Highlights
- Baldur's Gate 3 takes place more than a century after Baldur's Gate 2 and shortly after the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus module, which has interesting implications for the timeline of both the games and D&D 's Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- The impact of the earlier Baldur's Gate games on Baldur's Gate 3 is limited by design. Players don't need to be familiar with the past games to enjoy it.
- The events of Descent into Avernus , such as the sinking of Elturel and the corruption of Baldur's Gate, may play a role in the game's storyline.
Many consider the Baldur’s Gate series to be among the greatest RPGs of all time. The series was pivotal to establishing BioWare as a prominent RPG developer and laid the groundwork for Black Isle Studios’ Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale and played a massive role in revitalizing the genre. After a long absence, Baldur’s Gate 3 brings the series back from the dead as players find the Sword Coast under threat by the sinister machinations of the Mind Flayers.
Quite a lot has happened since the last time Baldur’s Gate players visited the titular city-state. Baldur’s Gate 3 takes place more then a century after Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, and shortly after the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus modules from Dungeons and Dragons 5e. This has interesting implications for the timeline of both the games and D&D’s Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
The Baldur’s Gate Timeline
One of the tricky things about the Baldur’s Gate timeline is figuring out what is and isn’t part of the continuity. It’s tempting to include every game and tabletop module set in the Forgotten Realms setting. However, it might be best to focus mainly on Descent into Avernus and the Baldur’s Gate “family” of games. In addition to the Baldur’s Gate and Dark Alliance series, these include Planescape: Torment and the Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights games. It does not include the Neverwinter MMO, which exists in a separate continuity.
In-Game Year | Game |
|---|---|
1281 | Icewind Dale |
1312 | Icewind Dale 2 |
1367 | Planescape: Torment |
1368 | Baldur’s Gate |
1369 | Baldur’s Gate 2 |
1372 | Neverwinter Nights |
1374 | Neverwinter Nights 2 and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance |
1376 | Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 |
1477 | Blood in Baldur's Gate |
1492 | Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus and Baldur’s Gate 3 |
Looking at the timeline reveals a few interesting things. The most important is, of course, the 142-year gap between Baldur’s Gate 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3. Even counting the Dark Alliance spinoffs, that’s still 116 years between Baldur’s Gate games. By comparison, the entire stretch from Icewind Dale to Dark Alliance 2 only covers 95 years. Meanwhile, Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate 2, and the Neverwinter Nights and Dark Alliance games all happen in the same 8-year period.
With so much time between games, the impact of the earlier games on Baldur’s Gate 3 is limited by design. As developer Larian Studios made clear, players don’t need to be familiar with the past games to enjoy Baldur’s Gate 3. There are connections to Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, but Larian’s game is doing its own thing. One could argue that Baldur’s Gate 3 is something of a soft reboot, especially considering the transition from real-time combat to turn-based combat.
The main thing that’s relevant to Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t Baldur’s Gate 2 or Dark Alliance 2, but the Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign for D&D 5e. Baldur’s Gate 3 happens only a few months after that tabletop adventure, which devotes about 50 pages to describing the titular city in the year 1492.
The plot of Descent into Avernus sees the nearby city of Elturel sink into Avernus, the first of the Nine Hells. Meanwhile, the city of Baldur’s Gate is slowly being subverted by corruption and the machination of evil gods. Making matters worse, the city’s ruler Ulder Ravengard has gone missing. The adventure module ultimately sees players saving both cites and the Grand Duke back on his throne, but it seems highly likely that Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus will have a significant impact on Baldur’s Gate 3.
Granted, Larian hasn’t talked much about what impact Descent into Avernus will have on the upcoming game. Players have also yet to visit the city directly, as the early access version of Baldur’s Gate 3 only covers its first act. However, Larian showed off quite a bit of the city in a video last month. Much of what players will find there is still unconfirmed, but it would not be surprising if the Grand Duke’s return and the events of Descent into Avernus didn’t play some role, even if it is relegated to background lore.
Baldur's Gate 3 releases on August 3 for PC, and on September 6 for PS5.
