Larian Studios head Swen Vincke has reiterated that Baldur’s Gate 3 will not be coming to Game Pass.
The studio already answered this question months ago, but it would be natural that they get asked again, particularly because Baldur’s Gate 3 recently released on Xbox Series X|S.
In a new interview with IGN, Vincke said this:
“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.”
Vincke had previously stated that Larian also had no plans to make any DLC for Baldur’s Gate 3. In fact, they had put in all the ideas that they had for the premise into the game, and also pointed out that they already stretched what would be possible and feasible under the Baldur’s Gate licensee, AKA, the Dungeons and Dragons rulebook.
Was there something that Baldur’s Gate 3 could have gained if it launched on Game Pass?
Theoretically, the answer would be yes. While the game’s sales did rise thanks to organic word of mouth, Game Pass is proven to be even more effective in generating that kind of publicity. While it seems contradictory on its face, many games that come up on Game Pass get more full retail sales.
This is because many Game Pass subscribers have taken to using Game Pass as an extended game trial or game demo. And even when those subscribers don’t go on to buy the game separately, they seem to reliably spread the word and increase a game’s potential player base.
So there is that perception that Game Pass lowers the perceived value of a game, and there’s also the higher sales numbers that some developers see. That doesn’t just come from their portion of Game Pass subscriptions, but in word of mouth retail sales.
Would this have mattered for Baldur’s Gate 3? It is already one of the most successful titles of 2023. But, as IGN also pointed out, it doesn’t match the success of Starfield, which was available in a more limited number of platforms, but also had a variety of purchasing options.
Rather than assuming that Game Pass would have reduced the number of players buying the game at full retail price, is Larian missing out on the gamers who would have tried, and then bough, Baldur’s Gate 3, if it was on Game Pass? The answer for every game and studio is potentially different, and Larian may be dismissing a possibility here that they shouldn’t be taking for granted.
