Baldur's Gate III will not be coming to Xbox Game Pass, according to Larian Studios founder and CEO Swen Vincke. Vincke has stated that this decision was always part of the plan and will not be changing.
In an interview with IGN, Vincke elaborated on the reasons behind Baldur's Gate III not being included in Xbox Game Pass. He believes that a fair price should be paid for a game of such magnitude, emphasizing that there are no microtransactions in the game – "You get what you pay for." Vincke also mentioned that by avoiding Game Pass, the studio can focus on developing other games.
Reports suggest that game publishers are not entirely satisfied with Xbox Game Pass, with claims made by PlayStation boss Jim Ryan earlier this year stating that the subscription service is 'value destroying'. Microsoft itself has acknowledged that game sales may decline for at least a year after being included in Game Pass. However, the space RPG Starfield, which was available on Game Pass from its launch day, was declared the best-selling game of September in the United States, according to VentureBeat.
Baldur's Gate III, an RPG inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, was released on December 8 for the Xbox Series X and -S. The game was previously launched by Larian Studios in August of this year for PC and PS5, followed by a release for Apple Macs in September. The Belgian developer's creation was recently honored with the title of Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023.
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