It's been years since fans got the last proper entry in the Baldur's Gate franchise, which makes Baldur's Gate 3 all the more exciting. Today during the Guerrilla Collective, Baldur's Gate 3 got a brief trailer and an early access release window, though there is a catch.
The trailer shows off a few highlights of Baldur's Gate 3 combat, along with some of Dungeons and Dragons' most famous creatures, with Owlbears and more making appearances. Even more notable, however, was the announcement of the game's early access release date. Fans should be able to start playing in August this year, but Larian warned that might change, primarily due to factors relating to the coronavirus pandemic.
Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay has been impressive, judging by what's been released so far. Larian has managed to blend traditional Dungeons and Dragons gameplay with its more modern design, the best example of which can be found in Divinity: Original Sin 2. Additionally, Baldur's Gate 3 will be getting another gameplay live stream on June 18, just before Dungeons and Dragons Live.
It is a bit strange to see a triple-a game like Baldur's Gate 3 releasing in early access, though it should give fans a bit more control over the final product, assuming Larian takes community feedback into account throughout development, which it almost certainly will. Of course, not all content will be there when the game first launches, as is typical for an early access game. Because of that, those that want to wait for a polished and complete experience will want to wait until the full game launches before jumping in.
It's an exciting time to be a Dungeons and Dragons fan. Just yesterday, a new Icewind Dale campaign book leaked early, and Wizards of the Coast has teased many other projects in the pipeline for the future, including a Dungeons and Dragons movie. However, many of those projects are under wraps, and there's no telling when they'll finally release.
That being said, there are eight Dungeons and Dragons games in development, so fans should have a steady stream of content for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, Baldur's Gate 3 will manage to land in early access in August, but it is understandable that there are other factors at play.
Baldur's Gate 3 is scheduled to release into early access in August 2020 for Stadia and Steam.