When will Baldur's Gate 3 come out of early access?

Baldur’s Gate 3 released into Early Access in October of 2020 to critical acclaim. The RPG developed by the same company that delivered Divinity Original Sin 2 has seemingly done it again with the newest entry in the Baldur’s Gate franchise. Fans have been loving the game even though it’s still in early access.

As of right now, only the first Act of the game is playable on Steam. Although it still requires a full $60 purchase, players who buy the Early Acess version won’t have to re-purchase it when it fully releases. The biggest question is, when exactly will that be? 

Baldur’s Gate 3 will be in early access for a bit longer 

Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3 is expected to offer players around 20 to 25 hours of content. Players can only pick one class and origin character, meaning once the first Act is complete, players won’t be able to simply play it again with a different character. While the first Act is substantial, it hasn’t fully satisfied players’ craving for more Baldur’s Gate 3. 

The developers have gone on record to say that the game will “be ready when it’s ready.” While no date is official, Baldur’s Gate 3 will definitely not release in 2021, as the devs mentioned in a recent interview. The interview went on to divulge that the devs aren’t even sure that the time frame of 2022 is for certain, with one stating, "we would be happy if we can manage to release it next year. We're aiming for it. That's no guarantee, but we're definitely aiming for it."

The most recent update for the timeline of Baldur’s Gate 3 confirms what the June interview talked about. In the 13th Community Update for the game, a Larian Studios developer stated the studio is still hoping for a 2022 release. Unfortunately, no other timetable was given.

Once the 1.0 version does arrive, though, players will gain access to six player classes and five origin characters. These features are still a work in progress as players continue to offer feedback to the devs. This is ultimately what early access is best used for, so hopefully, the devs take the feedback and make Baldur’s Gate 3 the game that players have been waiting for.