Fans have long awaited the return of the Baldur's Gate franchise and just this week, after 20 years since Baldur's Gate 2 first released, the next numbered entry is finally available. Baldur's Gate 3 launched this week to a very positive reception from both fans and critics heralding the return of the beloved franchise. According to developer Larian Studios, that praise has also been met with some big sales.
It is two days since Baldur's Gate 3 released in early access, but the unfinished state of the game has not deterred interest in the RPG. Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke tweeted about the launch yesterday and shared two details about the success of Baldur's Gate 3.
Just hours after Baldur's Gate 3 launched on Steam, Vincke tweeted out that the sales of the title were "insane." Vincke even joked that Larian only wanted a "nice little community" but instead got more than the studio bargained for. What likely makes the sales numbers all the more surprising is that it comes from Baldur's Gate 3's early access launch. Added to the already big hurdle for any RPG releasing in early access, Baldur's Gate 3 released at a price point of $60, which is not common for games released during development.
Vincke also responded to a tweet from the official Larian Studios twitter account. The Larian tweet jokingly mentions that "we broke steam" referring to the overwhelming interest in Baldur's Gate 3. Some users noted that they were unable to purchase the games due to errors in the steam client, stemming from overload. Vincke responded Larian's tweet by confirming that Steam going down due to gamers wanting Baldur's Gate 3 was "No joke apparently."
Just before tweeting about Baldur's Gate 3 already starting off as a huge success for Larian Studios, Vincke took the time to remind players that the game is still in its early stages. Vincke reiterated that Baldur's Gate 3 is an early access title and will very likely feature some bugs. Some of the issues that players have found during their adventure in the early access release include frequent crashes and inconsistent performance. Larian Studios is aware of these issues and released Baldur's Gate 3's first major patch to resolve crashing.
The release of Baldur's Gate 3 has been a cause for celebration for a variety of reasons. For RPG enthusiasts, its the return of a franchise often considered one of the best of the genre. For Larian, it is another big success coming off the studio's last title Divinity: Original Sin 2. While it might be early access, Baldur's Gate 3 is a massive game meaning that all those players getting in early will still have a lot to get through.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available in Early Access on PC, Mac, and Google Stadia.