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Baldur's Gate 3 is now available on Xbox, but don't expect it on Game Pass anytime soon. Speaking with IGN in an interview soon to be published in full, Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke explained why the award-winning role-playing game won't be part of Xbox's subscription service.

"Oh, we always said from the get-go, it wasn't going to be on Game Pass, it's not going to be on Game Pass," Vincke said when asked whether Xbox had tried to pay the studio to put Baldur's Gate 3 on the service.

Describing it as a "sensitive question," Vincke pointed out that Larian Studios is in the business of "making a game that has a beginning, middle, and an end." He also touted Baldur's Gate 3's lack of microtransactions, which has been praised in some quarters.

"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 says.

Baldur's Gate 3 'Isn't Going to be on Game Pass', Insists Larian Boss - IGN

In a new interview with IGN, Larian Studios boss Swen Vincke responded to questions about Baldur's Gate 3 being on Xbox Game Pass, explaining why the best RPG of 2023 won't be on Microsoft's subscription service anytime soon.

www.ign.com

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Good. They deserve to have people buy it outright

We just need more games of that calibre.

 

[Skifi28]

I thought developers wanted to be on gamepass and it somehow increased sales and was a win-win.

 

[Del_X]

That's what Microsoft pays them for (if it were on game pass). It's almost like people are intentionally gaslighting people about the business model somehow meaning shit is free or cheap.

 

[adamsapple]

.... YET *

 

[Heisenberg007]

 

[struggler_guts]

That's right Swen, get that paper

 

[Tsaki]

That's what Microsoft pays them for (if it were on game pass). It's almost like people are intentionally gaslighting people about the business model somehow meaning shit is free or cheap.

Well it depends on what they offer them. I guess the price would be ever so slightly over $5million though

 

[Moses85]

 

[StealthGoblin]

That's what Microsoft pays them for (if it were on game pass). It's almost like people are intentionally gaslighting people about the business model somehow meaning shit is free or cheap.

They'd need to pay for the lost Xbox sales, lost PS5 sales and lost PC sales for the GOTY. There's a calculation to be had there, and it isn't cheap.

 

[jm89]

When the xbox community hear they have to pay for games

 

[MidGenRefresh]

Game is like non-stop in top 10 global best sellers on Steam. There's absolutely no reason for them to include it in Game Pass right now. Wait for sales to dry out and only then negotiate a deal with Microsoft.

 

[adamsapple]

When the xbox community hear they have to pay for games

psst..

It's the top-paid game on Xbox right now after CoD.

 

[skit_data]

I hope they actually make some bank on the platform, there are times to be penny pinching and there are times to not be. This is one of the latter cases.

 

[Mercenary09]

Thought it was absurd that idiots actually thought this would shadow drop on Game Pass. Game Pass doesn't get BIG third party games. Don't know how many times this has to be proven. It gets games that have no chance (Back 4 Blood) or niche games like P5 Tactica or Yakuza.

 

[Draugoth]

Denying those millions from Microosft... very brave.

 

[Ronin_7]

Fuck IGN for the shitty question.

Good on Larian, fuck subscriptions.

 

[sigrad]

And...

 

[Sanepar]

LARIAN is god! Good games don't need to be given on subscription services. They sell by their quality.

 

[AJUMP23]

Game is great just buy it. It would have been cool on GP day one. Now it would cost a ton for XBOX to put it on GP.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Buy the game you fucking peasants. BG3 is a rare gem and from a now niche genre. Its feature packed with no microtransactions, they spent a lot of time supporting it and adding things too.

Respect their work.

 

[Flabagast]

Of course.

Game pass is the death of ambitious games

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Its a successful game that’s actually selling. It’s literally GOTY material so why should it be there?

 

[K' Dash]

Buy the game you fucking peasants. BG3 is a rare gem and from a now niche genre. Its feature packed with no microtransactions, they spent a lot of time supporting it and adding things too.

Respect their work.

Not my kind of game, I'll give it a whirl if it comes to GP eventually, and by eventually I mean years down the line.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Outside of Ms giving them rise of the tomb raider money there's no way it'd be worth it.

 

[wolffy66]

I kinda feel like everything is on gamepass eventually

 

[poppabk]

.... YET *

The 'sensitive question' remark suggests that they don't want to shit on gamepass but want to leave the door open for a big payout in a couple of years.

 

[adamsapple]

The 'sensitive question' remark suggests that they don't want to shit on gamepass but want to leave the door open for a big payout in a couple of years.

Of course.

Once the game finishes its sales cycle, they'll welcome money from either MS or Sony to put it on their respective services.

 

[VolticArchangel]

They have no reason to, at least for the first year of it's release, where most of a game's unit sales come from.

It's a great business move by Swen. Get the bag using the accolades they have rightfully earned in the launch/first few years, and then milk the cash cows like Gamepass, PS+ etc, later down the line.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

psst..

It's the top-paid game on Xbox right now after CoD.

Schlag Schlag!

 

[Fabieter]

Like it should

 

[Metnut]

Let’s see how this sells on XBox. Prove everyone wrong that XBox gamers aren’t just cheap people who want everything on Gamepass. Show other companies that it’s worth spending tons of man hours trying to get games to run acceptably on Series S.

 

[StereoVsn]

psst..

It's the top-paid game on Xbox right now after CoD.

It can’t even beat DLC sales. Bomba confirmed!

 

[FoxMcChief]

That’s cool. Not ever single game needs to be on game pass.

Just most.

 

[H-I-M]

GamePass cheapens the games, like we've been saying forever.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I remember when everyone was expecting Cyberpunk 2077 to be on GP. CDPR said no, as they believed they could save it.

Turns out they were right. Same with Larian.

 

[FoxMcChief]

GamePass cheapens the games, like we've been saying forever.

 

[Fbh]

As a third party there's no real reason to be on Gamepass this early unless you aren't confident about how well your game will sell.
With over 20 mill sales already, very good reception by both critics and players and probably a shit-ton of GOTY awards in the next couple of months I don't think Larian has any worries about the sale potential of BG3.

 

[StereoVsn]

I mean it does. Look at platform sales of larger Non GamePass games like say Hogwarts for an example.

I had GamePass sub for my XSX and and I hardly bought anything there except for BC games.

 

[acm2000]

it will be on game pass once the sales dry up

 

[nowhat]

Denying those millions from Microosft... very brave.

According to the self-leaked docs, MS tried to pay $5M for BG3 on GP. Larian would have been idiots to take that deal.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I think DOS2 would be a good fit for gamepass however.

 

[WitchHunter]

Buy the game you fucking peasants. BG3 is a rare gem and from a now niche genre. Its feature packed with no microtransactions, they spent a lot of time supporting it and adding things too.

Respect their work.

People have been thoroughly brainwashed for sure. When a game gets released, you want a complete experience. So do not give plus points to a studio, that LATER adds something to the base game. Just stop doing this, because you'll let the wolf into the sheep pen and in the long term you gonna face the consequences. MS wants to be granddaddy of all games with gamepass, now it's already a thing that a head honcho says this aint gonna happen... soon.

And the worst of it all, that BG3 gets lauded, when they released a half assed, stitched together frankenstein.

 

[Complistic]

I feel like they're going to pull a Nintendo on this one. Has the game even gone on sale yet? If your game is good enough people will buy it. Works for Nintendo.

 

[Pedro Motta]

Larian Boss has big brain.

 

[Shane89]

AAA games, unless developed internally, will rarely appear on any subscription service, simply because you will not make the same amount of potential money.

 

[Thirty7ven]

Love how he says sensitive question because he doesn’t want to come out and say that Gamepass is where low rent goes to live.

 

[Jigsaah]

Microsoft's got big pockets but even they know the game needs no exposure and will sell regardless. Simply no need to do this.

Gamepass' purpose is to help games attract players who would normally not buy/play those games. BG3 doesn't have this problem.

I'd say duuuuuuuuuh...but there are Xbox folks who think everything should be on Gamepass. It's like gaming welfare or something.

 

[Robb]

For now. I’ll try it when it arrives in due time.

 

[VideoGameEnjoyer]

Of course, as it should be.