Despite entering Early Access in late 2020, Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7, a set of changes that most notably introduced the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired Barbarian class to the role-playing adventure. Thus far, the new character class has received a rather mixed response from Baldur's Gate faithful.
Set more than a century after the events of Baldur's Gate II: Shadow of Amn, which launched in 2000, Baldur's Gate 3 borrows heavily from its predecessors. However, the game also marks quite the departure in many respects, particularly in of gameplay. The franchise's third entry boasts turn-based combat mechanics, giving the core of its action a flavor more akin to Larian Studios' Divinity: Original Sin endeavors. Fortunately, that hasn't stopped Baldur's Gate players from enjoying the Early Access phase, though details on when exactly this stage of production will conclude remains vague.
It seems the long wait for the end of Baldur's Gate 3's Early Access period will persist into the next year. Baldur's Gate 3 Creative Director and Larian Studios Founder Sven Vincke told Eurogamer the team is in its "last year of development;" however, it seems "unlikely" the RPG will be ready for a full release by this year's end, Vincke added. A press release from Larian noted something similar, telling fans the studio expects Baldur's Gate 3 to exit Early Access no earlier than 2023. As of writing, a firm due date still remains under lock and key.
Sven Vincke's comments to Eurogamer bear a certain air of confidence, which suggests that Baldur's Gate 3 is indeed in its final stages of production. If so, perhaps the long-in-production title will finally launch in its full form next year. Until that time comes, it's clear the crew at Larian Studios intends to continue deploying extensive Early Access content updates for Baldur's Gate 3.
Founded in Belgium by Sven Vincke in the mid-1990s, Larian Studios made a name for itself with the Divine series, the first of which launched as Divine Divinity in 2002. The experience received several follow-up installments in subsequent years, including the two aforementioned Divinity: Original Sin games. Larian's tenure on Baldur's Gate comes after several other development teams have acted as the series' stewards, the likes of BioWare, Black Isle Studios, and Beamdog included. As the third mainline entry, Baldur's Gate 3 seems as though it will breathe new life into the long-running franchise.
Baldur's Gate III is playable in Early Access on Google Stadia and PC.
Source: Eurogamer
