Since its launch on PC in 2020, the hugely ambitious roleplaying game Baldur’s Gate 3 has garnered significant critical acclaim, winning multiple awards including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022. With impressive production values, hundreds of hours of content, and complex gameplay systems, Larian Studios’ latest release stands out as a benchmark for the CRPG genre.
Given this pedigree, many Xbox gamers were hopeful that Baldur’s Gate 3 would make its way onto Xbox Game Pass following last week’s console release. However, in a recent interview with IGN, Larian founder Swen Vincke flatly dismissed the possibility. Citing the game’s expansive scope and premium quality, Vincke feels Baldur’s Gate 3 merits its $59.99 asking price.
“We made a big game, so I think there’s a fair price to be paid for that, and I think that that is okay,” said Vincke. “We don’t charge you any microtransactions on top of it, so you get what you pay for.”
With the average playthrough running 50-100+ hours, it’s easy to see his rationale. Providing this amount of content clearly demands significant development resources. Yet some Xbox fans will surely be disappointed at losing the opportunity to sample Larian’s opus via Game Pass before buying.
Vincke however remains steadfast, believing Baldur’s Gate 3’s undisputed critical success merits forgoing mass market penetration for now. Fresh off accepting another Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, his speech underscored how Larian is focused on serving its core fanbase first.
Still, one wonders if a Game Pass demo might have assuaged fears of more casual gamers hesitant about the game’s $59.99 buy-in. For now though, Larian has no plans to budge on its pricing or availability. Baldur’s Gate fans on Xbox will simply have to take the plunge if they wish to adventure through the Forgotten Realms.
