Baldur's Gate 3 delayed from August, new release date will be revealed this month

Update - August 4: Baldur's Gate 3 will not be released in early access this month as originally planned, developer Larian Studios announced today. However, it sounds like its updated release date isn't far behind. 

In a new tweet, the studio clarified that while Baldur's Gate 3 won't be ready for August, its new release date is "just around the corner." The updated date will be revealed in a stream on Tuesday, August 18. Judging by Geoff Keighley's participation, this will be part of the ongoing Summer Game Fest lineup, and it will reveal much more than the new release date. 

Delays are inevitable in today's troubled times, and to Larian's credit, it never outright said that August was set in stone. In fact, it explicitly said that August was always a "maybe" for the start of Baldur's Gate 3's early access run. In the end, that maybe fell through, as maybes often do. Here's hoping the revised early access release date is set for September.

Original story: 

Larian Studios has confirmed Baldur's Gate 3 will release in Early Access in August 2020… well. Hopefully.

Showcased as part of the Guerilla Collective Day 1 presentations earlier today, Larian Studio says it plans to release the game in early access in August, but only if there are no further delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here, take a peek at the announcement trailer which comes exactly one year after the game was originally announced, and months after the World Gameplay Reveal at PAX East earlier this year. 

"Get ready to venture forth. Baldur's Gate 3 is planned for an August 2020 Early Access launch on Steam and Stadia," the studio confirmed.

Almost exactly one year after the team originally announced Baldur's Gate 3 and months after the world gameplay reveal at PAX East earlier this year, here's a new trailer to "help showcase the tone of the game and get you pumped up for the road to Early Access". Larian said the third instalments brings "the IP into the modern era, with AAA production values, including fully cinematic dialogues, authentic gameplay based on 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons and cooperative multiplayer".

A live gameplay session is also scheduled for June 18, 2020, on twitch.tv/dnd.

"Covid-19 has affected Larian as it has affected many people around the world, but the shift to work-from-home has been a successful one, allowing Larian to continue working towards the Early Access period of (maybe) August," the studio said in a press release. "We’re happy to announce that we’re now able to resume performance capture, to put the final pieces in place for the Early Access release.

"The mood, depth, and tone of Baldur’s Gate 3 are extremely important aspects of the experience, and Larian is now able to continue to work to create what will be the initial Early Access release build."

To whet our appetites, the developers of Baldur's Gate 3 also recently released a new sizzle reel of gameplay to show off ahead of today's presentation. Though only 40 seconds long, the official Larian Studios Twitter account shared a new video that showed off environmental hazards, a trip to a different kind of Mushroom Kingdom, and a whole bunch of flashy spells.

Baldur's Gate 3's production was slowed down by work changes from COVID-19 concerns, but the founder of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke, gave the news in an update on his personal Twitter account back in April.

Looking for something new to get stuck into in the meantime? Here are the best PC games right now.