Swen Vincke, the co-founder and CEO of Larian Studios, has reacted to Ubisoft's recent declarations about customers becoming increasingly comfortable with games subscription models. The discussion revolved around the French publisher's "evolved" tiers of Ubisoft+ services, but Vincke took great issue with (Director of Subscription) Philippe Tremblay's musings on the topic. Larian's leader has made it abundantly clear in the past that Baldur's Gate 3 will not be released outside of his preferred traditional distribution systems; he doubled down on this viewpoint with a barrage of Tweets: "Whatever the future of games looks like, content will always be king...But it's going to be a lot harder to get good content if subscription becomes the dominant model and a select group gets to decide what goes to market and what not. Direct from developer to players is the way."

Baldur's Gate 3 was a top seller in late 2023, and a critical darling in terms of reviews and awards—but Vincke is not prepared to compromise on his stance. It would be quite easy to reach a larger audience with BG3 getting an additional release on subscription platforms (e.g via Game Pass). He elaborated on this matter: "Getting a board to okay a project fueled by idealism is almost impossible and idealism needs room to exist, even if it can lead to disaster. Subscription models will always end up being cost/benefit analysis exercises intended to maximize profit."

Steam has announced the full list of Best of Steam games for this year across several categories. The list does not include a lot of big surprises but it is nice to see that some indie games also made it to the list. Categories include Top Sellers, New Releases, Most Played, Early Access, Steam Deck, Controller, and VR.

The Top Seller list include Baldur's Gate 3 from Larian Studios, which is also the Game of the Year winner, Hogwarts Legacy, which was a big game this year, DOTA 2 and Counter Strike 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, Lost Ark, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Apex Legends, PUBG Battlegrounds, Destiny 2, and Sons of the Forest. Some of the Top New Releases category, which is measured by gross revenue, include Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, Cities: Skylines II, Resident Evil 4, Payday 3, Remnant II, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, FC 24, as well as a few titles that are also top sellers like Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy. and Sons of the Forest.

Michael Douse, the director of publishing at Larian Studios, has confirmed to Eurogamer that cross-play functionality is being worked on, although the team was not able to get it ready in time for release day code on PC (August 5) and PlayStation 5 (out today!): "It was always in the planning, but we knew it wouldn't be for launch. It's in the roadmap, and though we have an idea of when we'd like to get it ready for, we don't want to put a date on it until we're sure." Larian and the BG3 fan base are hoping to see players united in online multiplayer across PC and console platforms in the near future, with the Xbox version due to arrive at some point before the end of the year.

Technical and performance issues are present in the PlayStation 5 version—reviewers have noted that split-screen performance on Sony's console is choppy, with local multiplayer sessions forcing a 30 frames per second "Quality" visual mode. This perhaps provides a small insight into the problems encountered when developing split-screen mode for Xbox Series X and S platforms, with the latter proving to be the largest headache. Eurogamer's journalists were also privy to Larian highlighting: "in a pre-launch note to PS5 reviewers, problems with performance in the game's climactic final act in the city of Baldur's Gate. It said it was working hard to fix it. Remember, the studio has had issues with this area on PC too."

The Xbox Series version of Baldur's Gate 3 was at risk of being delayed into 2024, thanks to Microsoft enforcing a policy of feature parity across S and X consoles. Larian Studios is reportedly still struggling to get split-screen co-operative mode running on Xbox Series S hardware, even with deployment of first party assistance. Swen Vincke, founder and CEO of Larian Studios, discussed these technical issues with Microsoft Gaming's head honcho at Gamescom last week—their tête-à-tête resulted in a positive outcome: "Super happy to confirm that after meeting Phil Spencer yesterday, we've found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur's Gate 3 to Xbox players this year still, something we've been working towards for quite some time." The game is due to launch—feature complete—on PlayStation 5 in early September, so Team Xbox appears keen to play catch up with its arch rival.

Vincke elaborated on the compromise: "All improvements will be there, with split-screen coop on Series X. Series S will not feature split-screen co-op, but will also include cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series." A firm release date has not been confirmed yet, but the official Xbox Twitter account later revealed that Microsoft engineers are committed to collaborating with the game's development team and resolve technical hurdles: "To answer some questions we're getting, we'll continue to work with Larian to explore the addition of split-screen on Series S post launch."

Hello everyone, we have released our first major patch for Baldur's Gate 3, addressing over 1000 bugs, balancing, flow issues and much, much more. So what can you expect from this update? Well, we've eliminated issues like NPCs who sometimes spot you when they really shouldn't be able to, floating items like mugs and newspapers that should abide the laws of gravity, and the conclusion to Shadowheart's romance scene not triggering for some players, among others. With expansive systems come many unknowns, so our support team continues to work with you to relay any issues to us. Please don't hesitate to reach out with further reports. Patch 1 also tackles a few visual bugs, and sprinkles on more post-launch polish. We're bringing back Short King Summer with better kissing contact for short races!

You won't be waiting long for Patch 2, which is right around the corner. This update will feature significant performance improvements - but we'll go into more detail about that closer to its release. In the meantime, did you know that collectively you've played over 200,000,000 hours of Baldur's Gate 3 since launch? That's over 22,000 years! The most popular class choice is currently Paladin, followed by Sorcerer, while the award for least popular class goes to Cleric. Human and Elf characters reign supreme in Faerûn, followed swiftly and unsurprisingly by Half-Elf. On the opposite end of the spectrum we find Dwarf, Gnome, Githyanki, and Halfling. We get it, they're not exactly the most ethereal beauties of the Realms but they'd still form a rad metal band. For now, as we focus on fixes, thank you for playing Baldur's Gate 3 and continuing to share this adventure with us.

An epic RPG six years in the making and more than twenty years in the waiting, Baldur's Gate 3 is out today on PC via Steam, GOG, and NVIDIA GeForce Now. The game releases at 8am PDT - see the attached map for the release time in your region. Baldur's Gate 3 is a next-generation RPG from the creators of Divinity: Original Sin 2, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons and providing a level of breadth and depth unprecedented in a modern RPG.

More than twenty years after the release of Baldur's Gate 2, it's finally time to return to the Forgotten Realms. Your choices shape this tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power.

The Ultimate upgrade is complete - GeForce NOW Ultimate performance is now streaming all throughout North America and Europe, delivering RTX 4080-class power for gamers across these regions. Celebrate this month with 41 new games, on top of the full release of Baldur's Gate 3 and the first Bethesda titles coming to the cloud as the NVIDIA and Microsoft partnership benefits gamers everywhere.

And catch GeForce NOW at QuakeCon - the popular bring-your-own-PC mega-event running Aug. 10-13 - where the in-person and digital GeForce NOW Ultimate challenge will kick off. Plus, game on with gaming peripherals and accessories company SteelSeries, which will be giving away codes for three-day GeForce NOW Ultimate and Priority memberships, along with popular GeForce NOW games and in-game goodies.

Happy launch week, folks! We hope you've printed out your lawyer-approved special dispensation form to explain your mysterious absence from work on August 3rd to your boss, because there are only two days to go before release. After six years in the making, Baldur's Gate 3's PC launch is right around the corner and we couldn't have gotten here without you. So let's have one last Community Update before then to wrap things up, answer some of your biggest questions, and reveal a few final surprises before you finally get stuck in.

Launch Day
So just how big is this game, anyhow? What time should you expect the game to release? And where did I put my keys? The answers to most of these questions can be found below.

A seasoned wizard who infects her foes with the irresistible urge to dance. A high-level sorcerer who sows the seeds of chaos in battle with strategically placed portals. A bard that wields the psionic powers of a mindflayer (a.k.a illithid). Who will you become at the pinnacle of your power in Baldur's Gate 3? That's completely up to you. In Baldur's Gate 3, your late-game build can be as varied as you want it to be and can be changed at any time, giving you an opportunity to experiment with different spells and discover the class that complements your playstyle best.

Introducing illithid powers
In Baldur's Gate 3, you and your companions each carry the burden of a parasite that dwells within you, a tadpole placed deep inside your brain that poses a constant looming threat of illithid transformation. But as dangerous as these creatures may be, they are also a source of great power. For those who wish to experience their power, you need only to surrender to the tadpole within you and consume the parasites you find in jars and skulls throughout the Forgotten Realms.

Everything you do in your playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3 affects the course of your journey. And it starts at the character creation screen. Each class, race, background, and Origin character has rippling effects on the world around you, triggering subtle permutations that change the Forgotten Realms in big, small, good, bad, exciting, and sometimes very bad ways. What is an Origin character? They're essentially playable heroes, each with their own stories, desires, and attitudes toward the world around you. If you don't play as them, they each become companions, who you may (or may not) recruit throughout your journey. You may have already met Shadowheart, Wyll, Gale, Astarion, Lae'zel, and Karlach - heroes with their own tales to tell, driven by your choices as the player. Of course, you can also customize your character and create an entirely new avatar, weaving their story through your actions with the same amount of depth & reactivity.

Today, however, we're looking at an entirely new way to play Baldur's Gate 3. The Dark Urge. A completely new customizable Origin, The Dark Urge can be created as any of the 11 races you'd like, but with their own Origin-like Dark Urge story as the backbone of your adventure. Bringing forth a trove of malevolent reactivity to Baldur's Gate, let's talk about The Dark Urge.

Larian Studios recently announced that the PlayStation 5 version of Baldur's Gate 3 is getting postponed by a week—from August 31 to September 6, with PC gamers happy to discover that they will be treated to an earlier release (adjusted to August 3). Xbox Series console owners were seemingly left out in the cold with last week's announcements—Larian is yet to confirm a solid launch date for current generation Microsoft systems. The studio admitted—earlier this year—that software engineers were struggling to get the split screen multiplayer mode in Baldur's Gate 3 running adequately on both Series X and S hardware: "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 (systems), which is a requirement for us to ship."

Microsoft apparently enforces a policy that locks gameplay feature parity across Xbox Series X and S, and Larian has continued to struggle with technical issues, albeit now isolated to the lesser console (not that helpful given the circumstances)—IGN contacted studio head Swen Vincke for comment about this situation. Other development outfits have expressed their disdain for Series S launch requirements, with calls to drop the system entirely—but IGN discovered that Vincke was reluctant to aim criticism at Microsoft, since first party assistance has been roped in: "We had support from the ATG group. They've been doing great. They've been helping a lot. Everybody wants this out on Xbox. It's not that we don't want it out on Xbox. It's just that, our problem—and this is us, Larian—is that we just made a very big game. And it's a very complicated game...We're also not a developer with an infinite (number) of resources. We are constrained in the amount of time each platform version is tested. The more permutations you start adding to it on a platform, the more complicated that becomes." Given the high profile nature of Baldur's Gate 3, it would be in both parties' interests to get a decent port out of the door, so it is encouraging that Microsoft is pitching in (perhaps to save face).

Baldur's Gate 3 is a big RPG. A great, big, uncompromising RPG! It shows in the numbers: more than 170 hours of cinematics and featuring three times more cinematic dialogue than all three The Lord of the Rings novels combined, a library of more than 600 spells and actions, and plenty more. Dungeons & Dragons is all about player freedom - the freedom to define your character, to explore vast territories with your allies, and decide the fate of the world. We've spent the last six years bringing the unlimited freedom D&D is known for into the realm of video games. We've written two-million words of dialogue across the thousands of characters that populate the world of Faerûn, with an exhilarating story and in-depth character creation that puts you at the helm of the adventure. The dice may define your luck, but you define the story.

Originally due to launch on August 31 (PC version is unaffected by this delay), we've decided to release Baldur's Gate 3 for PS5 on September 6. This brief delay allows us more time to achieve our ambition of 60 frames per second, thanks to the power of PlayStation 5. For those of you who purchased our gigantic Collector's Edition (limited stock still available), don't worry, we've got your back. We'll be emailing you codes so you can jump in on September 3, at the start of the September 3 72-hour Early Access period that comes with the Deluxe Edition. We've talked about how Baldur's Gate 3 is an ambitious game, so let's take a look at some of the features you can expect when it launches on September 6, or for those of you with the Deluxe Edition, September 3. The PC version is launching earlier than expected—its release date is now set for August 3.

Larian Studios dropped a surprise prequel to Baldur's Gate 3 late last night—it is completely free to play and exists in a web browser format. Blood in Baldur's Gate takes place 15 years prior to the events of the main game. You must work with a bunch of D&D detectives and solve a murder case. By taking on this task you are deemed to be "the next lamb brought to slaughter."

Players are encouraged to co-operate with fellow participants on Larian's official forum or subreddit, where they can discuss and consider their next move(s), or put decisions to a vote. Larian seems to be teasing the possible return of an antagonist from the second entry in the series...you will have to delve deep into 30+ Blood in Baldur's Gate locations to find out more.

Larian Studios-developed Baldur's Gate 3, the next installment in the long-running and critically-acclaimed series, will be available in Early Access form starting September 30th. The distribution will be made via Steam, and Larian says that gamers are in for a treat. Baldur's Gate 3 will have a much deeper initial Early Access plethora of features than their previous game, Divinity Original Sin 2. Some numbers comparing both releases, for clarity, are as follows: Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access will feature a total of 80 combat scenarios (22 in D:OSII); some 45,980 lines of dialog (17,600 in D:OSII); a total of 596 interactable characters (142 in D:OSII); and 146 available spells and actions (69 in D:OSII).

The relative length of the available content remains about the same (Larian estimates 20-30 hours of playtime in Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access content, the same as in D:OSII), but Larian says that Baldurs' Gate 3 is infinitely more replayable, with unprecedented player agency. System requirements aren't too high either, at least for an Early Access version of the game; however, Larian is quick to point out that these requirements will only go down - not up - as optimizations are achieved within the games' development. It seems that the engine feature set is already fixed, and that the studio isn't looking to upgrade it until the games' release. Look after the break for the Minimum and Recommended hardware configurations for this latest romp through the world of Dungeons & Dragons.

Larian studios yesterday released two brand-new trailers for their upcoming Baldur's Gate 3. The game is being built with Larian Studios' new Divinity 4.0 Engine, so if you liked the base look of Larian's other titles (such as Divinity: original Sin), you'll likely enjoy Baldur's Gate 3 as well. This new game engine is being touted as representing a remarkable evolution for the studio, giving players unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that truly reacts to their choices. You can watch these trailers after the break.

It's interesting to note that Baldur's Gate 3 executive producer David Walgrave told Eurogamer that the game is currently only being developed for PC, with no intention of releasing it on current-gen consoles (next-gen ones, however, are a different matter entirely, of course). According to the producer, "I don't think that current-gen consoles would be able to run it. There's a lot of technical upgrades and updates that we did to our engine. I don't know if it would be capable of being able to actually run on those things. Maybe it could run, but then we would have to tone down the textures and this and that and it wouldn't look as cool anymore." Do you think the shown graphics justify that the games aren't being developed for current-gen consoles, or do you think Larian is simply catering to their prime market first?

Baldur's gate 3, the sequel to one of gaming's iconic franchises, has just been announced. The game is being developed by Larian Studios, developers of the extremely-well received Divinity series, and will carry on with the lore of the series. The RPG game promises high-stakes decisions and forking branch decisions, where player's agency in the world is reflected and potentiated by writing and mechanics.

larian Studios have flung themselves deep into this sort of game before, since Divinity II: Original Sin was extrmeely well received in the world of RPGs. However, the studio has to carry over an expectation of excellence for the saga, and they consider this to be their most ambitious project ever. Baldur's Gate has has a troubling few years on its belt, with ideas and planned sequels livening up before crashing down before or after development started. The game has already been in production for two years, and now Larian Studios have announced they have their full studio grunt toiling to bring their Baldur's Gate vision to fruition. It's being developed for a single-player experience, but can also be experienced - with no reduction in quality of immersion - cooperatively. Look after the break for the announcement trailer, towards the Forgotten Realms that aren't, after all.