Baldur’s Gate 3 has taken the gaming world by storm. It marked itself as the new gold standard for Role Playing Games (RPGs), reinvigorating an increasingly stale and saturated market. It even managed to sweep up 5 awards last month at The Game Awards 2023, taking the coveted Game of the Year, edging out tough competition like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
As such, many PC and console players looking to squeeze in their last bit of gaming during the holiday season were frothing at the mouth at the game’s potential inclusion on Game Pass, joining the likes of Activision. Sadly that won’t be the case, and you’ll have to splash the cash in order to get a taste of Larian Studios’ magnum opus, according to its CEO.
Speaking to IGN, Swen Vincke stated that keeping Baldur’s Gate 3 off Game Pass and on a subscription service was always the intention. “Oh, we always said from the get-go, it wasn’t going to be on Game Pass, it’s not going to be on Game Pass.”
Vincke adds that paying the upfront cost still gives players plenty of value, and that it is important to the future of the game studio. “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. We don’t charge you any micro-transactions on top of it, so you get what you pay for. Upfront it’s a big meaty game. So I think that should be able to exist as it is. This is what allows us to continue making other games.”
Regardless of claims of putting your game on Game Pass adversely impacting sales instead, Putting it on a subscription service wouldn’t be that beneficial for Larian Studios either. Launching back in August, the game’s still the 7th most played on Steam. Given steady player numbers coupled with its universal acclaim, it’s clear that many are still willing to pay for something good. There’s no need to lower its prices and increase the game’s reach from a business standpoint.
While it might leave Game Pass subscribers with a sour taste in their mouths, it seems like good news for game developers, and the industry as a whole. If players need not be tempted by slashed prices to try out an RPG, maybe borrowing games from subscription services like Game Pass may not be the future after all.
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