Last Saturday marked the first anniversary of the full release of Larian Studios’ wildly successful Baldur’s Gate 3 on PC. The game would make its way to console later in 2023, but after spending so long in early access, watching its massive PC release last August was something to behold. It made me all the more excited for the game, which I would later pick up on the PS5…and play for a little while before making the questionable decision to move mostly onto the concurrently-released Starfield. But that’s neither here nor there, because we’re talking about Baldur’s Gate 3, which has had a stellar first year.
At launch, it was reported that over three-quarter of a million players had checked into the game on Steam. Not too shabby for a single-player-with-co-op-options RPG! It’s averages have come down considerably since then, but among Steam charts that are filled with top-selling competitive multiplayer shooters, MMOs, and…Elden Ring (which will likely hold fast a while longer as tops in the single-player RPG market), Baldur’s Gate 3 has remained a strong seller. It’s definitely struck a very positive chord with players, which is great to see. Larian’s Divinity series, the series it was best known for, has long had a devoted following, and Baldur’s Gate 3 could have easily become the not-Divinity game that no one wanted. Instead, the studio is soaring high on its Dungeons and Dragons wings.
If Larian’s site alone were any proof, the studio has devoted itself to making Baldur’s Gate 3 better and better. Larian has instituted dozen of patches over the just the last twelve months to fix issue big and small alike. Its upcoming Patch 7, as recently reported here by Hatm0nster, might be its most significant one yet. The addition of modding capabilities and revamping how split screen works during multiplayer campaigns are just two highlights among many, many more. If one was at all concerned that Larian might just be resting on its laurels, admiring the gobs of shiny awards it received last year, well…one would be quite mistaken. While Larian indicated a while back that its next project would not be Baldur’s Gate 4, it’s clear that they care deeply for Baldur’s Gate 3 and won’t be giving up on it anytime soon. If nothing else, that’s a good enough reason to celebrate a very good first year.
If you’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3, what about it do you praise (or criticize) the most?
Lede image captured from the Baldur’s Gate 3 Steam page (© Larian Studios).
VIRTUAL BASTION 