Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access launch won't happen in August

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Larian said it's 'just around the corner,' but it won't make the hoped-for August rollout.

(Image credit: Larian Studios)

We expected Baldur's Gate 3 to launch into Early Access in August, probably. Maybe. Hopefully, at least: Larian CEO Swen Vincke said in June that the studio was pushing hard to make it, but the COVID-19 pandemic could slow things down. 

"We've been hit like everybody else in the world," he said at the time. "Nonetheless, we managed to make a lot of progress, so we think we're going to make it."

With August now upon us, Larian has been forced to reconsider Vincke's optimism. The studio announced on Twitter today that it won't make the August Early Access release, but that it's "just around the corner." The proper release date, and other "big news," will be revealed on August 18 in the "Panel From Hell," which will feature Vincke, Geoff Keighley (of course), and members of the Larian development team.

The Panel From Hell will be viewable on Larian's Twitch channel and the Summer Games Fest channel on YouTube. There's also a countdown ticking away at baldursgate3.game, but there's a solid two weeks on it so you probably don't need to start staring at it just yet. Instead, you can direct your attention to the latest Baldur's Gate 3 update, which breaks down some of what you can expect from combat and stealth when the Early Access launch takes place.

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.