Larian Studios, the studio behind Baldur's Gate 3, has confirmed that the game will be released on the Xbox platform next year. This release, however, comes with an intriguing twist: the game will be available in two unique editions.
Baldur's Gate 3 has already achieved extraordinary success as a major RPG contender for this year, owing mostly to its launch on the PC platform. The appealing interest of this game has won its status as the most highly regarded title of 2023 on Metacritic, the prestigious review aggregator. It has deposed the long-reigning Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom from its apex in an amazing reversal of events. Furthermore, Baldur's Gate 3 has penetrated the top ten all-time highest-rated games.
While PC gamers have been enjoying the deep world of Baldur's Gate 3, console gamers have been anxiously awaiting its adaption for their devices. Fortunately, the creators have assured that a version optimised for the PlayStation 5 will be released next month with no delays. Nonetheless, when it comes to the Xbox environment, the story transforms. The Xbox Series X/S version of the game has been delayed due to Larian Studios wrestling with the complexities of enabling split-screen co-op on the Xbox Series S consoles due to inherent hardware limits.
A problem occurred as a result of Microsoft's parity policy, which requires that a game launched for the Xbox Series X/S include equal basic functionality. Due to the impossibility of launching Baldur's Gate 3 on the Series S, the Series X iteration was forced to be delayed.
Baldur's Gate 3 has now emerged as the first recipient of special dispensation from Xbox, enabling authority to diverge from the parity agreement. As a result, the game is expected to be released this year on both Xbox console types. It's worth noting, though, that the richer split-screen co-op experience will be available only on the Series X.
In a tweet, Swen Vincke, the visionary founder and CEO of Larian Studios, gleefully confirmed this revelation, stating, "Superbly delighted to verify that, following my meeting with [the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer] yesterday, we've successfully engineered a solution that paves the way for Baldur’s Gate 3 to grace Xbox players with its presence still within this year—a goal we've ardently pursued for an extended period."
This announcement will undoubtedly excite Xbox fans who have been eagerly anticipating any word about the game's approaching arrival on their chosen platform.