Fans are getting notifications that Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II are coming to Game Pass.
For those who are wondering, Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition are listed as one package on the Xbox Store. As of this writing, the package is not indicated to be on Game Pass.
Still, it seems likely that this is on the way if it still hasn’t happened. Idle Sloth on Twitter shares that a Game Pass subscriber received a message that said:
“New games unleashed!
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II have been let loose! Play these games and more with Game Pass.”
Subsequently, another Twitter user, Game Pass Tracker, made this statement:
“BREAKING:
#XboxGamePass
According to a push notification that some subscribers are receiving, it looks as though Baldur’s Gate I and Baldur’s Gate II are coming to Game Pass!
This has happened two other times this year with Shadow Warrior 3 Definitive Edition and Maquette, and both wound up actually happening”
Game Pass Tracker also shared a screenshot of one such message.
So, it seems that these notifications come out just before Microsoft confirms games are coming to Game Pass. There’s a particular reason to be interested in these games too, but we should clear up that it isn’t what you think.
First, let’s get one thing straight. Baldur’s Gate itself is the name for the video game franchise based on Forgotten Realms. Forgotten Realms, itself, is a particular campaign setting set within the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Other video games are also based on Forgotten Realms, such as Neverwinter Nights and Icewind Dale.
Ultimately, Dungeons and Dragons current owner is Hasbro, under their subsidiary Wizards of the Coast. All these games do get licensed through Wizards, but ultimately, it’s really all under Hasbro. While Larian Studios has been working on Baldur’s Gate III, they aren’t the owners of the Baldur’s Gate franchise.
In fact, Larian Studios aren’t connected in any way to Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition. These two games were originally developed by BioWare, years before they were acquired by EA. Today, this specific version of both games are published by Beamdog.
As you may know, Larian Studios is facing the heat for talking about their challenges developing Baldur’s Gate III for the Xbox Series S. While they are still working on finishing this port, someone seemed to have made the call to bring Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition to Game Pass.
Was it Larian Studios who asked for it? It seems highly unlikely, as they are a separate entity from Beamdog. It may be the case that Beamdog decided to make their move, or Hasbro called for it.
Or, probably most likely of all, Microsoft themselves talked to Beamdog and Hasbro, to make this happen as a make good for their player base. Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition are completely different games from Baldur’s Gate III, but it’s still something to make their fans happy.
