Baldur’s Gate 3 will surprise fans with a host of character options arriving at launch, including two races, a new class and an increased level cap. However, it misses out on one of the most popular consoles…
Baldur’s Gate 3 has now revealed several new character options that will be included at the launch. The highly-anticipated RPG will feature two extra races, a new class, and a host of new subclasses. Larian Studios revealed a wealth of new information about the game in a community update.
One of the highlights of the post was that the PC release date for Baldur’s Gate 3 had been brought forward by nearly a month, although the PS5 release has been delayed slightly.
However, most of the post was about some of the new character creation options in BG 3. Half-orcs and otherworldly “Dragonborn” round out the list of playable races. This means that players will be able to choose from all the options in the original Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Player’s Handbook. Dwarven characters can also play Duergar – the psionic denizens of the Underdark – as a sub-species option.
In addition, Baldur’s Gate 3 will finally feature the Monk class. This Zen warrior is adept at wielding light weapons, unarmed strikes and ki to control the battlefield and dispatch enemies. Dungeons and Dragons fans will recognise monk skills such as Deflect Missiles and Martial Arts and can choose from the Open Hand, Shadow, and Four Elements Monastic traditions. All of these have been slightly modified from their D&D counterparts. This makes them better suited to the video game environment.
If that wasn’t exciting enough, each of the other 12 playable classes in BG 3 will get at least one new subclass option. From Gloom Stalker Ranger to Wild Magic Sorcerer, every class has at least three options. In fact, Cleric and Wizard have more than twice as many.
With 46 subclasses available at launch, players will easily be able to create several powerful Dungeons and Dragons builds in-game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 will also feature many other new features at launch. The game will feature 37 feats, at least half of which will be fresh at launch. Plus, over 600 spells and sub-spells. Including dozens of options not seen in Early Access. Finally, the game will raise the maximum level cap from 10 to 12. Classes will have access to powerful higher-level abilities. For example, level 6 spells from Dungeons and Dragons. Things like Chain Lightning and Otto’s Irresistible Dance for Wizards, a third attack for Warriors, or Reliable Talent for Rogues. Players can expect to see details on these and many more features at the game’s final Panel From Hell event on July 7.
Will Baldur’s Gate 3 skip the Xbox Series consoles?!
Baldur’s Gate 3 will be skipping Xbox Series X/S consoles for the time being. This is because Microsoft requires the same gameplay on both consoles. The cooperative nature of the title obviously thwarts these plans. This news comes after the BG 3 release date was changed: the PC version will be released earlier on August 3, and the PS5 version slightly later on September 6.
Because of its popularity and legacy, many people understandably want Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox consoles, but that’s proving harder than it looks, Larian Studios’ Swen Vincke revealed in an interview with IGN.
The reasoning lies in a perfect storm of gameplay features, console politics and development challenges. The main problem is that BG 3’s co-op features are “freer than people expect”. This allows players to explore incredibly dense cities together freely. This feature is difficult to optimise. Thus, it limits the potential appearance. Because Xbox has a policy that, aside from things like framerate, gameplay features should be parity on Xbox Series X/S. Specifically, this means that Baldur’s Gate 3 can’t just appear on Xbox Series X with co-op, but not on Xbox Series S.
Another problem is the nature of early access development. As Baldur’s Gate 3’s content has continued to expand, optimisation has become more difficult with all that has been added. However, it’s worth noting that Larian Studios is not alone in this.
Vincke has confirmed that Microsoft is backing Larian Studios’ work, so it does indeed look like Baldur’s Gate 3 will be coming to Xbox Series X/S sooner rather than later.
Vincke also said that the studio may have to make compromises in order for the Xbox version to be released. However, he did not openly say what those compromises might be. This is also because it is uncertain. Vincke did not want to “get ahead of the development team” on this issue. After all, he stressed their incredible work on the game.
So a Dragonborn, a Half-Orc and a Monk walk into a tavern… and spill the beans.
It’s time to talk about the breadth & depth of Baldur’s Gate 3’s races, classes, and spells, and re-roll the D8.
Learn more in Community Update #20: https://t.co/8b1YWXvAep pic.twitter.com/VakQYHmqP6
— Baldur's Gate 3 re-rolled the D8 🥳 (@baldursgate3) June 29, 2023
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