Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios’ highly anticipated follow-up to Divinity: Original Sin 2, now has an official release date for Early Access, as the Dungeons & Dragons game is now scheduled to launch on September 30 with a substantial amount of content. With the release in sight, Larian has also confirmed that Baldur’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 launched Divinity: Original Sin 2 on 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 3 is 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.
To start, Michael Douse said on Twitter that players shouldn’t “feel pressured” to purchase Baldur’s Gate 3 when it launches in Early Access. He goes on to describe that Baldur’s Gate 3 is 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 comparing Baldur’s Gate 3‘s development to Original Sin 2. He explains that Larian is now double the size of the studio when Original Sin 2 was released. He also describes Baldur’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 the relationship Larian has had with its community for 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 buy Baldur’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 in Baldur’s Gate 3 like Twitch integration. Given how great Original Sin 2 was, that Early Access of Baldur’s Gate 3 alone may be worth $60 to many players, though there’s obviously much, much more to come in the months ahead.
Baldur’s Gate 3 releases September 30 on PC in Early Access with a Stadia release to follow.
Source: PC Gamer
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