Baldur’s Gate 3 enters early access sometime this month (hopefully), and we now have a few more key details about the release courtesy of Larian Studios director of publishing Michael Douse. First, some slightly bad news for those hoping joining the party early would net you a discount – according to Douse, Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access will come with a full $60 price tag. That said, the price tag is arguably justifiable, as the early access campaign will apparently take around 25 hours to complete. You can check out Douse’s tweets in their entirety, below.
BG3 EA gonna launch with some funky Twitch integration that'll allow you to vote on certain things - bit like what we did in the Panel From Hell but all proper. We'll talk about it, and multiplayer, later. Bringing people together, one roll at a time. CC @Gregtito proto-roller <3
— Very Games Michael (@Cromwelp) September 2, 2020
Also, the price will be $59.99. Don't feel pressured to buy it during EA. It's not going to disappear, and neither are we. Eventually, it'll be a very large game. Though EA is 25 hours of one play-through, the final game will be *does brain math* a lot longer.
— Very Games Michael (@Cromwelp) September 2, 2020
Larian previously provided a few more details about what Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access will include -- you’ll be able to play up to level 4, engage in 80 combat encounters, encounter 596 NPCs, unleash 146 spells and other actions, and get in on 4-player online action. Overall, expect around twice as much content as the Divinity: Original Sin 2 early access release.
Haven’t been keeping up with Baldur’s Gate 3? You can check out 90 minutes of gameplay here, and the recent "Panel From Hell" with the game’s creators, right here. Here are the key Baldur's Gate 3 features:
- Online multiplayer for up to four players allows you to combine your forces in combat and split your party to follow your own quests and agendas. Concoct the perfect plan together… or introduce an element of chaos when your friends least expect it.
- Origin Characters offer a hand-crafted experience, each with their own unique traits, agenda, and outlook on the world. Their stories intersect with the entire narrative, and your choices will determine whether those stories end in redemption, salvation, domination, or many other outcomes.
- Evolved turn-based combat based on the D&D 5e ruleset. Team-based initiative, advantage & disadvantage, and roll modifiers join combat cameras, expanded environmental interactions, and a new fluidity in combat that rewards strategy and foresight.
- Define the future of the Forgotten Realms through your choices, and the roll of the dice. No matter who you play, or what you roll, the world and its inhabitants will react to your story.
- Player-initiated turn-based mode allows you to pause the world around you at any time even outside of combat. Whether you see an opportunity for a tactical advantage before combat begins, want to pull off a heist with pin-point precision, or need to escape a fiendish trap. Split your party, prepare ambushes, sneak in the darkness -- create your own luck!
Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access releases on PC (via Steam, GOG, and Stadia) on September 30, although that date could slip into early October. A full release date has yet to be set.
