Highlights

  • Recent leaks about the Xbox release date of Baldur's Gate 3 have been deemed inaccurate by Michael Douse from Larian Studios.
  • The initial plan to offer split-screen co-op on the Xbox Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3 has been abandoned to release the game on Xbox consoles before the end of the year.
  • Larian Studios wants to ensure a polished and quality release for Xbox fans, prioritizing a good version of Baldur's Gate 3 that lives up to its reputation as one of the best new games of 2023.

Larian Studios' Michael Douse has reacted to recent leaks about the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox release date, indicating that the leaks are not accurate. Baldur's Gate 3 is tied for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as 2023's highest-rated new game. It has been a monumental success on both PC and PlayStation 5, so it's no surprise that many Xbox gamers are anxious to play it on their platform of choice.

Initially, what kept Baldur's Gate 3 from hitting Xbox Series X/S the same day as its PS5 counterpart was the desire to get split-screen co-op working on both the Xbox Series X and Series S. The plan to offer split-screen co-op on the Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3 has been abandoned for now to get the game on Xbox consoles before the year is out. Larian has repeatedly said that it hopes to release Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series X/S before the end of 2023, but a recent leak offered a more specific date.

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Larian Responds to Xbox Underestimating Baldur's Gate 3

Following a major leak of Microsoft emails and documents, Larian Studios' publishing director comments on what was said about Baldur's Gate 3.

A recent leak claimed that the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox release date would be December 6. Some fans had already questioned the leak since December 6 falls on a Wednesday and the vast majority of new video games release on Tuesdays and Fridays. However, BG3 dropped on PC on a Thursday and the PS5 version released on a Wednesday, so others found the leaked December 6 date for Xbox easier to believe. Responding to a report about the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox release date leak, Larian's Michael Douse stated, "News to me."

Douse offered more information in a follow-up tweet. He indicated that Larian itself doesn't know the Xbox release date yet, and it won't until the team is "confident in the release version." Douse reiterated that Larian hopes to release Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox by the end of 2023. "The key takeaway here should be that we want a really good version that Xbox fans deserve. This means we'll work on it until we're happy to release it."

The key takeaway here should be that we want a really good version that Xbox fans deserve.

It makes sense that Larian is hesitant to rush the Xbox port of Baldur's Gate 3 and wants to ensure that the game releases on Series X and S in as polished a form as possible. After all, Baldur's Gate 3 has a reputation for being one of the best video games of all time, and a shoddy port could somewhat sour some fans on the game. Larian has a long history of releasing quality ports of its games on Xbox platforms, though, so fans shouldn't worry about the BG3 Xbox port. Chances are good that it will release in a state that only helps solidify Baldur's Gate 3 as one of the best new games of 2023.