PC owners will have to wait until August
Larian Studios is nearing a moved-up launch date for its massive RPG Baldur’s Gate 3. But while the adventure is arriving sooner than announced, it comes with a caveat that PC owners won’t get an extra-extra head start.
Originally, Larian had planned to give a 72-hour head start to everyone who picked up the Digital Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3. This Early Access would allow a head start on Act 1, the same area already in the current Early Access build, but in the 1.0 version. It would’ve been a lot of players too, as Larian upgraded everyone who bought the Early Access of Baldur’s Gate 3 to the Digital Deluxe Edition.
With the release date for PC moving up almost a month, though, there was some curiosity about what would happen to the head start. In a recent community update, Larian confirms there won’t be a head start for PC owners.
“The PC Digital Deluxe Edition does not include a 72 hour head start, which would have essentially made the game’s release date July 31st. Shifting the release date – and thus communication around the Digital Deluxe Editions across PS5 and PC – came with a few complexities that we didn’t manage to communicate very well, so we thought it best to clarify it here, given that a 72 hour head start on PC wouldn’t have been plausible.”
PlayStation 5 Digital Deluxe owners will still get a head start though. So those who are waiting on the console version will get a little bit of catch-up time on PC players on September 3, rather than its September 6 launch date.
The waiting is the hardest part
It’s a bit of a bummer, but to put a glass-half-full spin: we’re essentially getting the RPG a month earlier anyways, so three extra days isn’t too drastic. The appeal of a head start in Baldur’s Gate 3 would, at least in my eyes, be good for those with a lot of hours in the Early Access to rebuild their characters, as saves from the EA version won’t carry over to launch.
Plus, there’s a ton to do in Act 1 that isn’t in yet anyways. In its community update, Larian estimates that Act 1 has roughly 33% more content in it compared to the start of Early Access. And Act 1 also apparently makes up “less than a quarter” of the total content available at launch.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is looking unbearably massive. Even if there isn’t an extra head start, there’s still plenty of time to dig in when Baldur’s Gate 3 hits on August 3 for PC.
