If we talk about big gaming releases in 2023, then the first names that come to mind are Diablo IV, Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Final Fantasy XVI, Resident Evil 4, and many more. But the two names that really stand out above all are Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3.
However, to avoid a collision with a title like Starfield, Larian Studios had to take a precautionary measure. And the result is in front of everyone. Baldur’s Gate 3 became the Game of the Year in 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Went Out of the Way of Starfield
Larian Studios split the release of the PC and the console version of Baldur’s Gate 3 to avoid that collision with Starfield. Here’s what the CEO, Swen Vincke, had to say about the clash in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz:
“I have a lot of respect for Bethesda… If you’re at sea and a bigger boat passes by, the rule is that you go out of the way for the bigger boat—they were the bigger boat. We went out of the way for [Bethesda], but we still wanted the world to pay attention to us.”
Amidst the extreme heat of other titles, it was pretty difficult for Larian Studios to make their way out. And their biggest obstacle was Starfield. The company knew very well that clashing with a big game like the Bethesda space exploration title without proper strategies would result in becoming a flop in the gaming market.
Vincke stated that Larian Studios had the best marketing campaign in the world. As a result, in the initial week of the game’s release, a strong player base consisting of a million players etched the name of Baldur’s Gate 3 against the other big titles.
“The game was very big on identity”
Despite showing a lot of respect for Starfield, Vincke never underestimated his own title. Although both of the titles are very different, he knew Starfield was going to have a long-lasting effect on people’s minds. But Larian Studios also made sure that appropriate aspects of Baldur’s Gate 3 were also shown to the same people. Vincke expressed:
“We had a lot of narrative-heavy permutations, so we wanted to showcase that the game was very big on identity and how that identity [is] reflected into the game.
According to the CEO, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a much more cinematic game. The title’s immersion gameplay truly showcased the ambition of every Larian Studio company. However, Vincke has ensured all of us that there will be no more Baldur’s Gate or any DLC of the last game. So, this might be the end of this fascinating series.
That’s all from our side. Baldur’s Gate 3‘s journey from battling some of the best titles to becoming the best game in 2023 is truly fascinating. And that has only happened with a simple strategy.
