Baldur’s Gate 3 will finally exit early access in 2023

metro.co.uk:

During the first Dungeons & Dragons Direct, Larian Studios confirmed a 2023 release year for Baldur’s Gate 3.

Did you know that even Dungeons & Dragons has started doing its own take on a Nintendo Direct? Recently, a near 30-minute showcase, detailing a bunch of D&D related products, aired on the game’s YouTube channel, with Baldur’s Gate 3 among the featured products.

Its only got a three minute spot, and didn’t really reveal much new, but it did confirm one thing fans have been wondering about for years: a release date. Namely, that Baldur’s Gate 3 will release in 2023.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been available on PC and Google Stadia as an early access game since 2020, so that developer Larian Studios could collect feedback from players and make sure the game lives up to their expectations.

New content and improvements have been added to the early access version over time, although it still only covers the first act of the game. Acts two and three will only arrive once the full game releases next year.

While it’s good to see a definitive launch window, it’s still rather nebulous and fans could be left waiting for up to 20 months for the finished version. The early access edition will remain available for the time being, although it does cost £49.99.

Larian Studios even advises ‘You should not buy Baldur’s Gate 3 in Early Access if you want a polished experience.’ What’s more, you won’t be able to transfer saves to the full version, so you’ll need to start from scratch.

The long-awaited third entry in the role-playing game series (it’s been over 20 years since the last one), Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on Dungeons & Dragons’ own role-playing system.

The first two games were developed by BioWare, of Mass Effect and Dragon Age fame,