access before its full release. While a firm release date has yet to be revealed, it will reportedly launch sometime later in 2020.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access Coming Later This Year
This announcement was actually made by Hasbro during the recent New York Toy Fair, rather than Larian Studios. For those who are unfamiliar, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons (on which the game is based), are both properties of Hasbro. Hasbro’s recent presentation included details for several different D&D RPGs which are currently in the works, including Baldur’s Gate 3.
The decision to launch Baldur’s Gate 3 makes sense given Larian Studios’ history. The studio, which firmly established its reputation for making RPGs in the style of Baldur’s Gate with the best-selling Divinity: Original Sin II (which we recently ranked as one of the top 10 RPGs of this console generation), released that game in Early Access as well. It’s currently unknown when Baldur’s Gate 3 will launch in Early Access. The game is coming to both PC and Stadia, although it’s similarly unknown whether it will be available on Stadia in Early Access. (A Baldur’s Gate 3 console release may happen, but is more likely to happen post-launch.) However, given that the date is still under wraps, it’s likely that it could be revealed at E3 this year. After all, the first announcement of Baldur’s Gate 3 happened just days prior to E3 2019.
Baldur’s Gate is, of course, one of the oldest and most well-beloved RPG franchises in gaming. The original Baldur’s Gate first launched on PC all the way back in 1998, while its sequel launched in 2000. Remasters of both games were released in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The original game’s remaster also received a new expansion pack in 2016; the first new content for the series for 15 years. When it launches, Baldur’s Gate 3 will be the first new game in the series for over 20 years.