Earlier today Larian Studios streamed for over an hour at PAX East to reveal Baldur's Gate 3 for the first time through multiple outlets, and to many viewers' surprise, one of those premieres was on Stadia's official YouTube channel. However, as part of the reveal showed, the partnership between Baldur's Gate 3 and Google's new Stadia game streaming program runs fairly deep.
With Baldur's Gate 3 coming to PC and Stadia, Larian Studios has made the decision to back the new system that it has partnered with and built features into the game that are exclusive to Stadia. Coming after the early frustrations of Stadia, Google's answer to the future of gaming is in serious need of developers like Larian Studios to stand by the new platform and offer exclusive features like the ones for Baldur's Gate 3.
One of the most prominent features that is reportedly coming exclusively with the Stadia version of Baldur's Gate 3 includes a multiplayer screen sharing ability that lets players see everyone else's screens at once. This will allow players to see choices that others are being given and give their input on the decisions that the whole team would like each player to make, although the final decision is still up to each individual player. The features shown in the reveal were much more impressive than what the information that leaked just before PAX East held the official presentation.
Streamers looking to work Baldur's Gate 3 into their schedule will be happy to know that the Stadia version comes with a new feature specifically for streaming. Referred to as the Crowd Choice feature, this Stadia exclusive will allow streamers to give viewers direct control over decisions and even die rolls. This likely won't be available when the Baldur's Gate 3 first releases for early access, but the feature will reportedly go live when the full release on Stadia becomes available.
These features may not be quite as compelling as exclusive levels or weapons that come only to specific systems, but for players looking for the most out of their experience, Stadia may be the way to go. Considering how few games Stadia currently has on the platform so far, and with players' disappointment at Stadia's latest titles, the streaming service will need some heavy hitters like Baldur's Gate 3 to keep it moving forward. With any luck, the backing of developers like Larian Studios creating content to support the platform will reinvigorate the service long enough for it to push past its growing pains.
Baldur's Gate 3 is currently in development for PC and Stadia, with early access planned to release in 2020.